[Dialogue] REMEMBER WHEN THE MUSIC--one more song, one more story...

Thu Oct 21 16:12:16 CDT 2010

Dear Ellie,

If Bruce, Fred and I had not already come to resolution long ago over his
choice of location, your beautifully stated context would certainly have
done just that.  Thank you for the history and the statement of Bruce's
contribution.

With love,

Nancy

On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 8:33 AM, Af <elliestock at aol.com> wrote:

> Dear Nancy--
>
> Not a Harry Chapin song, but one that our younger daughter sang with a
> group in the 80's entitled "Don't Rubbish the Children".  This song has
> been echoing in my mind for the last 10 years as I have been part of several
> groups trying to address issues of chronic and severe lead and other heavy
> metal contamination affecting the lives of children, the most vulnerable, in
> Peru and the St. Louis area--caused by Doe Run lead smelters, companies held
> by The Renco Grp, Inc (NYC), solely owned by billiionaire Ira Rennert.
> Since operating these smelters, Doe Run has not complied with the
> environmental laws of the US, let alone Peru.  It's negligence has polluted
> the air, water, soil, vegetation, people, and animals, destroying the
> ecosystems of the areas and, in affect, treating children like rubbish.
>
> Thanks to Bruce Lanphear's work at Children's Hospital in Cincinnati, his
> research, expertise, and testimony regarding lead issues, particularly as
> they affect children, it is now understood that there are no "safe" blood
> lead levels; and the EPA, after 30+ years of neglecting to re-examine
> ambient air standards (based on updated scientific data) which hold
> companies accountable to the amount of allowable air pollution, finally
> tightened the ambient air standards last year, reducing considerably the
> amount of air pollution.  All of this has had implications not only for the
> health and well-being of children in our area and Peru, but nationally and
> globally.
>
> So, many of us are indebted to the work Bruce did and shared in such a
> powerful way while distant from you and Fred, and we are equally grateful
> that he has been able to be closer to you these last 2 1/2 years while his
> research continues to be an instrument of restoring health justice for
> children and adults and communities at large.
>
> Grace and peace,
> Ellie Stock
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nancy Lanphear <nancy at songaia.com>
> To: Order Ecumenical Community <oe at wedgeblade.net>
> Cc: Colleague Dialogue <dialogue at wedgeblade.net>
> Sent: Wed, Oct 20, 2010 7:56 pm
> Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] [Dialogue] REMEMBER WHEN THE MUSIC
>
> Dear Ones,
>
> I have a story about one of the more famous pieces of Harry Chapin's
> music.  As you may know, our son Bruce and his family lived a long distance
> away from us for many years - 21 Years?  Early on, I often said to Bruce and
> Nancy that we would love to have them live closer, it may have come across
> even stronger than that.
>
> One day we received a letter from Bruce following their participation in a
> concert of Chapin's.  He shared the words of the song, Cat's in the Cradle.
> I was brokenhearted at the moment of reading the words.  Of course he was
> right.  Back in the 60's, Fred and I chose to "save the world" , join the
> Order and to leave our children behind - on their behalf, of course!  Bruce
> asked us to please understand that he and Nancy had their work to do and
> their choices to make.  He asked us to understand that they needed at least
> 5-10 years of career building before they could consider moving out of that
> medical circle of which they were a part.
>
> You all know that when Fred was diagnosed with ALS, Bruce and Nancy both
> received offers to change their work location.  One of their choices was
> Vancouver, BC in Canada.  They moved to Vancouver 2  1/2 years ago and
> joined our other son, Bob and daughter Sandra in caring for us during the
> very time we needed them most.
>
> With love,
>
> Nancy
>
>
>
> 2010/10/20 Janice Ulangca <aulangca at stny.rr.com>
>
>>  Len Hockley, this is so wonderful!  Thank you, thank you!!
>>
>> This community is profoundly priviledged because we have lived the
>> experiences in Harry Chapin's words.  But it's not just about the past.  I
>> love these words from the next to last verse:
>>  **
>> *        And I dream that something’s coming *
>> *        And it is not just in the wind. *
>> *        It’s more than just tomorrow. *
>> *        It’s more than where we’ve been. *
>> *        It offered me a promise *
>> *        It’s telling me--Begin.  *
>> **
>>  Friends, do listen to both these versions.  What contemporary news
>> clippings would you put up to illustrate Harry Chapin's singing?
>>
>>  (you can hear this sung by Harry Chapin at
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJhQrZuXheg&NR=1
>>  or by Bruce Springsteen at
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEvimXwEGgs&feature=related)
>>  ------------------------------
>>
>> Then - do you want to sing along with Harry?  If you do, as I did, here
>> are the words arranged close to how he sings the lines.  Janice Ulangca
>>
>>  *Remember When The Music*
>> by Harry Chapin
>>  Remember when the music
>>   Came from wooden boxes strung with silver wire.
>> And as we sang the words
>> It would set our minds on fire.
>> We believed in things,
>> And so we’d sing
>>
>> Remember when the music
>> Brought us all together
>> To stand inside the rain,
>> And as we joined our hands
>> We’d meet in the refrain.
>> We had dreams to live,
>> And we had hopes to give
>>
>> Don’t you remember when the music
>> Was the best of what we dreamed of
>> For our children’s time,
>> And as we sang we worked
>> For we knew time was just a lie.
>> A gift we say.
>> A gift the future gave
>>
>> Of all the times I listened,
>> And all the times I heard.
>> All the melodies are missing
>> And all the magic words
>> And all those potent voices
>> And all the choices we had then.
>> How I’d love to find
>> We had that kind of choice again
>>
>> Remember when the music
>> Was a glow on the horizon
>> Of every newborn day,
>> And as we sang the sun came up
>> To chase the dark away.
>> And life was good
>> For we knew we could
>>
>>  Remember when the music
>> Brought the night across the valley.
>> As the day went down
>> And as we’d hum the melody
>> We’d be safe inside the sound
>> And so we’d sleep
>> For we had dreams to keep
>>
>> And I dream that something’s coming
>> And it is not just in the wind.
>> It’s more than just tomorrow.
>> It’s more than where we’ve been.
>> It offered me a promise
>> It’s telling me--Begin.
>> I know it’s that even something’s worth believing in
>>
>> Remember when the music
>> Came from wooden boxes strung with silver wire
>> And as we sang the words
>> It would set our minds on fire
>> We believed in things
>> And so we’d sing
>> And so we’d sing.
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> OE mailing list
>> OE at wedgeblade.net
>> http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/oe_wedgeblade.net
>>
>>
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