So,far 2013 has not been a great year, I think that I’ve missed more work both at Target and Lippincott Jacobs this month than I did all last year, as I’ve fought this upper respiratory virus. My wife his been fighting the same virus. Then top that with the loss of the son’s brother-in-law Will, and Peter’s wife’s grandfather and well it hasn’t been a great month to say the least!
Tonight while I was out running errands, my cell phone rang, my heart stopped because the call was from my son Peter and the call could not be a good one. He asked if his mother was there, I said I wasn’t home and then he told me that his brother-in-law Will Marris had lost his fight against lung cancer and passed away tonight from complications from pneumonia. My heart sank Will has fought lung cancer for three years and we saw him beat everything it had thrown at him and you just thought he was going to beat this last illness too! But the fight was too hard and he lost it! My heart goes out to his wife Nicole and his son Aiden, his sister and my son Missy and Peter and his mother and father Bill and Dianne who now have to face a task that no parent should have to face burying their child and it comes less than a week after Bill buried his father.
I read Death at an Early Age by Jonathan Kozol about 40 years ago, it was a stirring account of his first year as a teacher in the Boston school system working with some of the most disadvantaged students in America. The book won the National Book Award in Science, Philosophy and Religion. It has sold more than two million copies in the United States and Europe. The book made an impact on me and lead me to change my major to education, however I soon ran away from education and concentrated on Political Science, it wasn’t until several years later I returned to school at the University of Georgia and received my B.S. ED in social science education. But stuff happens and I never taught, I got caught up in life and work and a family and I took the easy path and stayed where I was, but many times I regret the decision not to teach. Anyway throughout the years I kinda stayed away from 
politics and the writing of Jonathan Kozol. I knew he was out there fighting for the poorest of the poor in the South Bronx with books like Amazing Grace and Rachel and Her Children but I never read them. Well when I saw his new book Fire in the Ashes: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children in America I couldn’t resist and it has become Book 5 of 2013.
On this day in 1918 one of the most influential blues musicians was born Elmore James. While James passed before I started listening to music big-time, He certainly influenced many of the artist that I’ve listened to through the years and his legacy lives on there are several covers of his classic “Dust My Broom” in my music library. Here’s some background from Wikipedia:
You know there are many times in life that I think that my life sucks, sometimes I am correct and other times I just have to look around and I can see that maybe I don’t have it so bad! Certainly over the last few weeks, being tired of being sick and then having my work not go as well as I’d like, mostly a result of my own doing, I have not been enthralled with my life. But over those same weeks I’ve been reading Jonathan Kozol’s Fire in the Ashes:Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children in America and like I said I realize that I don’t have it anywhere near as bad as others have it. At least I don’t have to worry that those rats that are making a racket in the walls will stay in the walls, or that my ten-year old son will soon be dealing drugs, all coupled with a school system that is broken! This morning was another one of those times when I realize that having a cold and cough coupled with a job I may not be happy with is nothing! My daughter-in-law Missy and her parents are dealing with the sudden death last Sunday of Missy’s paternal grandfather James Marris. I’ve only met Mr. Marris a few times but he was a really nice man and based upon the turnout at his viewing this morning I’m not the only one who holds that opinion! Looking at all the pictures and memorabilia at the funeral, you see that he had a happy life that was cut unexpected short. 
Now it’s enough to have to be dealing with the death of a parent at any age, but the loss of a parent and grandparent are not the only thing that the the Marris family is dealing with today. They are also dealing with a son Will who is battling for his life today! Will has been fighting stage four lung cancer for the last three years currently he is in Virtua Hospital in Voorhees battling PCP pneumonia, Found in patients immunocompromised like himself. He is waiting to be transferred to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, where his doctors are, but it seems that they can’t get a bed for him! Yesterday, many Facebook friends and family were asked to call ABC-News and anyone else they could to get Will’s story out there and help to get him moved. This morning Will’s wife Nicole asked folks to stop because it wasn’t helping, but to continue to pray that Will will soon be transferred! Anyway, the point is that Will is only 31 years old with a young son a beautiful wife and should have a long life ahead of him instead of fighting for his life. In addition, Will’s parents Bill and Dianne should not have to face the possibility of losing their child especially when it’s added to the pain of losing a parent! So as I sit here and feel bad because I’m coughing and have to work tonight and tomorrow I realize I have nothing to complain about I’ve got a wonderful wife, four great kids and two wonderful daughter in laws! So my prayers go out to Will, wife Nicole, son Aiden, Missy and Peter, and especially Bill and Dianne as well as to people all over the world who are facing tragedies much worse than my puny problems! 
Whenever, I feel like this, this is the song that comes to mind is Phil Ochs “There But for Fortune”
Book No. 4 of 2013 is the latest Body Farm Novel from Jefferson Bass (aka Jon Jefferson and Dr. Bill Bass) The Inquisitor’s Key. This book is number seven in this fine series and it’s a little different from its predecessors. While the main storyline does involve bones, specifically, whether or not the bones that Bill Brockton’s assistant Miranda and her former archeology professor Stefan Beauvoir have found under the Palace of the Popes in Avignon France are the bones of Jesus of Nazareth, the setting is not the typical range of Bill and Miranda. Avignon France is a long way from the Body Farm in Knoxville and their offices beneath Neilan Stadium on the campus of the University of Tennessee. Finally, there’s a lot more history included in this novel, as the story twists and turns involves The Pope and the Palace of Popes in Avignon, and The Shroud of Turin.
So on a sad note, Max Stalling posted this to his Facebook Page this AM:
Folks, on a somber note, I’d like to take a moment to note the passing of Bruce Kidder, former DJ at KHYI 95.3 The Range (OFFICIAL) in Dallas (and KFAN/Fredericksburg prior to that). He was crusty and cranky on air and only partly like that in real life. He was a supporter of music and songwriters and became my friend. He was an old school DJ/radio personality with real opinions and attitudes about music and topics. He picked up on my music and put it into regular rotation. I will miss him and my condolences go out to his wife Julie, all his family and anyone else who had the good fortune of knowing him.
Last Saturday at the age of 92, one of the greatest baseball players in Major League history passed away. It has almost been 50 years, (Good Lord), since 1965 when my mother stood in line at one of Department Stores in Philadelphia to have a copy of Stan “The Man” Musial’s autobiography autographed. As a fourteen year old in love with baseball I devoured the book because even though he retired in 1963, he was still my favorite player, and reading his story made him even more of a favorite! What a great player and person he was….
Borrowing the closing line from King Kong and morphing it a little “Oh no, it wasn’t Giteau that killed Garfield, it was the doctors!”, makes it fit Book Number 3 of 2013 Destiny of the Repbulic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard. The subject of the book is the assassination of the 20th President of the United States, James A. Garfield. Considering the mass of information that most history classes cover about all you ever hear is that Garfield was shot by a disgruntled person who wanted a civil service appointment. What we weren’t told was the appointment Charles Giteau wanted was Ambassador to France, or what an amazing man and beloved President, Garfield was,if only for a short period. The tale of the assassination involves obviously Garfield, and Charles Giteau his assailant, but also includes the theories of Joseph Lister and the inventions of Alexander Graham Bell! Millard has taken these pieces and woven a fine and easy reading and enjoyable book!
