I love life entertainment and lately I have been privileged to see two “icons”: Joan Baez and Frankie Valli. Of course, when I tell others that I am going to a concert, I often get the response, “Are they still alive?” Frankly, I never know what to expect when seeing someone who has been performing for 50 years and still going out there. It’s no secret that I went to Frank Sinatra concerts all the way up to the end.
So, last night I was in Manhattan to see a small 82-year-old man come on the stage and bring the house down. Yes, Frankie Valli is much better than “Jersey Boys”, the musical that has all his music in it. I felt like I was at a sing-in, with everyone singing along as Frankie led us. The banter in between songs, his humor, and, of course, his one and only falsetto voice made it all a unique experience.
It’s always good to see an octogenarian with spunk, spirit, and energy, still doing his or her thing. Joan Baez (who is not quite 80 yet!) sang this song by Tom Waits that I found rather inspiring: “Last Leaf on the Tree”. Allow me to share it with you:
I’m the last leaf on the tree
The autumn took the rest
But they won’t take me
I’m the last leaf on the tree
When the autumn wind blows
They’re already gone
They flutter to the ground
Cause they can’t hang on
There’s nothing in the world
That I ain’t seen
I greet all the new ones that are coming in green
I’m the last leaf on the tree
The autumn took the rest but they wont take me
I’m the last leaf on the tree
They say I got staying power
Here on the tree
But I’ve been here since Eisenhower
And I’ve out lived even he
I fight off the snow
I fight off the hail
Nothing makes me go
I’m like some vestigial tail
I’ll be here through eternity
If you want to know how long
If they cut down this tree
I’ll show up in a song
None of us has a map into the future and a recipe for survival. I do know that it will take wisdom, tenacity, and especially faith that will allow us to continue to make inroads into this world for compassion, healing, and good. It all begins with an attitude adjustment on Sunday morning.
MEH