A Microsecond in Time

Walking to work this morning down 11th Street, NW, I came to the corner of 11th & L Streets which is half a block away from JW's first residence in the District (photo) at 10th & L.  Across the street from his former residence is the construction site of the Marriott Marquis Hotel next to the convention center.  This will be the largest hotel in the District when it is completed.  As I'm glancing at the construction site which takes up an entire city block, for a split second the thought "I wonder if JW has seen this lately" comes to mind.  The thought lasted but a microsecond but it is the first time I had forgotten.  It was nice while it lasted.

Music of the Easter Season & JW

As indicated in this post, shortly after John's death, we somehow brought ourselves to listen to Vin Scelsa's show from April 7th on WFUV in New York. We have always regarded it as a fitting requiem for John, especially since part of it was recorded that fateful Saturday afternoon. For me, it's opening song, Judy Collin's version of the Bob Dylan song "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" has ever since been indelibly associated with that day.

In that vein, give a listen to the following from Vin's show this past Holy Saturday and take it all in.  

When you're lost in the rain in Juarez

And its Eastertime too

And your gravity fails

And negativity don't pull you through

...

I'm going back to New York City

I do believe I've had enough.

A Party at John's Place

Another Year of Renewal

With near perfect timing this year, as intended JW's memorial has come into full bloom as a reminder of his continual presence, especially in the lives of those who love him.

For those not familiar with it, the story behind JW's memorial can be found here.  To see how his memorial has grown over the years, go to these links for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 (and note the differences in when the cherry blossoms bloom -- 2012 was more than 2 weeks earlier than this year -- its been a cold Spring).

If it Be Your Will

In an attempt to find rhyme and reason to life's events, it is often necessary to turn to God's gift of music.  In that regard, perhaps that other Leonard (i.e. Leonard Cohen) and his version of If It Be Your Will is entirely appropriate for this special day in April (btw - as far as I'm concerned, if it be your will is just another way of saying I cannot and should not expect my will be done - no matter how noble but rather we must live life with humility).



For the embedded video above the written lyrics are below.

"If It Be Your Will"

If it be your will
That I speak no more
And my voice be still
As it was before
I will speak no more
I shall abide until
I am spoken for
If it be your will
If it be your will
That a voice be true
From this broken hill
I will sing to you
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing

If it be your will
If there is a choice
Let the rivers fill
Let the hills rejoice
Let your mercy spill
On all these burning hearts in hell
If it be your will
To make us well

And draw us near
And bind us tight
All your children here
In their rags of light
In our rags of light
All dressed to kill
And end this night
If it be your will

If it be your will.

Then & Now

It was April 6, 2007. JW had been just discharged after spending almost 24 hours in the ER. He had been diagnosed with a pinched nerve and had been given a prescription for pain medication. Our plan was to take JW down to our home in Southern Maryland where we would be able to nurse him back to health and follow through on our plans to celebrate as a family both Easter and his brother's birthday. Our first stop was at the CVS Pharmacy on Columbia Road in Adams Morgan, DC in order to allow JW to get the pain prescription filled.

This CVS was the last place JW went to in Adams Morgan. Less than 12 hours after he went into that storefront, JW was dead.





The first picture above is how the CVS Pharmacy appeared on April 6, 2007.  The second photo is how it appears today (the pharmacy actually moved across the street and up the block several years ago).

The photos are a fitting contrast of then and now.  Much the same way there is a void in the storefronts on Columbia RD in JW's beloved Adams Morgan, so too there is a tremendous void in the lives of all those who love John so very much.

To quote W.B. Yeats, "What made us dream that he could comb grey hair?"

We miss you, guy -- and if it was even possible, we miss you more with every passing year.