Dear Walt,
Your "Labor Day"-manifesto inspires me more than you'll ever know. I
personally know how hard life can treat us. It takes us by surprise. Sex
kills. Is justice "just ice". The song that came first into my head reading
your story is "Autumn Leaves" brought by Eva Cassidy. To me it says it all.
Do you know her CD "Songbird"? I've discovered it about 6 months ago and
like Joni, she gives me hope, music is indeed healing. Through the music of
Joni I have to confront myself with the daily struggle, with the hope and
despair,with life itself..Peace to you.
Patricia.
-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]Namens
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Verzonden: donderdag 30 augustus 2001 19:24
Aan: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Onderwerp: (sjc)Good Times to all at JoniFest, some musings on Labor Day
& Healing
Hello, all,
Didn't know of the existence of the Joni Fest until about a week ago, when I
joined this list. Already feel I'm getting to know some of you, and I wish
I
could be there. Maybe next year...
Yesterday was my partner, Robert's, birthday, so the week has been busy.
But
also Labor Day is coming up, a day which has special meaning for me. In
early March, 1982, I was very sick; I was stammeringly told by my health
care provider that my specific symptoms seemed to imply that I had what was
beginning to be called the "gay plague" or GRID, among other things. I
asked
him what the prognosis was; he hesitated and hedged, but finally said that
if the disease progressed as it usually seemed to be doing at that time, I
had maybe six months. I walked home in a daze. Once there, I flipped
through a calendar, and six months from that day happened to be Labor Day,
1982. (I no longer remember the exact date -- the 3rd, the 4th? -- maybe
one
of you with an appropriate computer program, or a lot of calendars can tell
me, not that it matter much anymore). Needless to say, I wasn't dead by
that
Labor Day, although I was still pretty sick. Nineteen more Labor Days
later,
and I'm still here. I've been pretty sick some of the time, near death
once,
and not that bad a lot of the time, including now. The link to Joni is, of
course, soothing and healing. There are others who calm, soothe and cheer
me
up -- Cocteau twins, Everything But The Girl, k.d. lang, certain songs by
many other artists -- but Joni... well you guys know. For soothing/healing,
I especially like most of DJRD and NRH, but any and all or her albums give
me
strength.
To all of you -- have a wonderful, fun, laughing, soothing JoniFest -- and
many Labor Days to come!
Siquomb,
"Big" Walt Breen in S.F.
