JAMES BROWN--LIVING IN AMERICA (ROCKY IV): EAST MEETS WEST, AGE VERSE YOUTH, APPOLO CREED (USA) V. IVAN DRAGO (RUSSIA); CELEBRATE MEMORIAL DAY, THIS SONG WILL ROCK YOU, MAKE YOU PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN AND LOVE THIS COUNTRY, EVEN WITH ITS STRUGGLES--UKRAINE VOTES, MAY 26, 2014, CELEBRATE PRESIDENT PUTIN, STANDING BACK AND RESPECTING ELECTIONS--THE WORLD IS GETTING THERE, WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT IF THIS WAS THE LAST MEMORIAL DAY, WE HAD TROOPS FIGHTING AROUND THE WORLD? SO NICE . . . I FEEL GOOD! SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU SMILE!

What's More American Than Rocky Movies & Rockin' Roll?

What a great surprise, yesterday, when this song, Living in America, came on, while I was just finishing my blog and checking into the song that was rockin my ears, that had been tuned out, until I was done with the blog . . . I listened to it about 10 times, rocking out in my chair with my ear buds, and watching the visual delight, of Ivan Drago, the Russian boxer, as he was shocked at the Las Vegas show, that was accompanying his fight with Apollo Creed, dressed from head to foot, in red, white and blue, who was dancing around with the showgirls, and singer, James Brown, on a stage with fireworks, American Flags, and all things American, while the song lists large cities in the country, LA, Dallas, New York, Kansas City, Atlanta, etc.  My heart burst with pride, with a huge smile on my face, I thought, with all the struggles, this country has gone through, and still will, in my humble opinion, IT IS THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH!

Every Memorial Day, my family, both when I was young, and now, attended some type of service with speakers, who honored our dead, those who fought for freedom around the world, gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives, for us, for liberty, the American way of life and values, so I could be sitting here right now, writing this blog . . . and with pride, can say, what my father said 50 years ago, while the Blue Angels or jets, often accompanied the celebration . . . THIS IS THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON THE EARTH, AND HOPEFULLY WILL, shining as a standard of rights, freedom, liberty, and individual dignity, and respect for the individual, protection for minorities, and seeing all men as created equal, with that lofty goal of the Preamble of the United States Constitution, ever before us, pointing to the vision of what the founding fathers saw, when they set out on this idealistic venture and experiment called, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About--Jimmy Buffet

This quote is on the back side of a restaurant or bar and grill, down an alley, behind the Iron Horse Grill, in Missoula, Montana . . . this statement totally applies to me, from the first time I saw James Brown in concert at the Cow Palace, at the Utah State Fair Grounds, in the early 70's, if memory serves . . . my boyfriend, who got called to his Mormon mission to Holland, was suppose to take me to this concert, but missed it by a couple of days, having to go in the MTC, or the Missionary Training Center, in Salt Lake City, Utah.  So he gave me the tickets, and I took a friend of mine, equally as naive, sheltered, and shocked by the concert.

This was at the height of the hippie era, and these two little, Bountiful, Utah, very straight Mormon girls, crashed into that world, we had only heard or read about, up to that point, now sitting right in the middle of people much older than us, who were freely passing marijuana roaches, up and down the isle, drinking beer, and other drinks forbidden by the Mormon Church, along with clothing, that was tie dyed, matching the free loving atmosphere.  In no time at all, the dusty arena, used for cow auctions, or exhibits at the fair, was so smoke filled, we couldn't even see the stage and singers.

I was 100% sure, lightening from God was going to strike this concert at any time . . . this was hell and I was going with these guys, guilt by association, even though I was wearing white Levis and a modest red shirt . . . this was it, what a place to get caught in . . . stand ye in holy places, and this sure as hell was not it!  Perhaps the fact that my boyfriend was going to serve a mission, might serve as mitigating circumstances, since he is the one who gave me the tickets, and I had not idea this stuff existed, except in the movies, which I usually walked out of, embarrassed and totally shocked.

I Survived James Brown, Pot, Free Love, Lightening & the 70's

My, my, how things have changed since then; however, we have seen what was once totally legal, back in the 70's, going full circle, to legalization of recreational marijuana, not only surviving the drug interdiction programs of the 90's, but coming back with a bang in Washington and Colorado, with other states, waiting with bated breath, to see what happens, what the feds to, and if the rest of the states, dare follow.  It is amazing to see, that trends and customs, seem to make a comeback, about every 30 years or so . . . I totally relate to my children, who are not necessarily, flower power freaks, but have very similar beliefs, much more than I had with my parents, or do to this day, there didn't seem to be much of a generation gap . . . I think the 70's show, may have had something to do with that . . . my kids look at pictures of us, their parents, and dig the clothes, the hair styles, and think we were beautiful!

I actually, would say, that I may be much more liberal than my children . . . Elliot Secrist, bass guitarist for God's Revolver & Maraloka, told me several years ago, while I was practicing, and doing a lot of criminal defense work, that I really should stop hanging out with people who had been to jail!  I said, honey, I am a criminal defense attorney.  None of my children have been to jail, but their mother has.  LOL!  I feel that I have raised very responsible children, who now, seem more mature, and level headed than their mother.  My son without a name, worried about his reputation, guilt by association, when I asked, thinking he would totally be on my side, the fun mother, if he would want me to be like his Aunt Sue and Uncle Kevin, boring Mormon parents, who are going on a Mormon mission to Turkey?  Yes . . . are you kidding?  He wasn't . . . some day he will see it.

I have become the person, my parents warned me about, too free, happy, carefree, not tied down, and digging the hell out of life . . . my parents lived for their retirement and death.  I have not burial plot, I don't intend to be buried, I have adopted the old Native American Indian ways, when I become a burden, I will walk out into the sun or the snow, and become a meal for the coyotes, not contained in a coffin, giving me claustrophobia, kind of like all the restrictions my upbringing taught me.  There is not such thing as being too happy!  I am glad that there are people like Sue and Kevin, the salt of the earth, that perpetuate the myths, and keep this country grounded, I just fucking couldn't do it . . . that James Brown concert had more of an impact on me than I thought . . . lightening, to my surprise didn't hit, and I am still here!