FOWC with Fandango — Onerous
I have a cold. Not a lethal cold or one that will make me wonder why we got flu shots. No, it’s a regular winter cold with the usual drippy nose, hoarse voice, and sore throat. I was supposed to go to the cardiologist today, but when one is getting his or her heart checked, it’s best to not have anything else wrong with you or your readings come out strange.
Garry’s got “it” too. So does my son. The dogs, however, are fine.
Red-capped woodpecker, warbler, and a nuthatch
The doctor — the actual doctor himself — called to tell me to get some sleep, stay hydrated (whatever happened to “drink plenty of liquids”) and later, call for a new appointment. When I felt better. Which was not today.
I had just gotten back into bed (after the dogs barked me out of it). I had fed them two or three small treats, turned on the coffee, and tucked myself back under the covers.
The phone rang. It was the doctor’s office. I said I was trying to sleep, but between the barking dogs and the phone ringing, it was starting to seem pointless.
She said to call back when I felt better and I drifted off to sleep.
Bonnie barks me awake every morning. With or without assistance from the other two.
Duke doesn’t usually bark. He flings himself at the door and tries to knock it down. Once, he knocked the knob and latch out of alignment and was on the bed in a blink.
I don’t need to give him the incentive to do it again. It’s not a strong door. I don’t think it would survive another pounding. Duke’s no giant, but he’s got vim and vigor going for him. His enthusiasm knows no bounds. None. What he lacks in weight, he makes up for in pure energy.
In between interruptions, “We Didn’t Start the Fire” kept rolling through my head. like one of those earworms you usually get from commercials or Disney cartoons. It started and wouldn’t stop. It still hasn’t stopped.
I gave in and got up. By now, my back was hurting enough to get me out of bed regardless. Excessive bed rest makes everything more painful. If I was ever forced to stay in bed for a prolonged period, it would probably kill me.
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe
Brando, “The King and I” and “The Catcher in the Rye”
Marciano, Liberace, Santayana goodbye
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
No we didn’t light it
But we tried to fight it
Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev
Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc
Dien Bien Phu falls, “Rock Around the Clock”
Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland
Princess Grace, “Peyton Place”, trouble in the Suez
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
No we didn’t light it
But we tried to fight it
Little Rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, Kerouac
Sputnik, Chou En-Lai, “Bridge on the River Kwai”
Starkweather, homicide, children of thalidomide
Hula hoops, Castro, Edsel is a no-go
Chubby Checker, “Psycho”, Belgians in the Congo
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
No we didn’t light it
But we tried to fight it
Hemingway, Eichmann, “Stranger in a Strange Land”
Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs invasion
Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston beats Patterson
JFK, blown away, what else do I have to say
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
No we didn’t light it
But we tried to fight it
Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again
Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, punk rock
Begin, Reagan, Palestine, terror on the airline
Ayatollah’s in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan
Foreign debts, homeless vets, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz
Hypodermics on the shores, China’s under martial law
Rock and roller cola wars, I can’t take it anymore
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
But when we are gone
Will it still burn on, and on, and on, and on
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
No we didn’t light it
But we tried to fight it
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
No we didn’t light it
But we tried to fight it …
Songwriters: Billy Joel
We Didn’t Start the Fire lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
The world is an onerous place. The business of surviving it gets worse almost by the minute. I didn’t think it could get worse. I thought we had bottomed out. Apparently, there is no bottom. Maybe there never was and we all lived in a happy fantasy, each in our own personal parallel reality.
It’s a sunny day and the birds are out. I think I’ll take some pictures.
Share this:
Categories: #FOWC, #Photography, Daily Prompt, Fandango's One Word Challenge, lyrics, Music
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
This might be a tedious response but your post sent me on the following journey! James’s band played this song for years and it’s what I always think of when I hear the Billy Joel “fire” song.
Here are the Lyrics.
https://www.google.com/search?q=beds+are+burning+lyrics+midnight+oil&oq=Beds+are+burning+lyrics&aqs=chrome.1.0l6.8598j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
And here’s interesting article about the group Midnight Oil.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Oil
Stimulating post Marilyn. I thought you might get a kick out of its impact on someone!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. I woke up with that song stuck in my ear. I never heard of Midnight Oil before. I always learn so much from my fellow bloggers! Thank you!!
