Five Songs for 2020

 

It is six days before Christmas.  I don't know about you, but our Christmas will be modest and a little weird.  We will be having a very small gathering of folks that are "in our bubble" - a handful of family members.  Many family members and friends will be absent as we follow the recommended novel coronavirus protocols.  I am not complaining - we are very lucky because we have been healthy through the Covid-19 crisis (for the most part).  I know a couple of folks that died of Covid and it is a horrible, lonely way to die.

Whenever I feel messed up, I turn to music for solace.  The spirit that allows us to create music is the spirit that I view as my Higher Power.  It is an incredible, mysterious expression of humanity that allows us to connect and love each other.  I have made a short list of five songs that helped me through the year, and I hope that they might help you, too.

• Hold on by Tom Waits:  This is a brooding, heartfelt song filled with real poetry, delivered in Waits' raspy, whiskey soaked baritone. "Oh you build it up, you wreck it down; then you burn you mansion to the ground." That's killer.  And, man, we all need to hold on right now as this Covid crisis pounds against us.
• You Haven't Done Nothing by Stevie Wonder:  One of Stevie's angriest songs, as relevant now as it was in 1974 when he released "Fulfillingness First Finale."  And you can still dance to it
• You Were Cool by the Mountain Goats (John Darnielle):  John Darnielle has a way with stories.  I think everyone knows someone that might have been the subject of this song.  I can think of several people that lived these lyrics. Bittersweet stuff, and since we have time to think during this pandemic, this song helps me to remember people I have forgotten  for a while.
• America The Beautiful by Ray Charles: Brother Ray turns this old song into a real hymn to our nation.  He performed this at the 2001 World Series, right after 9/11.  Lest we forget, this is still a great country, in spite of the mess we are in right now.
• I Wish That I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free:  The great jazz pianist and educator, Billy Taylor, wrote this song, but Nina Simone owns it.  This is another song that remains as relevant today as it was in the 1960's. Nina was a ferocious performer, channeling her bipolar illness into the highest art imaginable.  Watch this video to the end to see her drop the mic like a boss!

I hope these songs lift your spirits a little bit during this strange holiday season. Music is a healer, and we can all use some healing right now.

Occupations

I stopped working for compensation earlier this year.  Since the road behind me is longer than the road in front of me, I find myself looking backwards now.  I made a list of all of my occupations - including the shitty kid jobs and unpaid work - that took up my time (and still take up time) during my life.  FWIW, here it is.

• Vendor at Oakland A's and Oakland Raiders games, Oakland Coliseum
• Fast Food Worker, Jack-In-The-Box, San Leandro CA
• Fast Food Worker, Red Barn Restaurant, San Leandro CA
• Golf course & park maintenance worker, City of San Leandro CA
• Manager, Sinbad's Hot Dogs, San Leandro CA
• Trombonist, Youth of America orchestra, San Leandro CA
• Produce delivery worker, Bill's Juice Stands, Berkeley CA
• Maintenance worker, Associated Students of University of California
• Manager, U.C. Berkeley Student Union Building
• Trombonist, Mystic Knights funk band, San Francisco CA
• Trombonist, pit orchestra for the musical Applause, San Francisco CA
• Trombonist in the band for Europarama, a traveling circus
• Trombone teacher for Berkeley CA public school students
• Summer Intern for the U.S. General Accounting Office, Chicago IL
• Admission Assistant, Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management
• Trainee, Bank of America, Chicago IL
• Corporate Finance Officer, Bank of America, Chicago IL
• Assistant Vice President, Bank of America, Chicago IL
• District Manager, GATX Leasing, Chicago IL
• Assistant General Manager, Lease Underwriting, GATX Leasing - Singapore
• Vice President & General Manager, GATX Leasing - Singapore
• Vice President & Regional General Manager - GATX Leasing Asia Pacific
• Senior Vice President & Manager, Lease Syndication, Heller Financial, Chicago IL
• Senior Vice President & Manager, Project Investment & Advisory Division, Heller Financial, Chicago IL
• Senior Vice President - New Initiatives, Heller Financial, Chicago IL
• Executive Vice President - Corporate Development & Investments, Heller Financial, Chiacgo IL
• Board Member, East Village Youth Program, Chicago IL
• Executive Vice President & Group President, Healthcare Finance Group, Heller Financial, Chicago IL
• President & CEO, Health Charge Corporation, Skokie IL
• Executive Vice President, Corporate Development & Marketing, Transamerica Finance Corporation, Rosemont IL
• Managing Director, Colonnade Advisors, Chicago IL
• Band Leader, Mr. G & the Mystery Band, Evanston IL
• Chief Executive Officer, Colonnade Securities, Chicago IL 
• Facilitator, Family Support Group, National Alliance on Mental Illness - Skokie IL
• Board Member, Recovering Communities of Step Ahead (sober living non-profit), Chicago IL
• Board Member, National Alliance on Mental Illness - Cook Counth North Suburban affiliate, Skokie IL
• Group Representative, Greenwood Maple Al-Anon Family Group, Evanston IL
• Crisis Counselor, Crisis Text Line

Much of my life has been spent pursuing money. I am out of the financial services industry now and I don't miss it at all, not even a little bit.  The Covid-19 quarantine environment has given me lots of time to ponder my past; I have decided that I am grateful to have had that career, and I am grateful that it is over.  I have lots of service work to do.  I owe it to my fellow humans; I owe it to myself. Also, music performance beckons once the pandemic passes.....