Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Get Lost in Some Rock n' Roll

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September 19th, 2012

My sons love to dance. They dance without a care in the world. Grant their cookie request, boom, they begin to Rock n’ Roll. Tell them, “We are going on a car drive.” They start to move and flow while they Scream and Shout. Let them know, “will be on the boat” and they’ll start to Boogie Down. And the mere mention of Disney World well, they will definitely Groove Tonight.

Their dance routine starts the same. They shimmy their shoulders, alternating them individually forward and back. Both boys shift their hips in unison to keep up with their free wheeling shoulders. They bounce their knees as if their knees were on springs, bouncing all about without lifting their feet in the air. But then slowly lifting the back of their heals as they rise from the ground, until they reached the tips of their toes, then slowly go back down.

There is no music to go along with their dance. No Electric Slide to accompany them in their stance. It’s a free-for-all, moved by their jubilation brought to them by their elation of a Celebration that good things are going to come there way. So nothing is going to Break My Stride, when they begin to party like its 1999, even though they weren’t born back then.  It’s never too late to go a little retro, to experience The Way We Were when their parents had their music, their time.

When they are having fun, the boys like to kick it old school by Living on the Edge, and Wingin’ It, to express their happiness for their dad, who is just happy that in this moment, he doesn’t have to Mend a Broken Heart. For once I can be Bobby McFerrin and Don’tWorry, Be Happy that my boys are in a great mood. Because some days, we search everywhere, including Somewhere Over the Rainbow, for our Beautiful Day to arise because most of the time it feels like we are just trying to survive the week and everyday feels like our Manic Monday.

The way my boys move, may not be the Moves Like Jagger, but it’s a style that’s all their own. My sons make me bounce Off the Wall every once in a while but, they are Simply the Best, because their dancing Raises Me Up to brighten my day, because sometimes I’m feeling Hurt and Low and have no energy to shake, rattle and roll. The kids are just Amazing and know when to dance at all the right times to make me a Better Man for the day who is willing to play and go along with whatever comes along.

Their dancing is infectious and I slowly get intoxicated by their laughter and the thrill they give themselves as they sway to the Rhythm of the Night. I'm desperate to feel their freedom. I want to feel their uninhibited excitement for the simple things in life. I want to join their festivities and find gratification in their energy. If it Makes Me Happy, well it can’t be that bad.

Their dancing slowly attacks my outer barrier and is absorbed by my lifeblood as it interjects music notes into my soul. I begin to Feel the Beat of a tune that isn’t there.  I get swept up in a tone that was set by my boys and begin to Twist and Shout. My body is moving by itself, as I Twist again like I did last summer before this grief took hold. I work my way into the boys as they dance in a circle and we all begin to Dance the Night Away. 

So much can be learned in a child’s resiliency. From being knocked down to the ground. To getting back up to their feet. That’s when my boys become hero’s and begin to dance to their own Foolish Beat. It becomes additcing and I just want to Save the Night and remember always that they will Stand by Me and I will always Be There for them, especially tonight, on our homemade Dance Floor and get lost in some Rock n' Roll.






Creative Commons License

The Adventures of Captain Imperfecto/Born Again by Christopher P. Fusaro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at christopherfusaro.blogspot.com.


 




Rock n’ Roll. – Led Zep Zeppelin/ Scream and Shout – Quite Riot
Boogie Down – Eddie Kendricks/ Groove Tonight- Earth, Wind and Fire/
Electric Slide – The Electric / Celebration- Kool and the Gang
Buffalo Stance – Neneh Cherry/ Break My Stride – Matthew Wilder/
1999 - Prince/ The Way We Were – Barbara Streisand/
Living on the Edge- Aerosmith/ Wingin’ It – Dylan Everett/
Mend a Broken Heart – Bee Gee’s/ Don’t Worry, Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin/
Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Judy Garlin/ Beautiful Day – U2/
Manic Monday – The Bangles/ Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5/
Off the Wall- Michael Jackson/ Simply the Best – Tina Turner/
Raises Me Up – Josh Gorban/ Hurt – Johhny Cash/
Low- Cracker /Amazing- Aerosmith/ Feel the Beat – Lisa Lisa/
Twist and Shout – The Beatles / Twist- Chubby Checker/
Dance the Night Away – Van Halen / Save the Night – Eagle Eye Cherry/
Foolish Beat – Deborah Gibson/ Stand by Me – Ben E. King/
Be There  - Jackson 5/ Dance Floor – Jennifer Lopez


