Archives for September 2017

Just some thoughts:

“The life of an ordinary man, if accurately captured, would be the best and most complex piece of literature ever written.”

                           Leo Tolstoy-Sept. 9,1828–Nov. 20, 1910

It has often been my life’s experience that some of the most interesting people I have met and places I have been while many might find them ordinary, I have found otherwise. I think sometimes the “ordinary” can be “extra-ordinary.” I think within most everyone there is a story and if properly told is worth hearing.

​

================================================================================================
August 18, 2017
Keep on,
Larry Adamson 

Just some thoughts:                                                  

Yes, I miss Merle. Merle Haggard that is.​

                                               “Listening to the Wind”

                                        Listening to the wind 
                            Trying to hear the voice of a distant friend
                                Wishing you and I were close again
                                               Listening to the wind

      Listening to the breeze as it whispers through the poplar trees
                                    Do you think of me way back then?
                                              Do you listen to the wind?

         Listening to the night/ Wishing we could hold and squeeze each other tight
                                   I can almost hear the stars so bright
                                              Listening to the night

                  Listening to the sound of a highway through some distant town
                                    I can almost hear the pale moonlight
                                             Do you listen to the night?

            Listening to my mind/ Searching through my thoughts for the perfect line
                                       Using tricks and telepathy at times
                                              Do you listen to your mind?

                     Listening to the breeze as it whispers through the poplar trees
                                      Wishing you and I were close again
                                                 Just listening to the wind

Recently I sat on a front porch late at night in a old porch swing….and that’s what I did…I listened to the wind…you ever:

                                     *Tried to hear the voice of a distant friend
                    *Wondered if anyone every thought of you from way back when
                           *Could almost hear the stars as they were so bright
                                  *Heard the sounds of a distant highway
                                        *Could almost hear the moonlight
                                  *Found yourself searching for the perfect line
                                  *Listening to your mind as it moved on
                                            *Wishing to be close again

Well, I have. You?

I miss those who can find words that  often express my thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Merle could do that for me.

================================================================================================
August 15, 2016
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

Just some thoughts:                                                 

Recently I picked up our twelve-years old 7th grade grandson Luke from school. Something I often do.

We hadn’t gone far when he shared with me something he was doing and something he wasn’t doing. After he shared such I said to him, “Well, Luke that makes me happy, proud of what you are doing and what you are not doing.” He looked at me, smiled a bit and said: “Well, Pop Pop that’s  pretty obvious what one should and should not be doing in what I just told you.” “Luke, you are right but you know maybe we all ought to acknowledge, celebrate the obvious more in our world today.” 

Personally as I see things happening today I am not so sure that the “obvious” is not as “obvious” for some as it is for others. Today I am seeing things happen in my life and lifetime that I thought would never happen. Also, I am not seeing things that I thought would happen. So the obvious….boy that’s another matter.

================================================================================================
August 12, 2017
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

 Just some thoughts:                                                

He was having a terrible time getting any air play, exposure for his latest record. He believed so strongly in the record that he personally had gone to the distribution center and bought up all the 45s. If his label would not promote the record he would.

Back then an artist often “pitched” their latest song. The artist would go from town to town, state to state, showing up at a station to meet the local DJ and give him the artist new recording.  Hoping the personal meeting would influence the jockey to play the record, the kids would hear it and that would start the calls to the station to “play that record.”

In his own words he had “plastered” Pittsburgh, Wheeling and Steubenville with the record. Now to get air play. Give the guy credit, he was creative. The song had to do with teenagers and roses. He went to a florist, a trusting one he said, who would sell him dozens and dozens of roses on account. In other words on credit. He had tried every promotion method that he had previously known. 

Ok now he has his car loaded with roses and records. He stops in front of this station about to go in when he sees a young lady walking down the street. In his words, “She had on a short skirt and yes pretty legs.” In an instant he thinks “She could be my entree to the disc jockeys.”

 He follows her down the street engages her in conversation and presents his promotion idea. “You ride this afternoon with me from one station to another you can deliver my record buried in red roses to the disc jockey.” She looked at him like he was crazy but replied “Why not?” The young lady rode around with him from station to station. She was having no trouble in getting the attention of the folks behind the mike and in turn leaving roses and a record.  Every DJ they pitched that day played the record that afternoon or evening when they went on the air.

Shortly thereafter his record label told him, “You won’t believe this but we have checked just in Pittsburgh alone they have sold over 1,000 of your record. It’s getting air play and the kids are asking for it.” Thus the song “Roses are Red” became Bobby Vinton’s first million selling record and launched his career.

