We Take Care Of Our Own

               Where are the eyes, the eyes with the will to see
               Where are the hearts that run over with mercy
               Where is the love that has not forsaken me
               Where is the spirit that will reign reign over me
               Where is the work that will set my hands, my soul free
               Where is the promise from sea to shining sea
               Where is the promise from sea to shining sea
               Wherever this flag is flown
               We take care of our own

                ~Bruce Springsteen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x8zBzxCwsM&ob=av2n



It has been with the patience of a child on Christmas Eve that I have waited for the release of the new Bruce Springsteen album (yes I still call them albums).  From the very first time I heard Born To Run, I was instantly transformed into a Springsteen fan. And several decades later, nothing has changed. Being a middle aged man who cannot afford a mid-life crisis, I do try and keep up on the last music and must admit that I really enjoy some of it. But when Springsteen plays, nothing else compares. There has been much anticipation and hype leading up to this release and thus far, it has lived up to everything we have come to expect from the "Boss" and the E Street Band.

I was immediately taken with the single and video for, "We Take Care Of Own". Firstly, it is difficult to believe that this man is in his early sixties. He can't be! It was only yesterday when I was groovin to Hungry Heart and I'm A Rocker. And seeing the video, he doesn't seem that old although I have to admit, he will never be old to me. I am constantly amazed how this singer/songwriter/entertainer and performer continues to reinvent himself to always find a place in mainstream music. It is as if he is able to let time pass through him without any affect whatsoever. And along with the die hard, blue collar fans that scoop up his albums and flock to his shows as if each one will be the last, Bruce Springsteen seems to resonate with the younger generation of all music genres. He truly is timeless.

The video for We Take Care Of Our Own mixes the classic Boss videos of the past with a new creative energy look that will be amicable to music fans of all ages. In fact, this may be his best video yet. The lyrics are somewhat depressing and angry yet there is more than a hint of optimism and inspiration. In this song, Bruce once again has his hand, his heart and his soul on the very pulse of society and it's two most important shortcomings. That of course would be selfishness and greed. This is nothing new as the Boss has been singing about social injustice and inequality for the common of people for decades. Many of his songs are about the struggles of everyday people who work and dream for something more meaningful amid a society who's philosophy mandates a "What's In It For Me" attitude. And in these times of financial devastation on a global scale, this song could not have come at a better time.

There is a message and many questions asked this time around. He is asking our leaders and politicians about the promises they made to the people at every election. He wants to know when those promises will come due for those who have been waiting. "Where's the promise from sea to shining sea?". He is asking the corporate world, the CEO's, and the shareholders how much money is enough. He is asking the legal communities if they can even spell words like conscience and integrity let alone define it through conduct. He is reminding law enforcement that they swore an oath to serve and protect. And he wants them remember who they swore that oath to. He wants to know when the notion of freedom and opportunity bordered on the edge of being deemed criminal. But it is not just the conduct of the intellectually elite and self proclaimed saving graces that he questions. He wants to know what the rest of us have been doing to progress our society. And he makes it clear that we have not been doing enough. We push when we should pull, we ignore when we are unaffected, and we make too many excuse for doing nothing. In this song, Bruce Springsteen reminds us that we are decent people who have simply forgotten how to be decent.

As is rare with a Springsteen video, he allows himself to be captured in scenes that portray him as iconic and almost larger than life. And it works because he almost is. But unlike previous videos such as Dancing in the Dark which portrays Springsteen as some kind of teen idol, in this latest video the message is never lost. You read it in his lyrics. feel it in his heart and you see it in his eyes. And what makes it so meaningful is that he is genuine. For all the songs, all the videos, the concerts, the charitable causes and for all the stories told, his message has not really changed in almost 40 years. He keeps finding new ways of telling us the same thing. And for some reason, we just can't seem to understand that in the end....

Nobody Wins Unless Everybody Wins!

