Random Thoughts on Vacations

• 950 some-odd miles is a long way from home
  
• Traveling with a teenager and an iPod is just about the same as traveling alone
  
• Texas drivers go fast no matter where they are
  
• I love Oklahoma, and there are even spots I'd consider scenic, but by and large, there are a lot of prettier places
  
• You don't think much about the things you take for granted, like always knowing your way around town—even when there are construction signs—or the perfect mattress that took you hours upon hours of searching to find
  
• Toll roads already cost money, they shouldn't also charge more for gas
  
• There are friendly people everywhere
  
• No matter how much you might want it, you're unlikely to see a moose in mid-August in Duluth
  
• Lake Superior is HUGE
  
• Whoever came up with the automatic station search on car stereos deserves a medal
• I wouldn't want to live someplace that needed five foot poles attached to the fire hydrants just so you can find them in the snow
  
• Close quarters can breed short tempers. This has surely always been true, but I only have good memories of my childhood vacations; I hope the same will be true for my son
  
• It's nice to see the big yellow Best Buy tag when you've lost camera accessories
  
• Summer vacation is a good excuse to eat ice cream
  
• There's never enough time
  
• It's always nice to come home again
  

Pieces of Childhood

It's been a sad week for the entertainment world, losing so many known and beloved members. Earlier today, TV pitchman Billy Hays passed away, and after reading one of the online reports, I continued to browse through the reader comments, and there were many. I have to admit, I was sort of surpised at the number of people who labeled themselves fans and were mourning his loss. I mean, I'm sorry when anyone loses their life-- especially when it happens so unexpectedly, and at such an early age. But other than a moment of thought and prayer for his family, this particular passing didn't impact me much.

But that got me to thinking about last Thursday evening. I was chatting with a couple of co-workers about the passing of Michael Jackson (was there an office anywhere in the world where that conversation was not taking place?), and one of them tossed out the idea that maybe entertainers are idolized too much; that maybe we should spend more time recognizing and celebrating the good work and deeds of the anonymous masses. I don't disagree with the idea that there are plenty of "real life" people worthy of admiration, though I don't believe that means that entertainers are any less worthy of our affection and admiration.

But reading the outpouring of affection today for someone for whom I had no particular personal affection made me remember her dismay that so many people could be moved by the passing of Jackson, and I decided to give it a bit more thought.

During our conversation, we were mostly focused on Michael Jackson, but that same day had also seen the passing of Farrah Fawcett, and only a few days earlier, Ed McMahon. This had been a triple-whammy to me, and honestly, it was hard for me to comprehend how anyone could not understand the sense of loss.

Upon refelction, though, it became clear that it wasn't just these people that I was mourning--after all, I didn't know any of them personally-- but it was what they represented in my life. They were fixtures, snapshots of my lifetime, pieces of my childhood.

For almost all of my life, until I was grown and had a child of my own, The Tonight Show starred Johnny Carson and his perpetually jolly sidekick, Ed McMahon. When I was too young to stay up late enough to see it, they were the people I longed to watch. And when I got a little older and didn't understand a lot of the humor, they still made me laugh. And as I actually grew up, I began to recognize not only the talent of Carson, but the integral part that McMahon had in the success of that program. They were late-night television to me; some of my earliest exposure to stand-up comics and political humor, and still the standard by which I judge other similar programs. Today, I talk about watching "Jay Leno"--or, I suppose, "Conan O'Brien", though I have yet to do that-- but it is rare to hear me refer to "The Tonight Show", because I think that show ended the night Johnny and Ed stepped down.

As for Farrah Fawcett . . . I grew up in the days of women's lib, though that was another thing I was too young to fully grasp at the time. But I was thirteen when Charlie's Angels premiered, and had always been a fan of cop/detective type shows. It was cool that there were ladies going out after the bad guys and getting the job done. I didn't analyze it at the time, didn't understand that some people might still think it sexist and demeaning that the Angels--particularly Farrah-- ended up on so many provocative posters, but I liked the idea that women could be both pretty and productive at the same time. No doubt it was an idea that hit me subliminally, but that's all right. I think it's an okay idea for a girl to grow up with.

