Another quiet evening at the Rush Rush with Joe the Cool and Lady S working the counter, all was serene. Until, Dusty the young lady of multiple hair colors was attacked and a crisis developed. A dragonfly flew right into her sphere of influence and she was certain of its evil intentions. Screaming and running ensued. Chaos was upon us. And then, Lady S mystically appeared on the patio with broom in hand and the dragonfly sensing a true threat left for other pastures. The little devil flew away and the quiet has returned. That was close but now I can resume ruminating about the events of the day.

It’s a bit quieter for me than usual with the news about the death of Senator Ted Kennedy and I’m curious as to how it’s affecting me. I don’t expect all of my readers or friends to agree with me and my feelings and respect toward him. Hell, I’m not that certain, myself, of what all my feeling and thoughts about him are but I do know that a man who served this country for nearly a half century has passed on and that he was one of a kind. He first came to our attention as the younger brother in the Camelot of the JFK era. And now the last light of Camelot has gone out.

First elected to office in 1962, he was present for most of the major events and tragedies of the past 47 years. Whether one liked him or not he was there and his goal was the common good for all in this country. After the assassinations of his brothers and Dr. King, he was thrust into a role that for which few would have been prepared. And then a year later we had Chappaquiddick and Mary Jo Kopechne. Was it handled well, no way. Would I have reacted different if I was in such a situation as that he was that night. I like to think so, but then I wasn’t there was I? Do I know all of the facts? No. Did he try to handle himself as a stand up guy? Yes. He was the little brother who had been thrust into the role of leader. Meanwhile, there was the Viet Nam war and its protests with Lyndon Johnson not seeking re-election. After his brother, Bobby’s death, there was the 1968 Democratic Convention and Richard Nixon, Watergate and more Viet Nam and the fall of Saigon. Richard Nixon resigned. The Civil Rights movement continued. Then Gerald Ford and the pardon, Jimmy Carter, the gas crisis and the Iranian hostages and throughout it all there was his voice, strong and steady. The list goes on until the current Health Care Reform, a cause he held most dear. He constantly championed his causes but never, to my knowledge, did he vilify and personalize his attacks. Throughout all of this he and his staff were responsible for 300 bills and the list of his efforts can grow with little research. And always he was the gentleman statesman.

Today we need more statesmen like him and others of his ilk, no matter what the party affiliations. At this time I would like to ask all of our political, government and corporate leaders to take a page from his book. Champion your causes but please stop the rancor and personal vilification of the opposition. As our leaders show us how we can differ but still be civil with our neighbors and maybe some of the anger and fear in the country might dissipate. And if we can all remember that each wants what is best for the country and strive for the common good, a candle might yet flicker in the windows of Camelot.

But that is enough from me, isn’t it? I’ll return to the blonde and sweet and the couples coupling. The 20, 30 and 40 somethings will continue doing their thing. Big Tech and others will continue watching the American drama will unfold. Piaf will be her sweet self. Recently she insisted that I watch La Vie en Rose, the movie about the original Edith Piaf. What a grand idea that was!

And on that note, I will sign off with thoughts of tomorrow and another night of music at What a Jungle.

Keep smiling and be nice – why not?

Gump’s Brother

“…we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

John F. Kennedy

“Yes, we are all Americans. This is what we do. We reach the moon. We scale the heights. I know it. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. And we can do it again.”

Edward Kennedy

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 27th, 2009 at 7:36 pm and is filed under August, Information. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.