Inspired by Lennon

I've neglected you. What was once an almost daily habit has become a dusty, pale memory. It's time to wipe away the cobwebs and restore you, old friend. Yes, blog; I am back. Intentions are empty, so I will simply say, "Hello."

I was listening to an interview on NPR yesterday. It was an interview that John Lennon gave the morning he died. I was riveted, fascinated and couldn't stop listening. I even did that thing where you sit in your car in the driveway to listen... not wanting to miss anything while walking in the house and turning on the radio.



I've always known what an impact Lennon had on a generation, but I had never listened to him speak the words himself. If you're just that curious, here's a link: Dec 8th on NPR

Here are some gems I found in the interwebs. What struck me was the combination of the words themselves and the way Lennon spoke them. They resonated with me in a way they don't simply read from the page. In memory of that voice, here are some of his words:

"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to
life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I
wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told
them they didn’t understand life."
— John Lennon

"My role in society, or any artist's or poet's role, is to try and
express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not
as a leader, but as a reflection of us all."
— John Lennon


"I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky.
I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that
what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It's just
that the translations have gone wrong."
— John Lennon


"If being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my art or
music, then in that respect you can call me that... I believe in what I do, and
I'll say it."
— John Lennon

Full listing