And Michael Jackson. I don't remember when he wasn't there. When I was young, first discovering a love of music, he and his brothers were there. Michael was only a few years older than I, and I always thought that was extremely cool-- here was this kid, rich, famous, having a great time just singing and dancing all the time. I always figured if he could do it, I could do it. Not sing and dance, of course, but whatever it was that I might want to do to have a great time and get rich and famous. He wasn't a grown-up; he was a little kid, just like me. It seemed empowering, the idea that you didn't have to be an adult to have a fun job. It was only as I got older that I began to appreciate the toll such a life might take on one so young, but man, I loved to hear that kid sing!

Then we both grew up a little more and suddenly it seemed people were discovering him all over again. I considered myself more mature then, and not quite as easily persuaded that anyone could become rich and famous if only they'd pursue their dreams, but there was no denying that Michael was still an inspiration. He not only made his own dreams come true, but seemed to also tap into the hopes and dreams of people the world over. His songs touched people like few--if any-- had ever done. He brought people together that might never have had anything in common other than a love for his music. He had a message of hope and inspiration that found its way into a perfect pop beat and impeccable rhythm, and people listened and rejoiced. Later in his life, other headlines eclipsed talk of his music and dancing, but the Michael Jackson of my childhood and early adulthood is the one that I will remember, and the one that I mourn.

So all three of these iconic figures had a place in my formative years, even if I did not fully recognize it at the time. Some people would consider them "only" entertainers, who have no true impact on our daily lives, but those people could not be more wrong. Ed, Farrah, Michael-- they are part of what made me who I am today, pieces of my childhood that are now lost, but will be cherished forever.

Fans and Friends

I'm thinking today of Brian Keith, the actor likely most widely known for his roles in Family Affair and Disney's The Parent Trap (the original from the 60s, not the more recent remake). Of course, he was acting long before and long after either of those things, and the work that has endeared him most to me was the role of a crusty old judge in the 80s series Hardcastle and McCormick. Several years ago, my fondness for that particular television show led me to search the internet for anyone who might share my interest, and I was fortunate enough to find an active Yahoo group devoted to the show. That has turned out to be one of the best moments of my life.

I know; I can hear you now: "Huh? Finding a fan board about a show that's a couple decades old ranks as one of the high points? Really?" Yes, really. See, it's not so much about the fan board as about the fans themselves. I've been lucky enough to have made some dear friends from that group, and we've shared some experiences I'll never forget. In addition to the many hours simply chatting online, and the countless emails exchanged over a wide variety of topics, we also banded together to sponsor Brian Keith for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That little endeavor took over two years of our lives, but was worth every minute. Then a few of us joined forces to write and publish a book-- a viewer's guide to the show that had brought us together in the first place. Not the next Great American Novel or anything, but still a book, which was definitely a big check mark on the to-do list.

I think sometimes the internet gets a bad rap-- that when thinking of online relationships, folks conjure up images of sad little people pecking away in a darkened basement, or predators lurking, waiting to pounce on unsuspecting victims. I'm not naive enough to think those things don't take place, but that's not all there is to the great world wide web. My two best Hardcastle friends are in Illinois and Washington, but I've got others in Florida, Texas, Connecticut, New Jersey, Canada, Scotland, Australia, Greece, Hungary . . . the list goes on. That's the good side of online relationships. We're all normal people (relatively speaking!); we've got jobs and families and other interests, but the miracle of the internet lets us get to know people we'd otherwise live our lives without, and that can't be a bad thing, even if something as frivolous as a television show brought us together.

Which brings me back to the actor. It was Brian Keith that originally drew me to watch Hardcastle and McCormick. I'd grown up with him in those famous roles of his, seen him in other movies and on TV, and always enjoyed his work. So when he began a new series way back in 1983, I just had to watch, and that has led to so very many good things. So, on this sad anniversary of his passing, I am remembering Brian and all the joy his work brought over the years, and I'm thanking him for the friendships that work made possible.

