What Became Of That Guy? May 25, 2011
Posted by carlrosen in Life's Passages.add a comment
In my days of touring the country and performing at many, many college campuses, I had a chance to meet a good number of interesting people, some of whom I am still in touch with and others who just blended into my expansive distant memory files. One young man was not possible to forget.
It was sometime in the late 1980′s during a swing through Central Florida. I had just completed my daytime mini-concert performance at Polk Community College in Winter Haven when I was approached by a young male student. He appeared to be somewhere between the ages of 19 and 24. It was fairly routine to meet members of my audience following a show, usually a nice compliment was politely given to me during times like this.
What I was not expecting to hear from this young man was what he told me about himself. I was used to receiving compliments after a show which would be accompanied by the person telling me his or her name, their thoughts on music, and the usual small talk that goes along with such exchanges. “You really made my day,” the young student told me. This comment was slightly higher than the usual post-show compliment. I expressed my thanks for the kind remark when he then suddenly added : “Yeah, it’s been a rough week.” without as much of a pause he continued: “I just found out I have a malignant tumor on my back. It’s Melanoma. Your music made me feel so much better.”
I had been going around the U.S. playing mainly other people’s music- sometimes not paying very much mind to the possible effects it may have had on someone. I grew accustomed to the smiles and the applause as well as the occasional yawn, but I had never heard someone say something like this relating to one of my performances.
I thought about this young man whose name I do not remember, for the rest of that week and from time to time to this very day. Despite all of the magic of the internet, I don’t know how I could ever find the outcome to this guy’s frightening situation. Was it caught early enough to be treated? Was the outcome bad?
We go through life at a speed that does not always allow for us to focus on someone we simply come across in passing. What I took from this encounter was two things: the effect that music has on people, as well as the idea that whatever problems I may face, there is someone, usually in the very same room, who has a much larger battle to face.
Time to End Islamophobia May 9, 2011
Posted by carlrosen in On Everyone's Mind, The Decline Of Civilization As We Know It.Tags: Charlotte, islamophobia, news, North Carolina
add a comment
Ding Dong Bin Laden’s dead!
Okay, now that he’s no longer hiding in a cave deep in the tribal regions of Pakistan, (which turns out not to be the case) can we return to our regularly scheduled programming?
Whenever there is a media blitz centered around anything to do with Islam and/or terrorism, some people’s antennae go up. These antennae try to detect terrorists, usually dressed in what appears to be a bed sheet, sandals and a little white cap. Come to think of it, some Americans have relatives who also dressed in bed sheets…
And we all know that the 19 hijackers from September 11th all wore traditional Muslim clothing and were often confused for Cat Stevens.
Not the case.
The truth is that the 9/11 hijackers most likely shopped for their wardrobe at The Gap and Old Navy. I don’t know about you, but whenever I fly, my main concern is not the group of guys who look like they may be from Kuwait. I’m more concerned about the guy across the aisle from me who is on his ninth Maker’s Mark and Coke. And can someone shut that baby up?
If there’s another terror attack involving an airliner, there will probably be no one dressed in traditional Muslim attire. There are those who believe it’s the job of EVERY Muslim to take to the streets and decry world wide terrorism. Why aren’t “they” out there carrying anti-terror signs?
Just this past weekend, two commercial flights had to be diverted. Not because of any threat from Muslims. It seems as though a crew member found a note with the word “bomb” on it (it probably actually said “Bob”), so the plane had to land. Another plane had a passenger try to open the plane’s front door IN MID-FLIGHT!
Crazed Jihadists? No. Just some “ordinary” people who were either liquored up or just plane stupid.
To give you an idea of how easily people will generate hysteria: Back in October of 2001 we had the great “Anthrax” scare. At an office building on Morehead Street, I watched as the Charlotte Fire Department’s HAZMAT team searched the building after some secretaries entering the building spotted a “strange white powdery substance” on the ground. This “strange white powdery substance” was on the floor at the building’s entrance right next to an ashtray which was filled with this same “strange white powdery substance.”
I guess the day-to-day lives of some folks were so boring, they thought it would be exciting to try and get everyone to think some Muslim Jihadists had targeted this random office building in Charlotte for an Anthrax attack. “You never know.” people were saying. “You can’t be too careful,” said another.
YES, YOU CAN be too careful, and sometimes you really DO know! The “strange white powdery substance” actually turned out to be just sand from the aforementioned ashtray.
Let’s make a deal. I’ll expect Muslims to rally against Jihad right after I see White Christians protest ANYTHING other than abortion. Where are the White Christians carrying signs that deplore the heinous actions of white supremacists and the KKK? Where are the White Christians when Westboro Baptist Church members are taunting the families of slain GI’s at the funerals? Where was the rally against Timothy McVeigh after the Oklahoma City bombing? You go out and protest against the crimes of White Christians and then we’ll see if the Muslims wish to do the same. While we’re at it, maybe we can get the Italian-American community to hold an anti-Mafia rally.