A Wish And Thought Away

Copyrighted@RobMason2011

Phil sat motionless in his one room apartment staring out the window. There was a full moon about illuminating the night sky and yet, in focus was only darkness. Like most, Phil believed in that promise from sea to shining sea. He had faith, believed in fate and held true to the notion that through his hands and heart, he would be happy. Phil was confident that hard work along with attributes that defined a decent man would find him in his place and time. But on this night, his life availed before him in utter ruins. And although a witness to every dramatic scene that led to this moment, Phil was unable to comprehend how that one way road had led him to what seemed like his final destination.

First he lost his marriage, then his money and then his son. And today after several years of trying to cope, he lost his job. The acute symptoms that resulted from his divorce turned chronic. The building blocks he had laboured to build had crumbled. And after following the directions of happiness, Phil found himself here, in this defining moment. The thoughts consuming him on this night were thoughts no one should dare think. And he struggled to find validation to his life. Phil was trying to find a reason to live. And for the first time in his life, this broken man looked upwards hoping for a sign to show him what to do. He heard only quiet, saw only darkness, and felt only pain.

Phil looked over at the table where he placed the days mail when coming home from his job now lost. "More bills and advertisements for things I can't afford", he surmised.  Phil was going to ignore the mail tonight but something compelled him to go through the stack of envelopes on his table. Perhaps he was hoping for a miracle in the form of an envelope. Perhaps the ultimate definition of despair is defined through desperate acts. "How could things get any worse," he muttered to himself. He began going through the mail feeling both downhearted and yet, optimistic. A rather thick, brown business envelope immediately caught his attention. He read the name of the sender on the envelope and his hands began to tremble. Phil opened the envelope in disbelief and emptied the contents onto the table. There was a thick notepad, a pen, a camera, a stack of pictures and a neatly folded piece of paper. There were over 50 pictures of himself. Pictures of him playing sports, at the local playground, at school, on graduation day, the day of his marriage, and even a picture of him playing with his son. "How can this be?" he thought. Phil picked up the piece of paper, unfold it and was in shock with what he read.

Dear Son:

It has been 23 years since you and I have spoken. But I knew that it was time. I knew that you needed me now. It would have been very difficult for me to explain why I left you. But now I believe you can better understand what I had to deal with and how it took its toll on me for so many years. Your mother just made it impossible for me to be a father to you. And now that you have gone through it, I believe you now can understand. Your life has been a happy one and for that I am pleased and grateful. Every morning I woke up hoping you would search for the beauty of this world. And every night I prayed that you had found it. For whatever of God's grace was left to me, I asked everyday for it to be passed to you. I do so again on this night.

I have never been far away and you have never been far from my thoughts, my prayers and my heart. When you scored that winning goal for the championship, I was there. When you kissed Mary Johnson at the prom, I was there. I witnessed your pride and accomplishment on graduation day. I saw the look in your eyes when you got your first job. From afar, and whenever I was able, I kept tabs on you. When work slowed down and the landlord told you not to worry about the rent until you were back to work, it was I who discretely payed the rent for you. And on that day when you took a bride, I was cautiously optimistic that you would be a better man than I was ever capable of being. And it was with extreme sadness when I learned of your divorce. Once again I hoped you would be a better man than your father. That is the wish that every father has for his son.

I have been here always and never more than a wish and a thought away. I have but one son and he has been the only reason that has forced me to survive long enough to this night when I knew you would need me. Sometimes this world slowly steals what we refuse to relinquish. And in spite of our best efforts and good intentions, bad things do happen. These are the times you are tested. These are the times when you define yourself. These are the times when you lay broken or you learn to bend. And these are the times when you vow to never make the same mistakes with your son as your father did with you. And this is the time when I intervene in your life to make sure you remember your goals, your hopes and dreams and your purpose. And you do have a purpose!

For myself, the hour is late and destiny has finally caught my scent. I will not be able to be there for you anymore. By the time you get this note my time will have come. We cannot always be what we want to be. Life is that way sometimes. All we can do is to try our best. Dreams do not always come true, but dreams can always be revised. You are my son and the father to your son. And that will never change no matter what dark times may pass you by. And dark times will pass you by. I have little to leave you as I leave this world. But hopefully I leave you with the hope that there is hope. And I leave you with these items in hopes that you will be the best father you can be when life prevents you from being the father that you want to be. And most of all, I leave you with all of my love that I was never allowed to give you in hopes you may pass it on to your son.