Beginning Again

Several years ago, Yahoo! rolled out their 360 page-- an introduction to social networking sites for me as well as them. One of the things it offered was a blog feature, and I decided to give it a try. In my lifetime, I'd never been very diligent about keeping a "diary" or journal of any kind, so I was skeptical. I was sort of impressed with myself for keeping at it close to six monhts.

Then, just a couple years back, I made another attempt to get back in touch with my inner blogger-- an international trip seemed like the perfect opportunity. But while I was away, things happened here that chased all thoughts of idle chatter from my head, and still the blog sat.

But now Yahoo! is redesigning their site to something new and improved, which will have the end result of deleting the old blog site. Somehow that seemed wrong. Even if I haven't visited with these old posts in a long while, I couldn't quite bring myself to let them just vanish into the ether. So here they are, preserved just a little bit longer. And, maybe the true end result of Yahoo!'s tinkering will be a kick in my pants to get fingers on a keyboard on a semi-regular basis. There's no denying that writing--about anything-- brings with it a certain happy freedom. Also no denying that when I don't write for a really long while, I get decidedly not happy. Maybe this can change all that.

And if you'd like to come along on the ride to happy freedom, I'd be glad to have you.

An Old Friend (Sept. 26, 2007)

Oh, I've been away from here for a long, long time. Those who know me probably know that all my spare time of late has been devoted to the STAR for Brian campaign, (www.starforbrian.com) and most everything else has gone by the wayside.

But now I'm getting ready to take a trip that will take me away from home for a whole month--which sometimes seems like a lifetime-- and I got to thinking about the very real need to stay in touch. I'm going to be on the other side of the world from my loved ones--Manila-- so a regular phone call is going to be difficult to schedule, not to mention costly. And that's what reminded me of my 360 page. Several people have said, "Hey, be sure to send a postcard or drop me an email.", so this seems like a good way to keep several people up to date at once. (And, thankfully, the world wide web really does work all over the world!)

And besides keeping people up to date, I've certainly never been to the Philippines before, and it occurs to me there really might be some interesting things to talk about. I guess we'll find out together.

All About George (June 28, 2006)

A few months ago, my best friend, Kim, brought me a dollar bill. It was just a standard bill, a little rumpled, but pretty typical. Except that it had a stamp on it. Several stamps, really, though they all said pretty much the same thing:

Track this bill at www.wheresgeorge.com.

Well, how intriguing is that?

So, anyway, she hauls this dollar bill around for a while, saving it for the next time she comes to see me. And, of course, as soon as she gives it to me, I have to know what it’s all about.

Turns out there’s a website where you can enter in the serial numbers of all your money, and if someone else has entered it before, you can see where it’s been. And, of course, if someone enters it after you, then you can see where it goes. Now, how cool is that?

Of course, I had to put all my bills into it right away. And I wrote the website on some of them, hoping that as I sent them back out into the world, someone else would be intrigued, too. (Don’t worry; I checked the Treasury regulations about defacing bills, and it turns out the bad stuff is pretty much all about the intent to make a bill useless, so I think I’m in the clear.)

Well, anyway, it was a little bit discouraging. None of my other bills had any “history”; I was the first person to enter them into the database. And, on top of that, this new hobby really made me realize how much of a cashless society we’ve become; I found myself trying to remember to spend actual money. But, still, I really find this whole idea very, very cool.

And, I should digress for just a moment and say that it’s pretty indicative of why Kim and I are friends that she knew I’d think it was cool. Everyone else has just thought it was kind of goofy.

So, why am I telling you this now? Because I just got an email from the site telling me that one of my bills was just re-entered. Yippee! It didn’t go all that far—just to our neighbor state of Texas—but I still think it’s pretty neat. Now I’m connected, however peripherally, to a complete stranger. Very cool, indeed.

Summertime in Oklahoma (June 12, 2006)

Yeah, so it's a couple of weeks before the summer season officially begins. But no matter what it says on the calendar, you can always tell when summer really rolls around. This morning, I heard the weatherman give this forecast:

"The good news is there's a front moving in this afternoon, and that's going to cool things off quite a bit. Expect a high of only about 94 today."

Hah. Well, thank goodness for cool fronts, eh?