Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream

  Thank you.

I'm an English teacher, which means most of my life outside the classroom is spent reading and marking papers, but last night my dear husband led me to our car and said, "We are going to live our lives tonight."  And that meant going to a Tom Paxton concert.  Now, please understand, I love 'em all, from Leonard Cohen to Shane McGowan to kd lang to Drive-By Truckers to ... yeah, all that.  Tom Paxton.  Well, that sounds nice, honey.  Sure, I'll go. Sweet Tom, as in "where have all the flowers gone?" and "you know that was the last thing on my mind."  I sat there in that tiny theater, burned out, tired of high school freshmen and grieving over what my beloved country is becoming and the conversation with my born-again sister-in-law, and ... and Tom Paxton and Anne Hill came on stage.  As I sit here writing this, I am in tears again, just as I was last night.  To be surrounded again by people who love peace and justice and this beautiful, beautiful nation, to hear Tom sing all that, to have him remind us of all that, was dearer and more healing than I can express here.  Thank you, Tom Paxton.  Thank you, Kos people.  Thank you, husband and son and girlfriend (who were there too).  That's all. I've never diaried before - probably never will again.    
I don't ask for any recommends on this - just listen to Tom P. again, and all those sweet people of that sweet time.  

•  Novice Erratum

  Sorry 'bout the 'thank you' at the top - because this is the first time I've done this, something happened.

  by kmbaya on Fri May 13, 2005 at 07:21:29 PM PDT

•  Thank you

  that's all - just thanks.

  by wabegg on Fri May 13, 2005 at 07:36:45 PM PDT

  •  Thank you. . .

    Having even one response is a great thing to me.

    by kmbaya on Fri May 13, 2005 at 07:41:27 PM PDT

    •  then you should know

      ..that I had walked away from my desk for a while and crawled into bed to read The Handmaid's Tale, while listening to CNN spend unimaginable amounts of time pounding on infidelity, marriage, women in the workplace, etc, etc....but was still holding it together, somewhat. At the absolutely brain-stretching limit of totally surreal, I came back to my desk, read your diary and broke down, but in a good way. "To be surrounded again by people who love peace and justice" was what did it for me. Know that you saved me for a very dark and ugly space I was determined to walk into today. And I'm guessing I'm not the only one who took a little something from your diary, even if there's no comment to leave a trace...

      by wabegg on Fri May 13, 2005 at 08:01:13 PM PDT

      •  I could not . .

        . . .ask for any more.  Blessings on you and those you love.

        by kmbaya on Fri May 13, 2005 at 08:08:07 PM PDT

•  asdf

  yowza - maybe just a little heavy (even thick) on the thx.  I'll stop now.

  by kmbaya on Fri May 13, 2005 at 07:43:11 PM PDT

•  I'll have to dig out my Paxton CD

  I haven't seen many concerts in the last two and a half years, since the birth of my son. It can be a powerful experience.

  by desmoinesdem on Fri May 13, 2005 at 09:06:43 PM PDT

  •  hey, desmoinesdem

    cedarrapidsdem here

    by kmbaya on Fri May 13, 2005 at 09:17:15 PM PDT

•  I dreamt it, too

  Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream
  words and music by Ed McCurdy

  Last night I had the strangest dream
  I'd ever dreamed before
  I dreamed the world had all agreed
  To put an end to war

  I dreamed I saw a mighty room
  Filled with women and men
  And the paper they were signing said
  They'd never fight again

  And when the paper was all signed
  And a million copies made
  They all joined hands and bowed their heads
  And grateful pray'rs were prayed

  And the people in the streets below
  Were dancing 'round and 'round
  While swords and guns and uniforms
  Were scattered on the ground

  Last night I had the strangest dream
  I'd never dreamed before
  I dreamed the world had all agreed
  To put an end to war.

  TRO-©1950,1951 & 1955 Almanac Music, Inc.
  New York, N.Y. Copyrights renewed
  Used by permission

  by Apian on Fri May 13, 2005 at 09:41:55 PM PDT

  •  I was struggling to remember all the words.

    Thanks for helping me out.

    And kmbaya, thanks for reminding me of that wonderful song and sharing your concert experience.

    Let's all dream that dream tonight.

    by coloradobl on Fri May 13, 2005 at 09:48:04 PM PDT

    •  I was singing it to my six-year old

      in the car the other day. He was full of questions: "Dad, why did they sign the paper?" "Dad, why did they scatter guns and drums and uniforms?"

      Oh, that it could be so.

      by litho on Sat May 14, 2005 at 04:24:27 AM PDT

•  One teacher to another

  and one Tom Paxton fan to another...

  I've never seen him live, but grew up listening to the Tom Paxton in Concert double album. There was a time I had all the songs memorized, Clarissa Jones, I Give You the Morning, Leaving London, Jimmy Newman.

  Man, just writing the song titles brings back powerful memories. Wonder if that album is available on iTunes?

  by litho on Sat May 14, 2005 at 04:27:06 AM PDT