 

Monday, September 17, 2012

Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Sign

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September 17th, 2012

I sit behind my tempered glass window of my car staring out into the world and over at the man on the corner. He’s holding a sign that has thick black lettering drawn upon it begging for a little help. I don’t help him and yet I don’t look away. I don’t give him the dignity of being a human being by not acknowledging this man needs help. I just sit in the safety of my car while the air conditioner blows and gawk at him relieved that that isn’t me.

He is a man. Made from the image of God he stands before me with little fanfare from those of us sitting around him. He is someone’s father, brother, uncle, and friend. And yet I do not lift a finger to help him. I sit here protected behind my tinted film attached to the very glass that acts as a force field shielding my pity but, none for him. The pity I hold for myself, for hoping he’ll go away.

I pray that some way somehow he’ll find his  direction in life without me really knowing if he ever will. I’ll just assume he will walk the path of the righteous man because deep down that will make me feel better even if it does him no good that I am the one comforted by the image of him getting food and a good night’s rest in my imaginary world without realizing what it must be like to truly walk in his shoes. I’ll just assume he’s a drunk or drug addict to get me past this point. Hey, whatever helps me sleep at night. 

I wish this light would change so I can ignore his plight without actually having to look at him. This damn red light is like a modern day cell phone for me to connect with him, but I don’t want to. With each second that passes I have an opportunity to help him, much like answering that ringing phone to simply say, “hello” and ask if there is anything I can do, but  I just want him to go away but this light. This damn light stands in my way of a clean conscience. I just want to move on and forget he’s there but the reality is he  is here and he isn’t going anywhere until I get the green traffic signal and, at least for me, rid of seeing him and his despair that this life has brought upon him. 

I decide to examine him as he stands before me. I Judge him and his position in life. His gaze looks past the hordes of cars that are at a standstill. His dignity laid out for the entire world to see. The red light is holding everyone captive in the front row seating of their automobiles. But there is no shame. He needs the help and he isn’t too proud to announce it with a sign. I can see he’s tired. Yet it comforts me to assume he’ll sleep. He looks hungry. But I assume he will get enough money to eat later, as I will do later to satisfy my own hunger pangs. He appears thirsty. But I hypothesize he’ll buy alcohol with my hard earned money. The same cash that I’ll use to spend on alcohol to enjoy a relaxing drink after a hard day’s work.  He looks… human. Same as me but yet I’ll think less of him because he’s where he is and well, I am where I am.

Life was hard for this one. Like me, he was brought into this world with the hopes and dreams of the ones that held him first. He was loved unconditionally, if even in those brief moments he was introduced into this world. It seems though he was abandoned by the ones who should have cared for him the most and for the longest amount of time, but the ones he depends on have turned their back on him, leaving him to fend for himself.

I live my life by observing from afar and I usually don’t pay attention to the man behind that sign on these street corners, because life is easier to ignore such a sight. But I can’t with him. Oddly he looks familiar. He looks like someone I love. He could be my family or my friend. And yet I do nothing for him because I do not know him enough to go out of my way to care. 


But I should care and his face should be familiar enough for me to know him, because the man behind the sign is my brother and yet that isn’t enough for me to bother giving him a hand. Not even an extra hand to hold the sign. Or stand beside him behind this sign supporting him with love and understanding that everything will be okay.  When I think about this deeply in all reality that man is me.  And in reality my family seems to be the ones ignoring me and my struggles.  

Spontaneously the light turns green and I’m off. I know deep down he’ll be okay. That’s what I’ll assume anyway.  Much like my family is doing today.  






Creative Commons License

The Adventures of Captain Imperfecto/Born Again by Christopher P. Fusaro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at christopherfusaro.blogspot.com.