Bitter On Twitter

As I was watching the Oscars the other night I found it interesting that actors like Christopher Plummer & Max Von Sydow who are both in their 80s now were both nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Supporting Actor. Plummer won out over Von Sydow, and, I should add, other actors much younger than them both for that coveted statue. Even at the age of 82 Plummer continues to do great, well respected work. I wonder if anyone was on Twitter asking who is Christopher Plummer? I write that because it really surprised me a couple of weeks ago when Twitter lit up over one of the older statesmen of Rock & Roll during this year’s Grammys.

I actually first heard about it from one of my son’s friends while we were having breakfast at his place in Dorchester, Ma. a couple of weekends ago. It was one of the most notable, if not the most repeated tweets that lit up twitter during the Grammy telecast. At first thought my reaction was “impossible!” How could anyone be so out of touch? After all this was one of the best Grammy shows I remembered seeing in awhile. Something for every generation, and although there were a few acts I was unfamiliar with, who could not know who Paul McCartney is!!? Yes, that was the tweet during his performance of “My Valentine” from his new CD. Young people tweeting back & forth: ”who is Paul McCartney?”. I have yet to become a “tweeter” but if I were, my tweets would’ve concentrated more on the performance of Nicki Minaj or the weird net that Lady GaGa had over her face…but who is Paul McCartney?...C’mon!! Wait a minute though. McCartney will be 70 in June. He’s just about the same age now that Perry Como, Bing Crosby & Fred Astaire were when McCartney himself first performed in America back in the 60’s!! (I’m assuming those of you reading this know those names). So there lies the culprit: The Grammys themselves! Something for every age group?? What were they thinking? The Grammys is a young people’s show! Having it appeal to a wide audience is insanity! Nobody who relates to Chris Brown or Lil Wayne got McCartney’s performance & those waiting to see McCartney could’ve done without Minaj’s “Roman” and the fish net stockings that Lady GaGa mistakenly placed over her head. So what we need to do is have a new awards show. A show for the performers of the past. One that those 60 something artists can perform on & no one will tweet “who the hell is that”?? We’ll call it “The Gramps” or maybe “The Grannies”. This way everyone will have a place to perform. Actually, I’m not worried about artists like Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, The Stones, Elton John or, do I dare say it, Madonna. I think they did OK for themselves. But a show like that just might be the saving grace for a few of those performers whose ability comes more from computer generated sound than any exceptional ability. Only time will tell. Great performers can stand that test of time. Christopher Plummer proved that last night……and even that guy that a lot of those tweeters didn’t know during the Grammys has done pretty well for himself. Oscar & actors like Plummer & Von Sydow have been going strong for more than 80 years. Artists like McCartney for nearly 50. So Whether they’re Academy Awards, Grammy Awards or someday maybe The Gramps or Grannies, only a few will be special enough to get that very special tweet: “ Who the hell was that??”

Maybe Next Time...If There Is One

I certainly missed in predicting the outcome of the Patriots chances in Super Bowl XLVI. As a Patriots fan I was anxious about the game, but fairly confident that they could pull out a victory over the New York Giants & history would not repeat itself. The inaccuracy of my prediction is the only thing that gives me hope that the Tom Brady led Patriots may still have a bit of life left in them for another run at the Lombardi Trophy because after that heart wrenching loss last night I really got the feeling that we had seen the last gasp of this proud franchise and their dominance of the AFC. I could write paragraph after paragraph full of reasons why I think they lost that game but the simple fact is they missed their chances to put the game away because they could not execute. Something the Giants were far better at doing. That kind of play by The Pats seems to have reared its head several times this season but Tom Brady & his offense were able to keep winning games despite the teams obvious weaknesses. This time though Brady & his team just weren’t sharp enough to compete at the level they needed to win. So perhaps the best days of the Brady/Belichick era are now behind them. If so, it was a great ride… but my record on predictions does give me a little hope for the future. Maybe, just maybe we can put it all together one more time. But I’m not predicting anything….or should I??!!

Until We Meet Again

It's a grey, rainy morning here in Vermont.

Back in the summer of 2010 I used this blog to share some memories of my uncle Vince O’Brien shortly after his death in June at the age of 91. He was a professional actor of quite some note and I wrote about his colorful life & career, about large families & the joy of growing up in that kind of magical environment….and how hard it can be to say goodbye to special people in your life. Not long after I posted that blog I received a quick note from my cousin Patrick Halloran…whose mother, like mine, was a sister to my uncle Vince. Pat wrote: That’s as much as I could ever hope for someone to write about me when I pass. Thanks Ed. It's been a couple of weeks but this put it back in perspective.

