In the event of my demise . . .
Arlo Guthrie lived his entire adult life not knowing if he would die from the horrible debilitating disease that took his father Woody Guthrie’s life.
But Arlo didn’t let that dread cripple him. He lived an amazing life of love, music, art, social contribution, and everything that a life should be that at the time of this writing still goes on, even though a couple of years ago, he outlived her, his beautiful bride who gave his life so much treasure and joy.
How did and does he do that? I’m guessing that it’s by his proclaimed faith in my possibly imaginary Friend, Jesus Christ.
“Outlasting The Blues” is a wonderful album. Arlo wrote it when he was about half the age he is now, likely at the height of his musical talent and virtuosity. If you don’t have this album, I’d highly recommend that you get it. Karen and I can listen to it over and over again, and it never gets old and worn out . . . unlike its listeners. There are some wonderful songs on it. The last one is Arlo’s cover of the beautiful old Hoyt Axton song, “Evangelina,” a song that Karen and I first heard on our car’s cassette player in our old Volvo station wagon driving up to Prescott, Arizona, from our once and then future home in Tempe, Arizona, when Karen was pregnant with our daughter Julia before I went to law school.
We had so identified with this song because Karen was also “a poor man’s daughter” and we had begun our marriage in Puerto Peñasco in Old Mexico, and I had dreamed of her all my life . . . and still do . . . and she brings me water and wine. We love this beautiful song so much that we named our only daughter who was born of our love after this song, Julia Evangeline, which means “young bringer of Good News.”
My own life may end soon I’ve recently been told, or it may go on for some time more, but it will end in this old world some day.
But I also do believe that one Day “soon and very soon,” as the old hymn sings, I will see the Face of my possibly imaginary Friend and in His Eyes I will see such a look of Love and Compassion and Acceptance that my soul will be forever saved in Him and I will really live forever with Him and with everyone who He Loves who, like me, let Him save them too.
“What the hell does that mean?” you ask.
To me it means that somehow . . .
the rumor of my “demise” is NOT to be believed . . .
and that “only the Words of Love kept Alive are worthy of not being wasted.”
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