11 December 2005

December 8th






She hated loud music which was always on, She hated and objected to their posters all over the walls of my room. Mom complained to everybody who came to my house about my attitude and arrogance. One priest who came to see her said that there are evil spirits in my room.

1967 things went quiet after Sgt. pepper. I went quiet too.
I was 19. Thirteen years flew. I was going nowhere.

Mom was sick, bed ridden, I sat on her bed, She knew something seriously went wrong.

She asked what happened, I said Lennon died, he was shot.

"tera beedal ?' {your Beatle ? ) she asked, 
I said yes.
She placed her loving hand on my head and caressed my hair. She knew how I felt. By then I had a long and disheveled beard, jobless, aimless, I had just resigned my job.
December 8th 1980. I was 32.
Moin was born nine days later.

25 years now and it is still so fresh, all the major TV networks paid homage on Dec. 8th, they never forget each year. I wanted to write but did not feel like. I was confused. Still not sure if I am proud of his influence or ashamed of it. Life took a nose dive and it never took off, I remained aimless.

I doubt any one in history has influenced the world in the most passive manner the way Lennon did. I know that a lot better music came before and after Lennon.
If it was not music alone, then what was it ?
If not the music what really changed the world ?
I do not know. I really do not know.
It was like the mind broke off all its shackles and came out free. Eastern philosophy did not change him, he brought a revival in eastern thinking which was slowly dying under the impact of fast spreading western culture. All the swamis and guru's who were sleeping in relative obscurity, suddenly woke up and cashed in.
He did not come to India to revive anything, his presence did everything. He was blissfully unaware of the impact he would leave behind. And many Indians are not aware what really brought the change. 
Was this change any good ?
i do not know
No one was conscious of what really brought the change.

Like me there are millions of others who walked on the road with John Lennon beside them. He was not a guide but he was there in our lives, a very strange influence. I learnt nothing from him but he was all over me and millions like me.

If you admire some one please stop right there, don't go any further, it will hurt you. It was not a good idea reading Lennon's biography, there are many many of them. I still regret reading it.



13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey, wat surface is the book and cat kept on?

rauf said...

This is my table with light underneath to sort slides,
please write your name...pleeeeese.

wildpic said...

"yes, iam" was his last words and yes he is ... he lives on ...
hes here to stay ... in the hearts of the unborn too !

rauf said...

That must be Infrancia, Now I am familiar with your style, why anonymous ?

rauf said...

Hated Yoko Suresh, i wished she was shot instead

Anonymous said...

i have a short memory. i can get away with a lot.

angeldust_xtc said...

I have no patience to log in:)forgot to leave my name.



Infancia.

rauf said...

Infrancia, I am waiting for some one to come and pat my back I have pain in my shoulder can't pat my own back for guessing that it must be you, New look of your page is good, it will take some time to accept the change

Anonymous said...

beautifully written, poms ! one of your best-written blogs. loved the way it began. was never a Beatles fan ( ok, i can imagine the shocked faces ) , but i did like his 'Beautiful Boy' which had that one line which influenced me greatly - " Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans " ! and poms, i agree with you. Never liked the Yoko woman.

~A~

rauf said...

Puts !
Before you cross the street,
Take my hand,
Life is just what happens to you,
While your busy making other plans,

had only 15 rupees had to borrow 25 to buy that album 1980 'double fantasy' came back running only to find my stylus blunt,had borrow another 12 rupees for the stylus the next day,had the album in my hands I couldn't play it. couldn't sleep. The whole night it was in my hand, read every word on it over and over again.
'Watching the wheels' was the song I liked thats what I was doing in '80 just nothing.
That was the song about me, written just for me. you can see for yourself why I love him

People say I'm crazy doing what I'm doing,
Well they give me all kinds of warnings to save me from ruin,
When I say that I'm o.k. they look at me kind of strange,
Surely your not happy now you no longer play the game,
....................
People say I'm lazy dreaming my life away,
Well they give me all kinds of advice designed to enlighten me,
When I tell that I'm doing Fine watching shadows on the wall,
Don't you miss the big time boy you're no longer on the ball?

I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round,
I really love to watch them roll,
No longer riding on the merry-go-round,
I just had to let it go,

People asking questions lost in confusion,
Well I tell them there's no problem,
Only solutions,
Well they shake their heads and they look at me as if I've lost my mind,
I tell them there's no hurry...
I'm just sitting here doing time,

I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round,
I really love to watch them roll,
No longer riding on the merry-go-round,
I just had to let it go.

rauf said...

Puts !
Strange coincidence
read Infrancia's blog
'Dance little Angel'
http://angelinabox.blogspot.com/
She wrote john lennon's line at the end of her blog

Anonymous said...

beautiful lyrics, i admit, poms ! Trudging outta bed to read the reply to my comment was worth it. tee hee hee ! you know, Celine Dion sang a re-make of that song. but it never quite matched up to the original. Thanks for reminding me of the song again. and like you always say.. i can sleep now.. :)

Nitey nite, poms

~A~ ( puts )

rauf said...

Kathy,
First I was biased, I thought it is because of her that the beatles split, which is a fact. and yoko
was a bundle of confusion herself