The dreamer in me makes me see this world as a wonderful place. Then this old world slaps me around and knocks me down leaving me battered and bruised. Still, I intend to make the Dreamer win--even if it kills me...
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| Arlee Bird with daughter Ada @ 1984 |
Life seems much like a parade to me. Sometimes I might be just watching it go by while at other times I'm marching in step to the flow of it all. All might be crazy wonderful in one moment, then comes just the moving forward, ever forward. No matter what, we're all a part of that parade whether it be marching, watching, or just knowing that it keeps on going.
Sometime around Thanksgiving of 1964, my family's juggling act participated in the Chicago Christmas Parade. We were living in northeastern Indiana at the time--about 40 miles from The Loop as downtown Chicago is called. The parade was there.
We had to leave the house at some wee hour of the morning. We got dressed in our show apparel before leaving and put heavy coats over that because it was very cold. Chicagoland tends to get extremely bitter harsh cold in late November. Now here we were driving in the middle of the night dressed in silly costumes. My father said we had to do it. And my sister and I would each get $25 which was not bad for a thirteen year old like I was at the time.
My father drove to a designated area where we could park and assemble with the parade which was organizing in a staging area. We shucked our coats into the car. Now my father and I were only wearing tuxedos with those thin pants that didn't offer much protection from the cold, but I guess it was better than my mother and sister who were wearing short costumes with black fishnets.
I can't say how long that parade was but it was a long way to walk in the freezing cold while juggling. Exerting the activity of both of those actions did warm us all up considerably. At first the wooden handles of the clubs we were juggling slapping against our cold hands stung as though we'd been slapped in our open hands with a cane. It hurt. The cold hurt. I was numb from being cold, tired, and generally overwhelmed by everything all around me. And walking and juggling and walking and juggling.
At the end of the parade route, we simply stopped juggling and got in a taxicab that took us back to the car. I'm sure my father had that heat blasting in no time. I had survived and now I would have twenty-five bucks. My legs burned like they were on fire. The numbness was gradually going away, but at the time it seemed like it lasted forever.
I only marched in one other parade juggling along with my family. We got paid for that one too. It was a 4th of July parade in Johnson City, Tennessee. Damn! It was hot! I'm not sure what's worse: Juggling in a Christmas parade in Chicago or a July parade in Tennessee. Neither I'd say. They're both just fine because here I am still marching along. Those parades were just parts of a much bigger parade. I hope it still has a way to go, but when it does end I hope there's a warm taxi waiting for me.
Battle of the Bands Results
Where Is Your Heart?
In my recent Battle between versions of "The Song from Moulin Rouge" known later as "Where Is Your Heart?", vocalist Joni James dominated the voting. My vote goes to her version as well. While the jazzed up Jonah Jones version is slick and catchy (it's been playing in my head a lot over the past couple of weeks), Joni's version is a lush melancholy arrangement such as the ones I've been used to hearing since childhood. As many of you noted, the slower version is more fitting to the song's lyrics and intent.
Without the lyrics and played at a faster tempo, Jonah Jones presents a fun performance that as both Stephen T. McCarthy and I noted as being similar to the style of the Ray Coniff Singers who were popular during the 1960s. Or as Michael Todd pointed out in his humorous observation, "while I was listening to the Jonah Jones Quartet rendition, I was expecting to hear "Manamana" as sung by the Muppets". Yeah, I can hear it.
The Jonah Jones rendition has a lot of entertainment value and it's good music as well. I liked it a lot. But the version sung by Joni James has a lot of heart (that's appropriate) and evokes the emotion that the song intends. Both versions are winners, but in this contest Joni James takes the trophy.
Final Vote Tally
Jonah Jones 7 votes
Joni James 12 votes
Next Battle on Friday December 15th
There might be a post or two between now and then. I live by whim these days. That is unless I absolutely have to do something. My next Battle will be one inspired by Stephen T McCarthy's recent Los Angeles showdown. What you can expect to see on Tossing It Out next time are two different songs that are not exactly about Los Angeles, but both are filmed in Los Angeles from very different perspectives. It's gonna be weird.
Do you enjoy weird? Do you like parades? What are some parades you have been in (don't forget your school days!)?
