John: Happy Birthday to the Man of Dreams and Hope

Today is the birthday of John Lennon.  For some reason this knowledge sent me reeling onto an emotional merry go round.  Why?  I have no idea.  Maybe because if he had lived, he would have been 72 years old.  Maybe its due to his having been murdered and his family and friends still mourn him.  Maybe its because I remember seeing him on the Ed Sullivan Show when I was 4 years old.  Maybe he is an imprint on my mind of being a child and growing up with his music.  Yeah, I grew up with his songs....first with the Beatles and then solo.  My favorite song by him is "Woman", followed by "Imagine".  Then come the Beatle tunes.  Yeah.  Loved John, Paul, George, and Ringo!  Paul was and is my favorite; but John, there is something extremely special about John.  I think its because John really didn't care what people thought of him.  He lived his life in his way, not worrying about conforming to societal rules and structures.  He stood up for people, peace, and love. In the end, he died violently at the hands of a fanatic.  Why is it that individuals who espouse peace, love, tranquility...seem to die violently.  Think about it.  Christ, Ghandi, JFK (to some extent), Lincoln, the list goes on.  No, I'm not saying that John was a messiah, I'm saying he spoke his mind on the subject of peace, of supporting all people and caring for them, of working toward equality to all, and doing it peacefully, through his music and his creativity.  John Lennon, 72 years old today if he lived...some where, sometime, we got old, but John, he will always be young.... and through him, we remain young and full of hope.  Maybe, that's why I was sent reeling...it seems as though hope has been pushed aside to allow fear to run rampant.  Yeah, we needed John then and we need his music and hope now.  It's time to rid ourselves of fear and fearmongers and time to bring back hope, respect, and consideration....but then again, maybe "I'm only a dreamer, but I hope you join me" and stop the hate and cherish the love.  Thanks John!  And Happy Birthday!