No one knew that just six short months later we would be saying goodbye to Patrick himself as the result of an automobile accident not far from my home here in Vermont. So today on the one year anniversary of his death I am trying to put his life in perspective in a likely feeble attempt to make good on his wish.

Because we (The O’Briens) are such a large family, Pat & I didn’t know each other well when we were younger. Being separated by several hundred miles & more than 20 years of age will do that. He and his brothers & sisters would see my family occasionally through the years as we would get together with cousins, aunts & uncles for some kind of family function or another, but it was only within the last 10 years or so that Pat & I got to solidify a relationship that was far too long in coming. Pat was the founding member of Ceann, a great & quite successful party band that billed themselves as “Yankee-Irish Drinking Music” and just by that billing you can imagine that the band gave their audiences some pretty wild shows…..I was lucky enough to be in an audience or two once in awhile & can attest to the fun we had! That band is really what brought us together after so many years. Ceann would perform once or twice a year here at McGrath’s Pub at The Inn at Long Trail and I would never miss a show. I would always have Pat in the radio studio with me whenever he came to town & he would always have a song or two to sing……but always toned them down so as not to upset the FCC….or threaten my employment! It was at McGrath’s that Pat performed his final two shows on January 28^th & 29^th. It’s hard for me to believe as I sit here writing this that today marks the one year anniversary of his death. But it also marks the one year anniversary of remembering his life…..the life of a very gifted & talented young man who touched many, many lives of his own. A life that was cut far too short, but not before it left an indelible mark in the hearts of those that knew him best & loved him most. He was simply an amazingly wonderful & talented guy. We Irish find it hard to say goodbye on any occasion, for any reason…..let alone for someone taken so quickly and so young. Instead, we say “until we meet again”. And so Pat, until we meet again; I raise a “Parting Glass” & say:

Oh, all the comrades e'er I had,
They're sorry for my going away,
And all the sweethearts e'er I had,
They'd wish me one more day to stay,
But since it falls unto my lot,
That I should rise and you should not,
I gently rise and softly call,
Good night and joy be with you all.

……and until we meet again may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

A Blast From The Past

That term started years ago on the radio to identify the great music from years gone by but was something I experienced firsthand last weekend in a different but certainly an equally enjoyable way.

Last Saturday night I attended my 40^th class reunion in Connecticut for the New Britain High School Class of 1971. Without a doubt it was a blast to see all those faces of the past.

Now; there are those who would say that they don’t remember their years in high school fondly & so wouldn’t be part of such an event. But for me….for the most part….high school was a time I remember with nothing but those fond memories. So the reunion gave me a chance to re-connect with some of the people (most of whom I hadn’t seen in more than 20 years) that helped make those memories happy ones. If nothing else, it gives you a chance to put life’s everyday worries aside for a few hours and remember how simple it once was.

I think that was the lure of it all for me. Seeing old friends & faces from a time when life was so much less complicated. When each day was more about who was dating whom or who would get caught smoking in the lavatory than it was about anything else. And everyone there had shared those same, and so many more experiences together. The amazing thing about those faces: although 40 years have gone by, there were very few of them that I didn’t recognize right away. Each of us wore a name tag with our graduation picture on it so anyone that wasn’t instantly recognizable to someone else didn’t have to wait very long for that “Oh My God!” reaction when the connection was made. It was a good feeling to see the faces of once close friends and knowing after all these years they were doing well and enjoying life. I had the extra good fortune of spending the evening with the lady that shared the title of “class couple” with me all those years ago…..but she was very easy to recognize. I have been married to her for almost as long as we’ve been out of high school!

John Lennon wrote: “life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”….and that was certainly true for each of us in that room last Saturday night……but….for one evening of our lives we all stepped into the past for a handful of hours ….. and for just a little while we went back in time. We were all kids again. And that was a blast!

The Greatest Of Each Generation

This Veteran’s Day morning seemed like a good time to share a few thoughts with you.

On the website of The Department Of Veterans Affairs it explains the beginning of Veterans Day in these words:

In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This site, on a hillside overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Washington, D.C., became the focal point of reverence for America’s veterans.

On Memorial Day 1958, two more unidentified American war dead were brought from overseas and interred in the plaza beside the unknown soldier of World War I. One was killed in World War II, the other in the Korean War. In 1984, an unknown serviceman from the Vietnam War was placed alongside the others. The remains from Vietnam were exhumed May 14, 1998, identified as Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, and removed for burial. To honor these men, symbolic of all Americans who gave their lives in all wars, an Army honor guard, the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), keeps day and night vigil.

