I would share with you someone I enjoy following,
But the crisis created would be you’d think me strange.
My likes and dislikes may be vocally acknowledged,
You know how I feel about things like “the weather.”
Well, you could add to that list things like
Peanut Butter, Grits, and Dr. Pepper,
And if you know this, then you know very well
My feelings about Watermelon, oh, and Dill Pickles.
Okay. That’s behind me. I’m decently known by a few.
But what if, despite what you think you know,
We were clunked together in a communal moment,
Lifting our voices of songs, the words we all knew,
Could we look past our differences and find common ground?
This contact of mine, despite being loved on stage,
Book, Songs, Storytelling, and yes, he’s even been in a Movie or two,
A newsletter comment this morning talked about the differences of today,
And the way “he” was when he began his career in the early ’70s.
Today, the only ones who seem to enjoy the community of a crowd,
Are those who are older than the mainstream,
And love to lift words of songs we grew up with together.
There are younger folks who don’t know the words and ask,
“What meanteth this?” They stare and make those who know them uncomfortable.
They are not interested in singing with the community.
The Battle Hymn of the Republic, or, It Is Well With My Soul.
It seems the lines of time are deepening the differences between us.
He wanders the parking lot and sees bumper stickers that define things he doesn’t like,
But then states how others wouldn’t like him if they only knew him better.
Maybe that’s my thought today. If you took the time to get to know me and me, you,
Could we appreciate the differences between positives and negatives and still be united?
I’ve stood on the sideline of folks I thought I knew very well.
I’ve watched how they had similarities. It’s obvious. I don’t fit in very well.
But give me my song, and allow me to blend my voice with you,
Then suddenly, I realize I’m not too different from you.
Our common ground? What can I say? We come from different spheres.
But when we lay down our differences and unite, what can we stand together about?
Country? Pie? And baseball? Or one political party or the other?
If you really knew me, as I’m continually discovering myself,
I yearn to learn, and with differences aside, let’s journey together.
The Differences Between Species…
On a side note, I’m an animal person. You may not be, but can we agree?
There’s something about learning the personality of a stranger—a stray.
They speak a language you cannot learn but seem to understand you.
Gradually, you learn from each other but still don’t know it all.
Our local stray cat, Tater Tot by name, keeps teaching me this lesson,
As he himself learns to accept my petting,
He learns the value of demanding complete attention.
He has claws and teeth and tells you, “You’re not done. Keep stroking my fur!”
He wants to be petted and must learn the lap is a safe space,
Just don’t unveil those claws – they are not very safe!
Tater is learning that noise in the house is not a threatening sound,
But he retains the fear of a stray dog, raccoon, and who knows what else.
When it’s time to encourage him to go back outside, it’s very simple.
Open some food, and suddenly, he’s ready, willing, and very much able!
Of course, you need to step gingerly past him toward the cupboard,
Those teeth and claws are sharp and convincingly saying, “Where are you going?”
It almost feels like a demand. “I’m not ready for you to stop just yet!”
Ahha… But the smell of tuna fish, the jangle of a cup of kibble – you learn something new.
He’s a different animal when hungry than when starving for attention.
And like any other cat, he knows how to be disdainful when he’s had enough!
Allow me to close…
I suspect we are all like that—our attention span changes to our demands.
Pay attention to me in the way I like to hear, and then we are okay.
But come at me from your other side? We’re different.
Night and day, left to right, up from down, forward from backward—all come to mind.
Let me adapt to you, and you to me.
That’s the best way to learn about each other.
Remember, learning is a two-way street.
Giving and taking is the best way for all of us.
In the voice of Walter Cronkite, I close,
“And that’s the way it is… October 4, 2023…”
And because I know what it means,
“May the fourth be with you!”
Thank you for reading.
Please share with others.
It helps me get my book written!