80 years ago today…

…on October 9, 1940 – John Lennon was born. He should be here to celebrate this milestone with his wife and son, but he is not. He hasn’t been around for a very long time. But I am not focusing on that today. I am here to wish John a Happy Heavenly Birthday. And I’m wondering what he would have thought and said about the world today. John preached peace and love to anyone who would listen. He was an activist and a peacemaker. He lived the songs he wrote as a very young man as a Beatle:  “All You Need is Love” and his anthem “Imagine” – written oh so many years ago – still resonates today around the world. He wasn’t perfect. He was just a man. But he influenced an entire generation, and still does so today, with his agenda on peace, love, and non-violence. He spoke through his music, and as a solo artist after his career with the Beatles, he did not pander to the establishment. He said what he wanted and wrote the kind of songs he wanted, rather than doing what he was “supposed to do” for the record companies. While others were churning out bubblegum pop, John was sharing his thoughts and views on the world and trying to open the eyes and minds of a new generation. I can see him marching today as he did back then for the causes he believed in – yet at the same time, most importantly, condemning the violence wholeheartedly and with no regret. He knew that reacting to the triggers that are put out there is exactly what is expected to make you stay where you are. He never fell for that. He loved this country, and particularly fell in love with my hometown of New York City. He fought long and hard – and won – for the right to stay in this country too, when that same establishment tried to run him out. He, along with the Beatles, and on his own, forever changed the face of music – the look, the sound, the message…wonder what artistic treasures he would have given us in the last 40 years. Happy Heavenly 80th Birthday, John. Still miss you and wish you were here.