Imagine 2023

In this episode - Imagine 2023 . . .

Imagine it - 2023! If you’re like me from the Baby Boomer generation, it does not seem possible, yet here we are. On New Year’s Eve, I’ll admit I still celebrate at Midnight relative to Eastern Standard Time (EST).

With the advent of streaming content and YouTube TV, you can watch CNN and the celebration in New York with correspondent Anderson Cooper. This year its first since the COVID pandemic, the celebration hosted millions in Time Square. Just before The Ball dropped, Chelsea Cutler sang her rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine; this got me thinking.

Looking back on 2022, it all seems like a blur. We recovered from the worst pandemic, watched war rage in Ukraine on the news, attended a major league baseball game, went to see Cat’s on Broadway in San Diego, made our vacation trip to Yosemite National Park, celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas, and so much more. I’m so thankful this podcast has given me the discipline to document my life experiences and learning opportunities through a written ledger and audio documentary.

As I took down all the Christmas lights from the house, I listened again for the first time to the album Lennon Legend - The Very Best of John Lennon. I say for the first time because it’s as if the words in his music truly hit home that day. It moved me emotionally.

First, it was Imagine –

“Imagine there's no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace . . .”

So moved, I learned to play this song on the guitar. Then out of the blue had a revelation, Why not learn to play the piano in addition to the guitar? So, I did; well, let’s say I started.

Don’t you get tired of people asking, “What is your New Year’s Resolution for 2023?” Mine is to refine my music skills, explore the theory, transpose guitar to piano, and expand the sounds I can produce on my podcast. Then as I continued to listen, the words;

“Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Strange days indeed
Strange days indeed.”

I realized, "Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Maybe we are just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round?

But one thing you can be assured of is;

“Our life together is so precious together
We have grown; we have grown
Although our love is still special
Let’s take a chance and fly away
Somewhere alone
It’s been too long since we took the time
No one’s to blame; I know time flies so quickly
But when I see you, darling
It’s like we both are falling in love again
It’ll be just like starting over
Starting over.”

My listening friends, 2023 is about starting over. Your life is what you make it. So, get on with it. Take each day as it comes, but don’t be afraid to try something new - live a little!

I’m Patrick Ball; thanks for listening; see you in the next episode.

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