I'm Gonna Ramble On...
Seems the majority of e-mail I've been receiving lately wants to know where I'm from. Or as one
writer asked - 'What the hell planet did you just fall off of?'.
Guess I feel like Alan Jackson right now because 'where I come from' the nearest neighbor is
about a mile in any direction. Before you get the notion that we're detached from civilization,
I have to let you know that it's only a ten minute drive to Northern New York's biggest tourist
trap, Pay Bay. And the Bay is just down the road from the bridge to Wealthy Island and Canada,
which is situated in the heart of the 1000 Islands.
Don't get me wrong...It's a great place to live. That is if you can put up with the molly coddling
that's done to appease the tourists during the summer. The locals are totally ignored but are
expected to help the businesses out in the off season so they can survive. It's just like any other
tourist trap in the country.
But I digress...Let's ramble on to another topic...
I took my daughters over to Wealthy Island to show them the architectural designs and beauty of
some of the spectacular old houses in The Park. Did they enjoy it? They got a kick out of it. The
splendor and history of the area knocked their socks off. So then we headed over to the other side
where the golf course and marina are situated to check out the houses. It was a lost cause. Nothing
but cookie cutter houses everywhere you went.
My youngest daughter asked me, 'How come they can't have houses that are nice like those in The
Park?'.
I guess individuality is a thing of the past. These people would rather follow the crowd than
be new and original. What a shame.
Hey...You know what? It's like today's music where you can't distinguish one boy band from another
without a score card. Or these so called up and coming divas - like Miss B.S. or Christina 'How do
you say that in Spanish?' Aguilera.
Thank God for Avril Lavigne and Michelle Branch who aren't afraid to step out from the crowd and
express their individuality.
Look back in history. Where would the music be if Elvis had given up after his flop at he Grand
Ole Opry? What if Jimi had listened to the booes when he opened for The Monkees? Where would Lennon
and McCartney be if they had copied their idols instead of creating their own sound? Do you want me
to go on? There's Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Alice Cooper...Where would we be if they
all had followed the crowd?
Probably still listening to Pat Boone and other white singers ripping off black artists who didn't
get the radio play they deserved. That's where.
So your children are expressing themselves by listening to music you can't understand or stomach
because it's a little different? Didn't you hear the same thing from your parents when you were
growing up? Sure you did. Phrases like 'What the hell are you listening to' and 'Turn that crap
down/off' permeated my house through out my teen years. I look at it this way...My daughters will
probably be complaining about their children's music in another 25 to 30 years from now. And that's
great.
Because individuality needs to survive the passing of time.
- Richard Blaine
* Richard Blaine's views and opinions do not necessarily
reflect the views and opinions of the staff at Twin-Music.