Beatle-mania (Looking back, envisioning the future)

Yesterday marked the 50^th anniversary of the Beatle’s appearing on the Ed Sullivan show. If you are under 50 you may have not even heard of Ed Sullivan or his show, but you have heard of the Beatles. The British Invasion it was called; a new sound of music performed by a new group of kids. I was introduced to them by way of my elder brother; I am eight years younger than he.  I was seven; he was fifteen when he took over our black and white TV set in the living room that Sunday evening. “The Beatles are going to be on the Ed Sullivan show tonight” he said. Like that would have meant something to a seven year old boy. Mom and dad, my aunt and uncle, and my first cousin that lived next door to us; all gathered in our living room to see this show. I cannot remember the first thing about it; I must have been doing something else. What I do remember though is Christmas that year. My brother got a Sears and Roebuck Stereo Record Player with some Beatle records; I got a Big Bruiser wreck truck. For you underprivileged youngsters that never had a record player, it was a machine that played plastic discs with music on them; looked like a giant C.D. except they were black. There were several girls that lived around us in the neighborhood and would gather at our house to catch the school bus in the mornings. On Saturday evenings they would come over, as my mom was the Mrs. Wiley of Ivanhoe; she is the lady on Andy Griffith that had the single parties. We had a big room in the center of our house we called “The hall.” They would dance in there; my brother, his friends, and the girls. I liked that part! The girls always made over his little brother! That Christmas, after dinner, they came over that evening and danced to the Beatles. That is when I was introduced to their music; and really liked them. As we progressed through the sixties, my brother would leave home after receiving his draft notice and then joining the Air Force. I played his records when he was gone. His friends left out, and the girls all seemed to find guys and get married. By 1969 I had decided to be a Beatle. By 1975 my hair was longer than theirs. I was a “postmodern” hippie. I had to take baths and keep my hair clean dad said.  Man, those were the days it seemed. Today I sit and remember those times; the good times, when I was young, carefree, and was living it up. Then something happened; I grew up.  

Today I find myself thinking more about the future than I do the past. Those chapters in my life are gone; never to be recovered. The chapters that lie ahead get my attention now.

 Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, Chapter 11; “Rejoice young man, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sights of your eyes; but know that for all of these things God will bring you to judgment. Remove sorrow from your heart, and put away pain from your flesh, because youth and the prime of life are fleeting.” When I was young I didn’t even know who Solomon was, much less what he may have written; and I did not care anyway. Now that I have gotten older I can see where he was coming from. I can now understand what he means by “Remove sorrow from your heart and put away pain from your flesh.” As we age we kind of wish we were still young; we sorrow that we are not living that carefree life. We may even regret some choices we made, or did not make in our youth. As I look back there were things I wished I would have done, or not have done, but these words of Scripture tell me not to dwell on them.

I do not know if there will ever be another group of kids that will ever impact our nation like the Beatles did. 1964 was a turning point in America. Old things were passing away and things were becoming new. We are reaping today what was sown in the 60’s, but do not lose heart! Growing up and getting old is not to be regretted or despised; it is to be relished just as the days of our youth were. The only difference is now we know to appreciate each day because we have learned, like Solomon said; “Life is fleeting.”