A Tune For Difficult Times
Channeling John Lewis in a timely, all-West Virginia harmonic convergence
Greetings,
Here is some of what’s been happening around the village of WestVirginiaVille.com. Be well, stay safe. Wear a mask! | Douglas John Imbrogno, editor/co-founder/caffeinated cat herder
1.
“LAY THAT BURDEN DOWN”: A Musical Homage to John Lewis, Sung by Lady D
Watch the world premiere of a WestVirginiaVille music video of the very wonderful Ron Sowell/Jon Wikstrom song "Lay That Burden Down," sung by Lady D of Beckley, WV. The song was inspired by the life, courage, and heart of John Lewis, whose example is needed now more than ever. Except for piano and Hammond B-3 organ (beamed in from Boston), the video is an all-West Virginia production, shot mostly on the soccer fields of Barboursville WV, by chief videographer, Bobby Lee Messer.
Ckick to view video | A WestVirginiaVille.com multimedia production
For more on the historic footage in the video and an interview with Ron Sowell about the song’s birth, see this link. The video shows footage of the first and last times Lewis crossed the Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. As I write about those twin, powerful scenes:
“I like to think the young John Lewis, facing onrushing troopers sent to halt the civil rights movement in its tracks, had his eyes focused beyond those state-sanctioned thugs. He looks to be gazing beyond them, to that “more perfect union” which Lincoln conjured in his inaugural address in 1861… Lewis undertook the long march for racial equity, risking his life and well-being—as present-day protesters and supporters of racial justice do—to confront America.
“Or maybe to phrase it better, to awaken white America from its determined slumber. And to disrupt and expose the lies which, as James Baldwin once noted, “gave birth to more lies,” sustaining the belief that if you are white “you mattered more than others…” That protest on the Pettus Bridge in 1965 was a call by Lewis and everyone paying attention to wake up. And to live up to what Lincoln, in that inaugural address so long ago, described as the still unrealized dream of a nation animated by “the better angels of our nature.” | READ ON
In my interview with Ron, I asked how he keeps his spirits up and in these distraught political times:
“I believe that the only things that we can control are our own thoughts. Everything that has ever been created began with a thought. Our society is an amalgamation and creation of our collective thoughts. Therefore, my personal responsibility is to contribute a positive compassionate vision of America. So, I center my thoughts on being gratetul for all that I have and for all that I envision to be. I refuse to spiral down the rabbit hole of despair.”
2.
VILLAGE SNAPSHOTS: Into the Marsh
Hoeft Marsh along the Ohio River in Cabell County WV | Summer 2020 | WestVirginiaVille.com colorized photo
… Why this profundity? The wild creative
expression written on the leaf. The million insect shapes,
their vibrant colors (were there an Artisanal Creator, he/she/it
loved tinkering with insects most.) And, if it’s true what
those bad-boy Buddhists say, and we are mother, father,
sister, brother, related all to all—have been the frog and
red-tailed hawk, have been the mother of the squirrel
speared by the hawk, have been the bee and been the
queen. Have through wild profusion and fathomless
time, circled round and round the wheels
of life. So, we have been all life, until we get it right
and escape the wheel. Maybe that’s one way
to comprehend and befriend the ten thousand things.
The hundreds of voices, cries, and songs rising from
this manifold marsh …
For a longer visit, take A Stroll Deep into a West Virginia Marsh
3.
GLICKSTER’S PIX: How to Create Your Own West Virginia Woodland Paradise
Probably the easiest plants to grow in a woodland shade garden are ferns. Here is Barry Glicks’ own showcase of various ferns.
But why not make your own green sanctuary? Barry Glick is back with a practical “Glickster’s Pix” column of sept.26.2020, on how to create your own woodland paradise. Glick, whose Greenbrier County WV nursery attracts visitors and customers worldwide, has inspiring words to share, if your thumb is not quite the greenest color you wish:
Even if you’re a “Townie” on a small city lot and don’t have acres to play with, you can still create an “island” of forest to enjoy. All you need is a little shade or dappled sunlight.
Probably the easiest plants to grow in a woodland shade garden are ferns. In this part of West Virginia, we have many, many species of native ferns. Chances are if you’re a city dweller, you’ve plenty of friends that are more rural than you are. They most likely have acres of ferns in the woods on their farms and surely they’d be happy to share some with you.
Ferns transplant super easily and are perfect for the backbone of your new woodland garden. There are also a plethora of mail-order nurseries that have an incredible palette of ferns to choose from, native and non-native
4.
Also …
8 DAYS AFTER 9-11: At a Buddhist Retreat in the West Virginia Hills: "What should we do? We should send some kind of force and capture these people. And put them in jail for life — never release them! That is a very compassionate act! Compassionate toward all other beings and for themselves.” The monk pauses.“That is not an unkind thing to do."
WV governor ‘tweaked’ a Harvard COVID map. Their experts say the state’s changes are flawed: The adminstration of WV Gov. Jim Justice has relied on outdated COVID-19 data for determining each county’s risk level and altered the methodology for determining the total number of cases. A Mountain State Spotlight reprinted investigation.
VIDEO/POEM: A Brief Visit to “Magic Mountain” in West Virginia: What happened one night on Folklife Mountain in the West Virginia heartland. Some called it the Magic Mountain. A very brief video/poem.
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Be well, stay safe, wear a mask in public like a superhero or superheroine. Reach us and suggest stuff at: heythere@westvirginiaville.com. Subscribe for free: westvirginiaville.substack.com. | Douglas John Imbrogno, editor & co-founder, WestVirginiaVille.com