Still, when I compare those days with the current trends I find there is little to encourage me to turn on a radio or buy a ticket.  And in spite of the plethora of TV channels available these days, my remote has a hard time finding anything that is fit to watch much of the time.  However, last night it stumbled upon American Graffiti, made in the early 70’s, about life in small town Modesto in 1962.  That was my graduation year too, and I lived a few short hours from there, so I find that movie evokes many long buried emotions and hits very close to home.

Then there is the problem that even when there may be something worth hearing, the performers don't talk or sing clearly enough for me to understand what they’re saying.  I know that my hearing is not as sharp as it once was, but I have no trouble hearing performers that know how to enunciate, no matter what era they represent. I take heart that there are a few audio offerings that will no doubt stand out from today’s meaningless noise and become milestone markers for all who lived during these eras.  Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath my Wings” comes to mind here, as an anthem for the first Gulf War.  And Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up” will no doubt stand tall and continue to evoke a tide of emotion for those who face today’s overwhelming major disasters.

Today is the 20^th anniversary of the passing of John Denver, one of the most influential singers of my lifetime. He was an icon who marked the 70’s with a continuation of many of the environmental values that defined the 60’s, and all the replays in his honor this week have sent my mind reeling with how far we have come, thanks in part to people like him.

But it was another incident in my life just last week that actually began my look through the telescope of time.  As a friend and I walked together into a small restaurant, he paused to look at a painting on the wall that I hadn’t even noticed.  It was apparently a portrait of a reggae singer.  I had no idea, since I don’t care for reggae.  I explained to the restaurant greeter that my partner was delayed by the painting, and she said she was not a fan of reggae either.  But she remarked that “everybody loves her favorite, Bob Marley”, and that she would stop at a painting of him any day.  When I told her I had never heard of him she was really taken aback at the thought that anyone didn’t know who he is.  I told her I bet she'd never heard of my college “honey”, Rod McKuen, either.  She asked what “kind” of music he sang, and I had no answer.  To me it was just special.  I told her he was actually a poet, and sometimes sang his poems and other times just recited them. So to answer her question I just quoted the first 2 lines of my favorite poem about his cat named "Sloopy". She said she liked cats so she would “google” it. 

That’s one saving grace in today’s world, we can use the internet to access wonderful versions of all the best presentations of both yesteryear and today.  Recently I was looking for “The Water is wide” and found several good versions, but I liked the one by Judy Collins the best.  So take heart everyone who misses the timeless classics of old.  they, along with the best of the newer music, are not lost, just hiding in Utube waiting for us to find them.