Love Always

Dad

This is no man who would be able to hold back the tears that were now streaming from Phil's eyes. He thought of his Dad and how he was made to believe that his own father had not cared enough to stay in his life. He thought of his own son Nathan. Phil picked up the phone and dialed the number. A young voice answered. "Hello Nathan", Phil said with a shaky voice.
"Hi Daddy", Nathan replied. "I just called because I wanted to say goodnight and that Daddy loves you". Phil heard his son's voice say the words that every father longs to hear.....

"I love you too Daddy."

Innocence For A Time

Copyrighted@RobMason2011

December 22, 2011

Every now and again, and when not feeling traumatized by our own trivial matters, we are gifted the opportunity to bare witness to such little and seemingly meaningless events that create circumstances that bind us all together in ways we could not know and on most days, could not care about.

Last night, and amid the bustle of another silly season, I sat for a coffee after removing myself from the robotic programming of Commercial Christmas. It was then that I felt one of those rare and profound few moments that jolted me as if I had just been hit over the head with a sledge hammer. As is my habit, I had a pen and notepad handy and penned my immediate thoughts and perceptions when a young mother and her small son came in from out of the cold. It was but less than fifteen minutes out of my day, week, month and year. Yet it will be one of the few things I take with me from from this year almost passed. Perhaps it was my negative spirit of the day. Perhaps my perception was incorrect. Perhaps I read into it more than I should have. And perhaps that little boy just reminded me of another little boy I remember from long ago. Regardless, I was there and I noticed.

I surmised the young mother to be in her early twenties at the most. The little boy was around seven or eight years old. Without speaking, she pointed to an unoccupied table and the little boy took a seat. To coin a phrase used in generations gone by, he was as "Cute As A Button". He had short dark hair and the biggest eyes I had ever seen. He was dressed in newer, brand name clothes but ironically, had no mittens or hat on such a blistering, cold night. I am not certain as to why that fact immediately caught my attention. But it did. His mother arrived at the table with a coffee for herself and a chocolate milk and donut for her son. She opened the chocolate milk, slipped a straw into it and placed it in front of the boy along with the donut covered in sprinkles of some sort. As he began to enjoy his snack, the mother took off her coat and sat down to drink her coffee. Again, no words were spoken. The mother took an electronic device out of her pocket, put on some tiny ear pieces, connected them to the device I presumed was a cell phone, and instantly became lost in her electronic world.

The little boy was enjoying his chocolate milk and donut while taking in his surroundings. He caught the attention of two elderly women at the next table who immediately took a shining to him as they began to engage him in some conversation. The one lady smiled at him and asked if he was excited about Christmas. He looked at his mother and then back to the lady. Nodding his head, he smiled an those big round eyes got bigger and rounder. She then asked if he and his mother were out Christmas shopping. Again there was a nod and another smile. He bit into his donut and some sprinkles stuck to the side of his mouth as he tried to capture them with his tongue. It was a "Kodak Moment", if ever there was one. The other Lady then enquired if he was excited about Santa Clause coming soon. Another nod and another smile. She then asked him what he wanted for Christmas. The little boy looked at his mother, then turned back to the lady and shrugged his shoulders. I don't think it mattered what the boy said or if he even said anything at all. These two elderly ladies were just delighted to interact with this cute little boy. He continued to drink his milk and eat his donut while taking in what was going on around the coffee shop. Occasionally, he would look back towards the ladies and return their smiles.

I too was taken with the young boy but at that moment, I was not sure why. I just kept scribbling some thoughts on my paper, took in the surroundings, watched this little boy, his mother and the two ladies. And I could not ignore the fact that this mother spoke no words to her son and seemed oblivious to the fact that he was even interacting with the two elderly ladies at the adjacent table. Suddenly, I had clarity. This little boy was the spitting image of my son when he was eight years old. He had the same eyes, the same smile and mannerisms. And like this little boy, he had a penchant for attracting attention and for being somewhat of a social butterfly. Through circumstances of life, I had not seen my son for over seven years and was reminded of that fact when seeing this little boy.

