“I did everything that I ever thought was marvelous.”
It is a universal sentiment: the desire to do the things you enjoy in life while there is still time left. As you get older, you may feel life, and time, passing you by. If you have deep motivation, you will join the parade before it is too late.
When Carol Channing was young, she fell in love with the theater. So she went to New York City to seek not just fame and fortune, but those Broadway roles that would make her feel alive. She found them.
She started in 1941, and in 1949 she achieved her big success when she played Lorelei Lee in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”
She continued on with Broadway success until she hit the biggest Broadway success of all, Dolly Levi. “Hello Dolly” is the musical version of “The Matchmaker” with music and lyrics by the prolific Broadway songwriter, Jerry Herman.
Carol Channing and David Burns, original run
The widow Dolly was the marriage matchmaker who is asked to find a match for the unmarried, “half millionaire” Horace Vandergelder. Eventually, Dolly advises her dead husband, Ephram, that it is time to move on with her life and find her own match. She sets her sights on Horace before it is too late:
Channing found success in movies and television as well as Broadway, but the theater was her greatest love. “It’s very healing. Everybody has their safest place on earth and mine is center stage.”
In 1974 more success came with the musical Lorelei which ran 320 performances, based on the character Channing created in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” The showed toured the country for almost a year before hitting the Broadway stage. Along the way the show was being rewritten and fixed up for the Great White Way and fans turned out to see Carol.
The parade never passed Channing by. She picked up Tony Awards, a Golden Globe, an Academy Award nomination and legions of fans who stayed with her to the end. She performed her most iconic role, Dolly Levi, over 5000 times through the original run, three revivals, a West End run and national tours. She never tired of the matchmaker who decided to make her own match.
Never gonna give you up Never gonna let you down Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We’re no strangers to love You know the rules and so do I A full commitment’s what I’m thinking of You wouldn’t get this from any other guy
The 80s dance sensation was the first single released from Rick Astley’s 1987 début album. It rose to number 1 in 25 countries and was, by all measures available, a worldwide hit. It was played so often for so long that people started to get sick of it. This sometimes happens with a mega-hit.
Never gonna give you up
The pounding beat was actually mesmerizing. The lyric was catchy, as they say. The dancing in Astley’s video was just fun.
The dance video premiered when MTV was still big into playing music videos and this one caught almost everyone’s attention. With his good looks and deep voice, Astley became a star. He was categorized not just as a pop singer, but also labeled “blue-eyed soul.” Many singers with this label were not actually “soul” singers, but have been dubbed so due to their vocal quality.
One of the top cover songs of 2018 is said to be that of Never Gonna Give You Up by Bronze Avery (Gabriel Brown). The pop singer has slowed down the song and removed the driving beat. The vocal is now a sensuous and soulful take on the original. It certainly will never achieve the overwhelming success of Astley’s hit, but it can stand on its own merits.
In case you wonder if Astley still has fans, his official music video was posted on his channel in 2009 and now has over a half billion views there. The lyrics are still well-known, as the ever-young Astley proves when these festival fans sing along at a more recent appearance.
For most of my visits to Strasbourg, France I returned home by going directly to Frankfurt airport for my flight. It is about two and one half hours away by Lufthansa bus, slightly longer by Flixbus as they usually make one brief stop. My friend from Alsace has driven me there as well. This year we had to change the plan.
Our return flight left early in the day so our options were to stay overnight near Frankfurt, or get to some place were we could make the journey in a short period of time. We decide to go to Heidelberg for two nights.
Heidelberg
Heidelberg is a university town nestled among surrounding mountains in the Rhine Rift Valley. The Nekar River flows through the valley with the town being largely on one side and the Heidelberg mountain rising on the other. At just 48 miles from Frankfurt, it was a good place to be within early striking distance of our morning flight.
The population of the city is approximately 160,000 with a fourth of that said to be students at the renowned university. Founded it 1386, it is Germany’s oldest and one of the world’s most respected universities. It’s buildings are spread out over a large section of the old town.
Main street
The oldest streets are narrow, and making your way down them by on foot or by vehicle can be a challenge. Nevertheless, we found the city a great place to explore on foot. Narrow streets may surprise you by opening up onto plazas or university sites that provide open spaces.
In our travels about town, we often noticed many flower shops. For late October we found the abundance of flowers to be amazing. The moderate temperature and somewhat longer growing season may be partly responsible. The cultural interest certainly comes into play as tourists are not likely buying any.
Flower shop, Heidelberg
In all of the European cities we explore, we stop by churches of many denominations. We often find structures of architectural and historical significance. Many still operate as churches. A few are no more than museums now. Some are both actually.
