No New York, but I have a new song!

Perhaps it wasn't meant to be, but my Mother's health has put the kibosh on our trip to New York. We might revisit the plans again in September, when it was originally planned, assuming she's okay enough to travel. She doesn't feel bad - except she's a bit pissed off that she had to cancel. She apparently asked the doctor if he realized just how important this trip was? Her health is much more important.

As I was growing up and learning the guitar, I started playing Crosby, Stills, Nash (and Young) tunes - after all, it was the 70's and I was rock and roll. But they had a few country-laced hits - and the one she liked was "Teach Your Children", Graham Nash's tune. I, of course, learned to play it and from that point, my Mom always asked me to play it for her. I guess it reminded her of why she had kids.

My idea was (and it still might work), is that I wanted to write a song and have my Mom and me sing it together at a recording studio during our little trip together. I will record this and leave space for her harmonies. I hope she'd be up for this - I haven't told anyone about this plan. She sang in her youth and apparently sang with Peggy Lee in NYC in her early twenties, (that woulda been in the 40's).

Here are the lyrics:

She Taught Her Children Well
© 2009 Phil Bearce

She was always there when we needed her most
The five of us are all now grown
Despite sibling jealousy we’re all real close
Prepared us for the unknown

Raised five on her own without much support
Taught us how to run in the races
She kept us safe and showered her love
The provision of her graces

We all stay on the path - no extremes
We never really raised any hell
Learned by example and fed off her dreams
And she taught her children well, lord
She taught her children well

She danced with a sailor one night on the base
He tended the bar there some nights
They dated and wed and crafted a family
And we all out fought the good fight

Time marches forward and comes to pass
Don’t you ever ask them why?
We make a world that they can live in
And watch our children grow by

We all stay on the path - no extremes
We never really raised any hell
Learned by example and fed off her dreams
And she taught her children well, lord
She taught her children well

Lead Verse - Chorus

My Upcoming Trip to New York

In exactly 57 days, I will fly to Salt Lake City to join my mom for a week in New York. The itineraries are finalized and it's a done deal. I have been waiting for this trip for quite a while. A number of years ago, my mother decided that she'd like to travel with each of her children on separate trips before she can't travel anymore. In a wisdom only my mom understands, she chose to start with my baby sister, Janine, now in her late forties. They had an adventure in Costa Rica and then cruised around the Caribbean. Next it was Paul's turn. He and mom took an Alaskan cruise up the inland passage. I saw pictures of my mom standing on a glacier and in the helicopter that took them up there. Then Julie and mom went on yet another cruise. Dave had always wanted to go to Hawaii to surf. So that's where they went.

So finally it's my turn. I just couldn't subject my 83 year old mom to another cruise, so I suggested a trip to Memphis and Nashville, where I could pay my respects to legendary songwriters. But my mom countered with New York City with a side trip upstate where we can visit with her family still living there. It's a still pretty big crew, she was one of nine children. This will probably be the last time I'll see most of those folks. I haven't been there since 1966!

So here's how the trip looks:

6-19 - I fly to SLC
6-20 - Me and Mom fly to Albany. Visit the old folks in Gloversville for a few days.
6-23 - Mom and me take 4 hour train ride from Amsterdam to New York City
Empire Hotel (near Central Park and the Lincoln Center)
(I'm supposed to find a Broadway Show to see - assuming we can get tickets)
6-27 - LaGuardia back to SLC then back home.

That's it - I'm really looking forward to it. The time has been noted and approved on work calendars and I'm ready to travel one on one with my Mom.

Disjointed Day

But nice. I got to sleep in a little this morning, something I almost never do. I thought it best to have the doctor see me and make sure that I'm okay after being brutally rear-ended on Monday. I am okay. Got to work around 12:30 and grabbed some lunch. Did my due diligence and now I get to leave in a half hour or so to go rehearse with the boys. (We have a one hour little show at the Nomad Cafe in Oakland on Saturday).

I had a nice and rather untypically long conversation with my Mom last night on the way home from work. She suggested a time for us to have our little trip together. She has planned and paid for one on one travel adventures for her each of her children - STARTING WITH THE YOUNGEST! Amazingly, I'm next. Mom and Janine went on a Carribbean Cruise, She took Paul on an Alaskan Cruise, Julie and her went to the Carribbean, and she and Dave went to Hawaii. When she finally asked me where I want to go, I mentioned Nashville (for obvious musical reasons). But she countered with New York City! Hmmmm, interesting. While I've never been to either place, New York is indeed intriguing. One goal I have for this trip is to write a song that we can sing together and book some time in a recording studio. She recorded as a young woman and had quite the singing voice back int he day. Now in her eighties, I'd like to share that with her - she is, after all the reason I do music. So it looks like we'll schedule our trip sometime in September. I'll keep you posted.