Decoration Day....Sharing the Blues - by Monica Yasher, Pittsburgh, Penn.

This is the weekend that truly kicks off the summer! All right! It’s Memorial Day Weekend! So what will you be doing this weekend? Grilling a burger or hot dog? Maybe drinking some iced tea? Nah. Beer? Something a bit stronger? Hopefully, we will all be taking some time to reconnect with our friends and family. Maybe even grabbing a get away to unwind from the winter. Wow! Here’s one-catch a blues band! People count the days to Memorial Day from Easter. Sometimes it's a loooonnnnngg time before you get a day off, huh? This day has such good things associated with it. Summer. School's out. Planned vacations. Screeching brakes about.......here....Sadly, that wasn’t the original intent. It was to be a day of remembrance of our fallen heroes. Our heroes. Our military. The defenders of our rights. The ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that you could live in a country to have this day off. Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died giving service to our country.

No other holiday has the essence of the blues as Memorial Day. It’s about losing the person or persons that matter most to you. And, yes grieving. And, you are allowed to grieve. You don’t have to go to the doctors to get a pill and make it all go away. It hurts and it can hurt bad. And, you know what? You are entitled to that hurt. You experienced things-special things-with the loved ones that have gone. And you can hurt. No one should tell you otherwise. Take a pill? I don’t think so. I think everyone is entitled to their pain. And, you know what? You don’t have to be happy just for me. I can pray that you will come around again back to your old self. But, until then, you go ahead and feel what you feel. This is a weekend to wail the blues. We as Americans are entitled. We have our share of loss.

Sorry.....I digress....I just have a problem with taking a pill for everything and anything.....back to our veterans. What can we do to help ease the blues for our veteran’s? The ones that are still around and gave their time and potentially could have given their lives so that we can live in this great country? I am proud to be a member of the Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania. This organization has many initiatives for our veterans that go year long. Last year I participated in the “Blues is a Healer Tour” at the Butler, PA Veterans Home. Veterans and their families enjoyed a concert and an outdoor BBQ on September 28. I can tell you that the blues truly was a healer for these men and women that served our country. It was an honor to perform in front of them.

This society keeps the blues as a healer for these men and women all year long many times a year. Come on out and support the BSWP as some of Pittsburgh's best honor our veterans. We don’t need a holiday to do that! If you are in the Pittsburgh area, please stop in and say hello:

MOVE! TO THE BLUES FOR THE FISHER HOUSE
to benefit the Veterans' Fisher House Building Fund
SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2PM-6PM $10
Lawrenceville Moose, 120 51st Street, Pittsburgh, PA
Ms. Freddye & Blue Faze, Bubs McKeg, Shot 'O Soul
more information: 724-378-8926

The society I speak so highly of is living and feeling the blues since May 1, 2009, this decoration day. Losing our blues leader, our president, Jim Weber, is a great loss to us all. It is important to share our memories of our loved ones. I invite each of you to share an eulogy, remembrance, prayer or poem in honor of anyone you are missing as a comment on this blog. I also invite you to share your own story of grief over the loss of a loved one here as well. It's OK. This is the blues. Jim's last post on the BSWP said, "I have always said that the blues people were the greatest people."
I understand.....we all do. This is a blues community.

Song of the Week: Decoration Day by Howlin’ Wolf
Check it Out On: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEzxPSgl4fU


Copyright © 2009 Copyright Monica L. Yasher. All Rights Reserved.