“I have never forgotten that ‘mystery gal’ who was so kind to me when I needed help from someone so badly.” 
                                                             The Polish Prince–Bobby Vinton

Over the years Vinton continued to seek and find that young lady with no success. The record has since sold millions, has been his signature song and recorded by many other artists.

Personally I so well remember the record. The first time I heard the song I was a sophomore in college, 1962. I had been to visit a high school buddy in Decatur, Illinois and I was driving back to my home in Indiana. Hearing the song for the first time the lyrics caught my attention. I pulled to the side of the road and listened to the lyrics.

You know sometimes for something to become successful it takes some planning and creativity on the part of the one or one’s involved. Also, sometimes simple things that people do for others turn out to be so big as the years go by.

================================================================================================
March 15, 2014
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

Just some thoughts:                                                   

                            Recently I overheard this statement said by someone at my coffee place:
                                                        “Honey, life ain’t nothing but strings.”

It gave me pause.

================================================================================================
September 15, 2017
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

ust some thoughts:                                           
 
Do any of you remember when cafeterias were popular?
 
If you are my age and were to say The Goodie Shop and are from my home area you would know immediately where and what I was talking about.
 
Recently I was back home. Again back home is southwestern Indiana,Terre Haute, Vigo county area. Often when I go back I will take some time and drive around town, visit, drive by some of the old haunts. I drive by high schools, playgrounds, fillin’ stations, churches, places where car hop drive-ins once were, a golf course, a strip (Wabash Avenue)  where we kids used to drive up and down  and a few houses on various streets that once were a part of my growing up days.
 
This past time home I drove north on Third Street and turned east on to Ohio Street.  A street that once was one of the main streets when the city was activity. Two places I drove past made me smile. One was the Indiana theater the other The Goodie Shop. 
 
The Goodie Shop was one of the city more favorite places to eat. It was an upscale cafeteria or at least for that day and time. A memory from the Goodie Shop from somewhere in the late 1950s’ came back to me.
 
One Saturday night my good friend Mike called me. “Hey Cohort (that was his name for me) what’s you doin’ tonight? Hey I got us a couple dates.” “For when” I ask. “Tonight,” he said. “Tonight, its already after seven.” “Yea I know. Get yourself ready.”
 
He went on, “You know my folks like to eat on Saturday’s at the Goodie Shop. We went there tonight and I met these two girls that were workin’ there.” “Oh.” “Yea, they get off a bit after 9 and I made a date for you and me.” “Oh.” “Yea, we’re to pick them up out in front of the place at a little after nine.”
 
“Ok, what do you know about them?” “Not much, just saw them for the first time.” “Where do they go to school?” “I don’t know.” “What do they look like?” “Oh their ok…one looks a little short and one has blond hair.” “That’s not much to go on” I said to my friend. 
 
“What’s their names?” “Oh I don’t know.” “Yea I don’t know, one of them was servin’ the bread and the other one was dishin’ up the vegetables. We’ll just  call them Bread and Vegetables.”   
 
On that night a little after nine my good friend and I picked up the “Goodie Shop dates.” We never knew their names. That night will always be remembered as the night we had dates with:
                                                “Bread and Vegetables.” 
 
For the life of me as I drove on east on Ohio street I could not remember which one I had as a date. Bread or was it Vegetables?

​That was my friend.
 
================================================================================================
August 15, 2016
Keep on,
Larry Adamson 

Just some thoughts: 
 
Today I visited the grave of an old friend. It’s been two years to the day since he’s been gone. March 25, 2015.

“How Did You Get Home So Soon Bill?” 
 
It was Memorial Day in ’81 I left the city and I drove back home
I stopped by the grave of a childhood friend
And as I stood there I talked to him and I said
How’d you get home so soon Bill I knew you way back then
We were pals back in those days much too young to have friends
I left town bout when you did I’ve been makin’ up tunes
Ain’t it strange how they play this game how’d you get home so soon
 
How’d you get home so soon Bill I knew you had to ask
She married some guy from Dayton left and never came back 
To tell you the truth I liked her but boy that’s been many a moon
I’m still playing games on the same old range how’d you get home so soon
I did some time in the Army but you don’t wanna hear about that
Made easy money the hard way it all goes for toys and tax

Well Bill I’m down I’ll see you around….how’d you get home so soon 
 
Tom T. Hall

I’ve often wondered…….. when visiting the grave of a deceased loved one….do they know we’re there? 
 
I’d sure hope so…..
 
================================================================================================
March 25, 2017
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

Just some thoughts:

I often visit libraries. Today was one such day.
 
