Remembering Lennon

The thing I remember most as a kid about John Lennon’s assassination in front of the
Dakota Building 1980 was the Time Magazine headline
that took a phrase from Don McLean’s American Pie: The Day the Music Died. Even back then, when I was very
young, Lennon’s death rocked my world. Why would anyone THINK of killing such a great guy, such a talented musician and
devoted proponent of peace? I still won’t say the name of his murderer. I refer to him mostly as “jerk” or other less
palatable names.

I’m hardly alone in my adoration of Lennon, as yesterday’s outpouring of remembrances of him show. Around the globe,
from

Sydney
to Turkey to, of course,

Central Park
in new York, well-wishers
came out in droves. I was also
interested, but not surprised, to see that
Yoko showed up at the Central Park
vigil. All the news and stories left me feeling really sad about his passing…I wondered to myself, as I have so many
other times, what he’d be doing today if he were still around. I’m sure he’d be making music, but he’d also be a
spokesman against things wrong with the world…perhaps joining Bono

 in the fight to help Africa. I miss him.