Tonight my local PBS station was rebroadcasting The American Masters Program on Pete Seeger. It is fund raising week once again and the dreaded fund raising chat is interspersed with programs geared at attracting the broadest audience. Actually, fund-raising weeks are usually when I watch the least public television, as they don't tend to show my favorite shows. But I support them anyway, and I know it is necessary.
Tonight however I loved seeing the program. I had missed it the first time, but even if I had seen it I would have watched it again. It reminds me so much of my youth, of that eagerness and optimism of youth, of the person I once was, and yes, still am, although too often perhaps I am distracted by the various ephemera of daily life.
And so I sang along, and once again thought about the issues and movements that shaped my childhood, and the ideals that shaped my young adulthood. Much of all this was beyond me — I was too young. But I used to volunteer on the Clearwater and for the Clearwater organization. I spent time out in the river doing my small bit to help clean it up. I attended the annual Clearwater Revivals, which have gotten to be really big events, much bigger than they were then.. We no longer go. I do think it would be much to confusing and overwhelming for DH at this point. But it is nice to remember, and remind myself who this person is, this person who was once myself, and is still myself. These memories are only a part of who I am, are memories are only a part of who we all are, and usually the whole is so much more complicated than can be defined by one time, or thread. That doesn't mean we don't need to look into those forgotten corners occasionally though.
I also thought about how unusual it really is to be a person who stands true to one's principles and beliefs steadfastly, whatever the rest of the world may think. And on that thought I need to go to bed, before my thoughts get even more muddled.
One of my mentors, who was also a friend of Pete Seeger's, always believed that most problems could be solved by going to bed, or perhaps it was by gong to lunch. I think he actually said both, whichever the circumstances warranted.