Show #233

Hello Friends of the Garden!

Click on this so you can read it! I love this!

When I was a kid television was still in it's infancy. I was captivated by the wonder of it. It wasn't even broadcast in color until after 1965. I remember the transition from black and white to color. I suppose it was our generation's equivalent to HDTV. Finally seeing Gilligan's Island and The Beverly Hillbillies in color was, pardon the pun, a real eye opener! The whole debate still goes on to this day as to the preference of Ginger or Mary Ann.

Thinking about it now, I realize that the advent of color TV was on a similar level with the introduction of cell phones. Both inventions were slow to come to the masses at an affordable price. Like most things, those types of luxuries were slated for the affluent to enjoy first. I remember the first color TV our family bought. We didn't get a color TV until well after it's introduction and many of my friends families already had one (no one I knew had two!). 

My parents car (not this one) eventually
caught fire from the carburetor. 

Even then, I listened to a lot of radio (I still do). On long family road trips to my Grandmother's in El Campo, Texas, my parents would listen to radio dramas. I recall riding late at night and laying down in the far back of the old Volkswagen Beetle. The warmth and hum of the engine just below me acted like white noise and I slipped in to a hypnotic state. I let myself get carried away into all those old stories as my parents drove the endless road in the infinite darkness of the South Texas countryside.

Recently, at a meeting at school, my Principal was telling our staff about a trip he had made to Apple headquarters in Cupertino. I'm not certain, but I think he's at least 20 years younger than I am. He was showing a graphic about when technologies had been introduced like the first iPod, iPhone and iPad. He was making a point about how the children we are teaching have never known a life without this technology and how we must be aware that we need to embrace the incorporation of it to keep pace with the times.

The original iPod,
announced on
October 23, 2001

As I surveyed the room, I realized that I was a relic. Like a dinosaur, one step away from extinction, I could see the influx of youth in our staff and I felt a pang of insignificance. The Social Studies teacher at our school is younger than my son (as are many of my staff members). I truly enjoy the conversations I have with him! He always provides an insight to what it's like to be young and single at this point in time. He is perfect example of what my Principal had been speaking about. He has never known life without the Internet, Facebook, cell phones and Netflix. 

I have a couple other friends that are also younger than my son. Over the last few years I've realized the friendship that we have forged has transcended age and technological differences. My buddies Jeff and Tim feel like my tried and true buddies back in Texas, as if we've been friends for years! Sure, we're in different stages in our lives; they're just getting their careers and marriages under way and I'm nearing retirement; however, that difference never seems to be an issue for us. We just have fun! 

Me, my brother, Jeff and Tim
at a dive bar in the Sunset
District. This isn't a bad
picture. It truly was that blurry
there, at least to me!

It's a shame that I'm so slow to learn things (especially since I'm a teacher)! I think I've spent far too much time trying to figure out my place in the world. Where do I fit in? I believe I'm going to try hard to focus on "doing" my part in the world with the time I have left. As to those influences and friendships, friends, good friends, can be any age, any race, or any gender! 

The unfortunate dichotomy is that bad people, mean spirited people, ugly on the inside people, can be any age, any race, or any gender also! I saw this show,Hate Rising, the other day and this was a totally different eye opener than Ginger and Mary Ann in color! (It's long but so worth watching) Like the dinosaurs we know to be extinct, there are still some societal dinosaurs that tread our Earth! This show has influenced me to do what I can to change the world! It'd be easier if there were more of us working together!

Here's Show #233! Ha! I get to do some Halloween songs just before Halloween! Usually it's off by several days and it just doesn't feel right! Please don't miss the first song by The Austin Lounge Lizards, it will always be a Halloween standard! I didn't notice that I double dipped on Phish but I wanted to play 'em both to round out the Halloween songs. After the first six songs it all goes back to normal (funny). There's some of the latest stuff from The Rides, Mudcrutch, Devil Makes Three, The Bottle Rockets, and String Cheese Incident. There's also some great oldies from Rare Earth, The Rolling Stones, The Guess Who, The Who and a requested ending song by the Monkees for my faithful listener Bob! All good! All fun!

Thanks Robin and Jerry! I have been busy this week! Lots of irons in the fire! Sure is a comfort to know I always have your support, even when my mind drags me in all kinds of directions! I didn't get to talk with you this week Jerry as much as I wanted to. Let's catch up Monday. I can use your input on some things.

Thank you listeners too! Thanks for the sea glass Julie! Thank you Bob for the awesome email and phone call! Thanks to so many of you out there that enjoy my show! I always love doing it! Call me! Email me! I love hearing from you!

Peace and love (now more than ever)!

Mike