Some readers may recall the band “It’s a Beautiful Day”, that hung out with icons of the 60s and early 70s, but never quite made the leap to “all-star”.
For me, they are All Star.
In 1969, they released “It’s a Beautiful Day” featuring violinist David LaFlamme (who played with the Utah symphony orchestra), vocalist Pattie Santos and David’s wife Linda LaFlamme, on keyboards.
If you don’t have the licorice today, or some digitalized version, as a reminder the album had tracks that were six to seven minute long like “White Bird”, “Hot Summer Day”, and “Time Is”.
After listening to that LP today I am having me some Harvey Mandel for lunch from “The Snake”; which has among others, “UNO INO” and “Ode To the Owl”. Harvey played with Canned Heat, The rolling Stones and John Mayall before recording solo.
These two albums were among a few I took from my home in Santa Barbara county in southern California to university.
Above and in the header is Carpinteria beach. I grew up five houses from the ocean. That was my back yard. We were middle class in a migrant town. I wore my brothers clothes and ate a lot of tuna casserole. I mowed lawns to afford a bike and my first surfboard.
As a teenager I looked a little older than I was. I ended up in Summerland quite a bit (four miles to the north of Carpinteria and six miles south of Santa Barbara. I hung with some older folks who had migrated down from the Isla Isla Vista (UCSB) college scene and settled into the mature beach cottages they decorated with a dozen Charlie plants in macramé holders. There was always some kind incense in the air.
They provided an education in additional humility; but that lesson was always wrapped in kindness.
Their kindness left me wanting more. I couldn’t quite get my hooks into them. Rather than tell me I was uniformed they ‘told story’ that usually ended with a moral, or something to think about.
It is a brilliant way to share their ideas.
I learned that just because a thought crosses our mind doesn’t mean we have to say it out loud. Being a senior citizen (I am one) isn’t an excuse or license to be unkind.
Rather, being unkind is a caricature.
Wisdom is different from being unkind.
Over three decades I have found that I cannot alter some aspects of my patient’s lifestyle. Some have unhealthy patterns they refuse to let go of.
So I assist them the best way I can. You can’t tell somebody with an eating disorder “enough is enough”. It is much more complicated than that.
Readers may see this at home with a spouse, adult children, grandchildren or on political blogs.
The reason I started visiting blogs at all was to learn. And I have learned a ton; about politics, the left and the right; but most of all I have learned more about me.
What I have learned about myself as I have written before is: take your pleasures wisely, take your vices moderately and mix in some virtuous pleasures. In other words, raise dopamine levels on purpose (kindness, generosity and exercise).
Conflict is part of life. Conflict can make us tender and kind people if we let it. That is what we do.
So when I read a young author, meet young people, speak with my daughters or friends on the Internet, I try to remember my own learning experience at the hands of kind people.
Kind and patient people are long lasting and move the needle.
I don’t want to get old and grumpy.
Dr. Kevin Purcell, DC. Dedicated to serving others …