Generally when I go I have something in mind to get, return etc. But often a part of my library routine in just to “walk the stacks.” I spent most of that time in the history or the biography sections. 
 
One of the books I have recently read in my walking the stacks was Randy Pausch’s book The Last Lecture. Pausch was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Learning of such he beginning writing what he came to call his last lecture. His writings had to do with things he considered of major importance, overcoming obstacles, etc. In essences it was kinda his summation of what he believed was really important.
 
One of the things Pausch hit upon was the importance of time. Everyone has only so much of it and it is important to manage it properly. When I think of time I recall one of my grand kids sitting with me at my coffee place on my seventy birthday and his saying to me:
             
                     “Pop Pop you know what’s bad about birthday’s? It means you got less time to live.”
 
On the subject of time Pausch  hit upon five thoughts that have stayed with me:
 
                                             1.Time must be explicitly manage, like money.  
 
                                2.You can always change your plan, but  only if you have one.
 
                               3.Ask yourself: Are you spending your time on the right things?
 
                                                         4.Develope a good filing system.
 
                                                             5.Rethink the telephone.
 
One of the things I got from his thoughts about time was we only got so much so try and figure out what is really important with it. I like a statement he made that had to do with time:
 
                    “It doesn’t really matter how well you polish the underside of the banister.” 
 
================================================================================================
May 5, 2016
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

 Just some thoughts:

“I’d like you to go by Ross Jewelers today when you get out of class and off work.” 

No statement could have shocked me more. Those words were said to me early one morning in 1964 at the breakfast table as I was about to leave the house headed to my college classes and later work.

“What?” I said. “Yes, go by the jewelers this evening.” “What for?” I asked. “Your dad and I would like you to go there to have your ring finger measured,” was my mother’s reply. “My ring finger measured? What in the world for?” The last place in the world I could imagine my mother asking me to go was to a jewelry store. Jewelry was not a big item in my family. My dad wore no jewelry, oh maybe a tie clip on his Sunday tie. The only jewelry I remember my mother wearing was her simple silver wedding band, and on occasion earrings.

“With your college graduation nearing, your dad and I thought you might like to have a college ring,” my mother said to me. “Okay,” was my reply. Later that day I stopped at Ross Jewelers and had my ring finger measured. About four weeks later my college ring arrived.

I learned the real story later, years later. The ring cost about seventy-five dollars, not a big sum by today’s standards, but not so in 1964 on my parent’s budget. Later I learned they paid ten dollars down and then made monthly payments on the ring for the next six or seven months until it was paid off. My folks did not have a lot of extra money, and believe me when I say that a ring was definitely an “extra” item. To them graduating from college was not just another happening. It was very special as I was the first Adamson in our family to graduate from college, and they were very proud and happy for me.

Today that ring sits in one of two places, either on my bedroom night stand or on my desk in my office. Often it is the first thing I see every morning or the last thing I see at night. It is a reminder of two people who loved and cared deeply about their child, and on this occasion they felt it was important enough to break open the “alabaster” jar.I have never forgotten their sacrifice.

There is a great line I remember from a CeCe Winans song that says:
                                  
​                                           “You don’t know the cost of the oil in my alabaster box”
================================================================================================
January 3, 2009
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

Just some thoughts:                                     

He just got on the school bus, this would be his first day at a new school, when the kid sitting across from him said, “You wanna be my friend?”

Our two youngest grand kids, Delaney and Jake, over the summer they have moved. Not  that much further from where they were living but it did entail new schools for both of them. As parents and grandparents we always have concerns when  kids began a new experience.

Fourth grader Jake told his mom that while  he was sitting on the playground  another kid came up and sat down beside him. Jake asks (he has a bit of his grandfather in him–he will talk to just about anybody) “You new here?” “Yes.” “Me too.” The kid then said to Jake, “You wanna be my friend.”  Jake felt like he had hit the jackpot two  people in the same day asking that all important question, “You wanna be my friend.”

Jake went on to tell his mom he had also made friends with three girls while on the playground. ( I like the boys style.)  His mom named another girl that she thought possibly he might have met that day. “Did you meet———–?” “Yes, but mom, she’s the kinda that looks at what you are wearing and says ‘you look like last week.’ Hey these are elementary kids, where do they come up with all this?

But the first day a school and that all important question has been asked, “You wanna be my friend?” Your hope for your child and all other children that is a question they will often be asked this year with the start of another school season. Not only they will be asked but a question they will also learn to say to others.  In fact one would hope that is something they will ask and be asked all their lives. 

                                                        “You wanna be my friend?” 

================================================================================================
August 15, 2017
Keep on,
Larry Adamson