LikeLike
Sun and birds sound positive, and hope you are feeling much better by now.
LikeLike
There’s still a lot of good in the world, Marilyn, and you get to see it every day at your bird feeder and even with your furry friends.
Leslie
LikeLike
Yes, that’s true, but there’s also a lot of evil which is affecting many families. At this point, hundreds of thousands of families and many children. It can’t be ignored. Yes, there is good, but right now, the evil has to be addressed. You can’t just ignore the bad because elsewhere is good. That’s how evil takes over governments and countries and starts international wars. That’s how Hitler did it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are right Marilyn.
Leslie
LikeLike
Hope your colds go away soon; and thanks for the earworm! 🙂
LikeLike
You gotta admit: it’s a great earworm.
LikeLike
It is. Naomi and I have a few Billy Joel albums between us and that one is a favourite. Sadly I didn’t see him when he played in Adelaide. I was working nearby at the railcar depot so I could hear it at least.
LikeLike
Hope you get well soon. I just went through a two-week coughing spell, and that’s not acceptable at my age. Huddle down and be good to yourself.
LikeLike
I’ve had several ugly rounds of pneumonia. So has Garry. We do have to get out tomorrow because it’s supposed to snow over the weekend and we need a few things. I don’t think it’s going a be a huge storm, but it’s easier to get out before the bad weather hits.
LikeLike
These days I tend to agree. I want to lay down and rest, but it hurts more to lay down than to sit. so hmmm.
LikeLike
When you’re back is bad, sitting hurts a lot less than trying to lie … in ANY position.
LikeLike
That’s the truth. Two nights ashore I was in such agony, the pain went from my back to my toes and I had to get out of bed but I couldn’t move or stand and igroaned and grunted until I could finally get up only to wobble until I could stand long enough to take a few faltering steps. Once that was done, I donned my winter coat and went outside hoping the cold air would help. It did, fortunately. Took hours ok, I didn’t get back to sleep. Until the horrible feelings in my legs stopped. Not a fun night. Benn bad ever since. Hoping tomorrow is a better day.
LikeLike
Hot water pad might help too. And exercise. It hurts, but when you’re done, you feel better. I do a lot of bending and stretching.
LikeLike
I don’t dare bend and stretching, I might give that a try tomorrow. Thank you for the info about the hot water pad. I wasn’t sure hot or cold and was concerned about aggravating the situation.
LikeLike
There is flu going around in our part of the world and I am hoping to keep away from it. As I no longer get around so much, or go to the office, I have better chances – I hope. I sleep too much at the moment, but I am so tired and just make the most of it, especially after lunch.
LikeLike
We are staying in and trying to keep warm. Because a little cold can easily be a lot bigger pretty fast. Been there, done that. We’ve had pneumonia a LOT over the past decade and I’d like to skip it this time.
LikeLike
I hope you feel better soon. Some millennials are pointing to us Baby Boomers and claiming that we DID start the fire. Are they right?
LikeLiked by 1 person
No. Read history. The fire was alive and well when the Romans were ruling Europe … and when the Goths were taking down the Romans. Probably before then, too. It’s just bigger now with faster communications.
Let me add to this. We didn’t start the Civil War, WWI or WWII — OR Vietnam OR Afganistan … or any of the others. There has been cruelty and war and slavery and brutality forever. We were BORN after two world wars!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some millennials don’t read history so it is easier to point the finger at the older generation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They think history has nothing to do with them. Sadly, it has everything to do with all of us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, fake news.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, sunshine. And birds. Bliss. Take care Marilyn. A ‘just a winter cold’ can turn nasty quickly and my own personal opinion is that stress makes those worse. Things can always get better, but they can always get worse too. I don’t think we’ve seen the bottom, if one exists, not by a long chalk. And that’s pretty stressful and terrifying all in itself.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am trying very hard to not let it get to me. It does, regardless, but I’m doing what I can. Yes, colds can and do get worse, so we are staying in and keeping warm. At our age, pneumonia is never too far from you latest cold.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, we didn’t start the fire but….
LikeLike