Almost in the shadow of the largest Heidelberg church, seen at the end of the main street above, is the Parish Church of the Holy Spirit and St. Ignatius, or more commonly known as the Church of the Jesuits. Built between 1712 and 1759, the church steeple was added over a century later.
Church of the Jesuits
Throughout the oldest section of town are buildings of the Universitat Heidelberg. One of the more impressive is the main library building, constructed between 1901 and 1905. It holds a collection of printed books counting in the millions, as well as paintings, maps and photographs, films and video. Of course, they are up to modern methods, with e-journals and other electronic services.
While the “modern” library is early 20th century, the university library dates back to 1388. It has enjoyed several locations around town. The Bibliothek, or central library, you see here is one of many libraries in the university system.
Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg
While the tram system is a good way to get around, students as well as many locals know that the best way to travel about is by bicycle. You will find that many of the university building are surrounded by bicycles throughout the day. With automobile traffic being difficult, if not impossible, around many of the school buildings, the only ways to navigate the distances between buildings are on foot and by bike.
Bicycles
For the Heidelberg stop over we rented an apartment near a tram station. We found it on Booking.com as we searched sites for our stay. It was a bit more than a hotel perhaps, but the large space had a kitchen, large living room and large bedroom. It had a washing machine which was essential at this late part of our trip. One of the things that amazes me around Europe are the washer and dryers, as they are actually the same machine. I just don’t know why we continue to buy two machines, but I digress. The apartment had everything you would need to set up shop, although we did no cooking. We used the refrigerator, however, to chill the wine we brought from Strasbourg and there were wine glasses in the cabinet.
From our apartment location
Our brief visit to Heidelberg was just a day and a half, two nights. It did not give us enough time to see all of the historic sites. The autumn weather was mild and we were able to take many meals “in the streets” as my friend likes to say. Out living quarters were at the end of a quiet street in a beautiful old apartment building. Autumn would seem a lovely time to visit and we will hope we can add Heidelberg to our itinerary again.
Many people go into our memories as the years go by. Some will linger there always. Some will pass by for a fleeting moment, remembered and then forgotten, as the years put clouds in front of them. Some memories we will cherish always, some not at all.
This past year, as in those preceding it, awards shows and year-end retrospectives highlight those we have lost through their “In Memoriam.” This phrase is from the Latin term meaning “into memory” so it is into our memories we commend those who have left but meant much to us in our lives.
These passings do not only bring sadness for those who are gone, but they also remind us that we are entering a later time in the autumns of our lives. For this thought, we also have sadness for ourselves, knowing winter is near.
I will offer ten names that meant a lot to me in the past. There will be no numbers. It is not a top ten in the usual sense. I looked over some lists and picked ten that have been committed fondly into my memory. You may add yours in the comments.
Stan Lee
On the short list, I also had Sen. John McCain, although I disagreed with him often. There was Stan Lee for creating the comic universe of superheroes. Also listed was Stephen Hawking, who had a beautiful mind locked in a diseased and twisted body. The prolific playwright Neil Simon brought us many great movies and plays. Also passing was the former lead of Jefferson Airplane, Marty Balin, and the lead of the Irish pop group Cranberries, Dolores O’Riordan, who died too young (46).
Waving a fond goodbye but staying forever in my memory:
Jerry Van Dyke, 86. The younger brother of Dick Van Dyke began his career by playing Rob Petrie’s younger brother in a few episodes of the Dick Van Dyke show. He is most fondly remembered as an assistant in the long-running sitcom, Coach.
Nanette Fabray, 97. She began her career in vaudeville. I remember her as someone who appeared frequently on the early variety shows of television and later as a frequent game show guest. She fought to show the importance of closed captioning in media, as she had been losing her hearing for many years. Here she performs in the musical “the Band Wagon:”
Tab Hunter, 86. The actor, singer, and writer became a movie star in the 1950s and ’60s. He was a teen heart-throb to many young girls and a few young guys too. He had a number one hit with “Young Love,” although this 1957 performance on the Perry Como Show may not have been his best effort. At least you will get to hear the girls scream:
Harry Anderson, 65. The magician and comedian scored two successful comedy series on television. The first was the long-running Night Court where he played the judge of a Manhattan court at night. Next up was Dave’s World, loosely based on writings of Dave Barry.
Burt Reynolds, 82. Although he had many iconic movie roles as well as highly regarded television series, I enjoyed him most in the sitcom Evening Shade. My memory recalls it as a thoughtful, well-written program with a top-notch ensemble cast.
