Photos That Make You Stop

-


A shot of Hitler as a baby. They say that a photo is worth a thousand words and I sort of stopped dead in my tracks looking at this one. He looks like a regular baby, right? Knowing what we knew as his life played out, it makes you wonder about who snapped the shot and then completely blew the parenting.


A Mom and her child after the bombs in Japan. This shot was supposedly taken 4 days later. When I looked at it, I wondered about the destruction. I recalled being in history class as a kid and being so proud of the fact that no one messes with the United States. We forget about the absolute destruction and that real people are over there, right?


And real people over here as well. Having lived through September 11, I know the pain in the hearts of citizens not even directly involved in the scene. Yet we were all directly involved in this. It's funny, but I can't watch the movies made, or the photos taken in real time. My heart and mind don't allow it. Every single photo of that day makes me gasp for breath. Always will.


"Oh the humanity!" I did watch the documentary on this explosion. The tremendous sadness in the man's voice has stayed with me since I saw it. "Oh the humanity!!"


And I end this little history lesson with what is billed as the last photo of the four Beatles together as a group. They busted up just days later. I saw a young girl on television with a Beatles shirt on the other day. John Lennon was killed at least 20 years before the girl was born. This photo was from 1969. And yet they have new fans. They sell millions of songs each year. That's pretty astounding, really.

And why not end on a high note?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suits

-
Like a lot of other people we got pulled into the series, ‘Suits’ on Netflix. I’ve never had much fun hanging around lawyers who have questioned me as a construction safety officer. I once testified in a case where the opposing lawyer started questioning me by going through my educational background. “So,” he said, racing to a crescendo, “You graduated from college with a degree in Communications-Journalism and suddenly, 30 years later, you’re a ‘safety expert.’” He actually made the quotation marks with his fingers. I just looked at him. “How does that happen?” He bellowed, sure that he was going to discredit me. “Well,” I said. “I knew I was overqualified to become a lawyer.” The courtroom erupted in laughter. Even the judge chuckled. The rest of his questions landed flat. So, I wasn’t all that keen on a show about lawyers, but ‘Suits’ is great. Meghan Markle became a princess because of the show, and she is very good in it (and a beautiful woman). Yet, there is so much more. The wri
Read more

My Buddy, Dave

-
Way back in 1997, I started working with a steel erection company out of Syracuse. I was coming straight from a long stint with a steel erector here in Buffalo so I knew my stuff when it came to steel erection safety rules. On day one, I met with the safety director and he was just getting started as a safety guy, but man, he certainly cared about the guys he worked with. Dave was a good man from the start. He’d say things like: “You’re so full of beans.” Just a down to earth, hardworking guy who became a fast friend. We drove all around New York State setting up jobs. I always let Dave drive so that I could rest. One fine day, way up North of Syracuse, we passed a state trooper.  I glanced at the speedometer. “You’re screwed,” I said, and seconds later, the lights came on. Dave was beside himself.  The cop stopped by the window, grabbed the license and registration and headed back to his vehicle. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “You’re pissed, but you’re such a good guy that I bet you tha
Read more

Mom & Ollie

-
Image
 Ollie Stadium is a mess. The heavy rains rendered the backyard a mud pit and even though we threw in the side yard, the Big O was looking for more, and we were both covered in mud. I had to take some steam out of him somehow so I suggested we go visit Grandma. Ollie hates the car, but he laid quietly as we made the trip. We even brought the football because there is plenty of room to play at Grandma’s. Mom opened the door and started laughing. I thought about the love she had for every single dog we ever had. Oliver was quick to give my Mom a kiss, and then he stood beside her. The love between Mom and Dogs is a mutual bond. Through the years, Mom would make breakfast for the dogs.  Fried eggs, toast, bacon… She would wrap Christmas gifts for them. “To Jeter, Love Santa,” she would write on the cards. They played with the big chicken that made a lot of noise. Mom tossed the football and Ollie brought it back to her. As the visit drew to a close I headed for the door.  “C’mon, Oliver,”
Read more