I found myself wondering what would happen to this young boy as I had often wondered about my own son. As I knew nothing about this boy, his mother and the circumstances of their lives, I was left with only my perceptions and instincts. And both told me that they had a tough road ahead of them. I was flooded with a continuous wave of memories and emotions of a previous life lived before dying in that life. As with all things, it did eventually pass. There were at least thirty or more stories in that coffee shop that night during my stay but none as compelling as the one I was briefly engrossed in. What possessed me to document these fifteen or so minutes of my night, I cannot say. But like a grocery store receipt, I felt the need to save it.

As it is with fate and destiny, life will always be indiscriminate for all. I finished my coffee, put away my pen and notepad, put on my coat and headed out the door. I turned my collar up, turning my back to the brisk, northerly winds and began my trek home. I cannot say how I felt in the moment. I was not happy nor did I present with sadness. But I was certainly not a man of indifference. And I found that to be at the very least, a comforting thought.

From the upcoming book, Land Of Dying Dreams

Copyrighted@RobMason2012

Land Of Dying Dreams

For some it was a year of hope
A time for the wrongs to be righted
With resolution hanging by a thread
For those who chose to hang on
Promises were the words spoken
Some waiting on kinder deeds
But availed was another purpose
And time always ticks too slowly
Imaginary crosses were no longer
Illusions often mirror the reality
Still the words profound coveted
Commonality is such a human trait
The ones bent on the solution
Those bent and then were broken
Some hanging on to a slipping knot
And some hanging on to power
Then darkness gave way to light
The dust settled as all looked around
Left wondering what had changed
Anticipated that new day dawned
Taking stock in those still standing
From a land of once dying dreams
Celebrating the righting of the wrongs
Not counting the ones who were gone

Temptation

Copyrighted@RobMason2010

Temptation:

As my thoughts wander I am aroused
Still trapped in our passionate embrace
As the morning nudges me gently
A cool breeze tempers this body once heated
The day calls forth yet I remain embedded
Still savouring a night of endless pleasures
Your essence remains upon my pillow
And a memory remains etched in my mind
The first kiss seeming accidental
The second and there was no turning back
Once cautious then with reason abandoned
And a hunger no longer left not nourished
Garments once covering found us bare
Inhibitions once hidden exposed
And longing for desires long denied
On a night when hesitations seemed dormant
Availing the secret of lust left unspoken
Yet words that need not be spoken
The consequence of a thin line crossed
For wanting when loneliness prevails

What Comes And Goes

Copyrighted@RobMason2011

I walked along the shoreline and felt the sand between my toes
Then looking back there was no trace of a footprint
Washed away by the out going tide
The sea takes what it wants and then recedes
I was reborn when embracing a warm summer's breeze
Then the coldness of this world chilled me
A life lost from a passing storm
The wind brings change and then dissipates
The sun once shined bright as brighter days I could see
Then the darkness encompassed my existence
Darker can be days with eyes opened
The darkness takes what you refuse to relent
I have touched a loving hand that once touched my soul
And now a heart that was once melted is frozen
Feelings never constant but confusing
Love a pastime for the living
And it comes and goes

Reinventing Happiness

Copyrighted @RobMason,2011
Ardith Publishing

A time of sadness but all is not what it seems
Tomorrow can find you nearer to your dreams
Still feeling hopeless when your day is done
And still feeling alone when still living as one
But for just one moment just let yourself go
Forget what you've learned for all things you know
Have trust in the face you see in the mirror
A belief in yourself and your life becomes clearer
With many friends who are there to help
In their loving arms you will conquer self doubt
Holding tight to whatever pieces remain
And now you know it won't ever be the same
Whatever is old cannot ever be new
When accepting that change it changes you
Opening your heart and more so your mind
When searching a void no telling what you find
There will be setbacks and there will be fear
Some days a smile and other days tears
These times are a test that you need not pass

Surviving long enough to find happiness at last