If you have ever been present at The Tomb Of The Unknowns during the changing of that guard you probably have a greater understanding & deeper respect for those who have both given years of their lives to the service of this country & those that made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country free.

Tom Brokaw wrote of The Greatest Generation. I’m proud to say that my own father served this country as part of that generation as did many of my relatives. But each generation has had those who have shown their greatness in serving this country. From even before that first unknown soldier in 1921 to those serving today, both men & women, we owe a deep debt of gratitude. On this Veterans Day we should all put our petty political views….and that’s exactly what they are in comparison to what our men & women in uniform deal with every day on the front lines of some far off land that none of us would otherwise give a second thought to…..Today, put them aside.

WWI: 116,500 dead

WWII: 405,399 dead

Korea: 37,000 dead

Vietnam: 58,210 dead

Afghanistan: 10,000 dead

Iraq War: 31,965 dead

The Civil War: 625,000 dead

The American Revolutionary War: 25,000 dead

Put them aside; and for just a moment remember why this country, with all its faults, is still the greatest on the face of the earth.

Reflections

It's been quite a few weeks since I posted any new reading on The Daily Drive. The summer has a way of changing daily habits & can keep you outdoors more than in front of a computer screen. Now though as I look back on the weeks since my last post so much has happened in my family & in my community that it is no surprise that I suddenly had more important things consuming my time than an occasional post on a blog. First; in the middle of July as my wife & I waited to begin our trip to see our daughter & her boyfriend in San Diego we got a call from her to tell us that Evan had been in a serious accident as he crossed a set of railroad tracks late at night in the dark. Suddenly our planned trip to California for a few days of sight seeing & just enjoying family became one of frantically making our way across the country to be with her as we waited for word as to whether or not doctors could save his leg. After several days & as many surgeries we received the good news that he would walk again. We returned home however not knowing how long he would be hospitalized or exactly what their idea of "walking" meant. Then, just weeks later, tropical storm Irene made her way through New England. Like you I was stunned at the devastation that she left in her wake. My family in Connecticut was safe, but out of power for several days. Here in Vermont & more specifically Rutland County it was much worse. I saw the devastation first hand as I traveled up & down route 4 just a day or two after Irene struck. Mile after mile I wondered how in God's name any of route 4 could be repaired before winter set in or how we would get to those who were cutoff from the rest of us before summer turned to winter and made it that much more difficult to help them.
However, even before I took that first trip (on the Tuesday after the storm) up route 4 toward Killington, local contractors were already on site repairing the damage. The Belden Company & Cassella Construction, both Rutland based businesses, took the lead on getting things done in record time. In less than 3 weeks, working non-stop around the clock, those businesses & others along with members of several branches of the National Guard completed a job that normally would've taken months to finish. There are still many at this writing whose lives are far from back to normal and there is still much work to be done, but as many others have said over the last several weeks it is a wonderful feeling to be part of a community like ours & like so many others all across this state that helps people they don't even know & makes Vermont a special place to live.

Today there is also much work to be done in getting Evan back to a full recovery but I am happy to write that he improves every day and although his physical therapy is difficult he faces it with an attitude found only in a special few. And because of that the days ahead look promising. Just as they do here.... in a special community we call Vermont.

One Special Moment

A couple of Saturday's ago I was in Boston. This time it was for more than a game at Fenway Park or dinner and then a walk through the North End. Both of those are two of my favorite things to do. However, this time my visit to Boston filled me with much more pride than a Red Sox win ever could and much more satisfaction than a wonderful Italian dinner in the North End could ever bring. On May 21st my son Kevin received his Masters of Education from Suffolk University. Like most people, parent or otherwise, just the anticipation of sitting through what feels like hours of speeches to witness one special moment in your life can seem like that moment will never arrive, no matter how interesting those speakers might be. But an amazing thing happens to a parent when they realize they are witnessing a special moment in not only their own life but in the lives of every other person seated in that room student or spectator. You realize that you are part of a defining moment, a time when endless possibilities actually seem to be within reach of your child's hopes & dreams. But at the same time you swell with pride knowing that the moment didn't magically appear in one instant. The moment was slowly crafted by that child that you held in your arms so many years ago for the very first time. Then, as a young man hours of study became years of commitment, but somehow tucked in between a full time job and life itself that moment arrives. You are in the mist of that defining moment as you watch your child take the stage as his name is called to receive his so well deserved honor. And then your defining moment comes at that instant.....when you realize that as they honor him, he unknowingly honors you.