John Mahoney, 77. The veteran stage and movie actor will be best remembered as the dad on Frasier (and Niles) on the sitcom of the same name. Locally, John was often seen on stage in Chicago in productions of the renowned Steppenwolf Theater.
Roy Clark, 85. The country singer and musician played host on the variety show, Hee Haw. Think of Laugh-In populated with country “hicks.” Having many southern relatives, we were greatly amused by this show and watched regularly.
Bill Daily, 91. Daily was born in Des Moines, Iowa but the family moved to Chicago. He graduated from high school in my neighborhood (long before my time) and went to the famous Goodman Theater school here. He scored two successful stints as a sidekick on television, one in I Dream of Jeannie and the other was the Bob Newhart Show.
Penny Marshall, 75. Best known for playing Laverne on the Happy Days spin-off, Laverne & Shirley, Marshall went on the be a well-respected producer and director. “Big” is a favorite film, the first one directed by a woman to gross more than 100 million dollars.
Aretha Franklin, 76. The Queen of Soul earned a lot of R-E-S-P-E-C-T in her life. The talented singer and musician excelled in many musical categories and earned her place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Chicago based musical Blues Brothers is a favorite with us and the following is one of the best numbers in the film.
For many years now Strasbourg has been a favorite vacation stop. It is not just because of the wonderful historic sites and amazing food and wine, but also because of the friends who live in the region. I am sure you will agree that any chance to visit one of your best friends is a good enough reason to head out on a new adventure.
In the northeast corner of France, right across the Rhine River from Germany, lies Strasbourg. It is the largest city in the Grand Est (East). The metropolitan region is home to almost a half million residents. It is an important city in the European Union as the location of several EU institutions, including the European Parliament.
Strasbourg, France
Despite the many visits to Strasbourg, I never really walked through the area known as “Petite France,” where they maintain the architecture of the Middle Ages . Known for the many white and black timber buildings, it is a lovely throwback to an era long past. Of course we have seen many buildings like this throughout the city and the region.
In 1988 the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. This includes the famous cathedral, sitting on a foundation over a thousand years old.
Street of “Petite France”
Every visit to Strasbourg must include a stop at the grand Cathedral. Built on the foundation of a previous structure, the current church was built between 1176 and 1439. If you see the size and intricate detail of the building, and then consider there was no modern building equipment, you will understand why it took centuries to complete.
The street leading up to the cathedral might be a bit “touristy” for some, but I must confess that we stopped in the shops and purchased some souvenirs along the way. I can never return home without the required refrigerator magnet, and my friend picked up several items to remember the occasion. We also stopped near the end of the street near the cathedral for lunch at an outdoor cafe.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg
Literally in the shadow of the Cathedral is the Palais Rohan. Built in the 1730s as the resident of the princes of the House of Rohan, French royalty who served as bishop and cardinal of the cathedral, it has been a museum in modern times. It was seized during the French Revolution and sold to the municipality where it served for a while as the town hall. Some of the original furniture and artwork were sold off or destroyed.
The site had been a bishop’s resident since 1262. The courtyard and the area between the palace and the cathedral have been the scene of archeological digs throughout modern times, including some of our visits. There they have found artifacts from ancient Roman times.
Palais Rohan
One of the joys of centering your trip in Strasbourg is being able to head off to regional sites of interest. Whether you are going to other towns or villages by train from Gare de Strasbourg-Ville, by tour bus or have a friend to drive, you will find much to see.
Mosbach winery
With my friend as driver, we always head to a wine producer for a taste of the local vintage. It might seem a bit odd on a Sunday morning, but we found Mosbach willing to open the shop and hand out samples. Alsace is famous for their white wines and my French guide selected a bottle for each of us.
There are many places to stop along the famous “wine road.” The region is filled with vineyards that climb up the side of the hills, and wine producers ready to welcome you.
From here we went to the popular Mont Ste. Odile, or Hohenburg Abbey, where Saint Odile (c. 660 to 720) served as abbess. Legend has it she was cured of blindness as a child. This is why she is known as the patron saint of the blind. She is also considered the patron of Alsace.
From atop this hill, Odile is said to look out over Alsace as protector of the region. When one enters the abbey, its church and its chapels, one wonders how they built this many century ago. The modern-day road is narrow and winding and the hill has dense forest. One is left to wonder how they were able to get all the materials used in the building to the top of the hill. The view is worth the trip.
Alsace region from Mont Sainte Odile Abbey
Someday in the future, I hope I can make this trip again. There is a great value to the discoveries that travel will bring into your life. When you have a chance, hit the road for new adventures.They are not only educational, but rejuvenating in ways that are hard to explain. As Rick Steves (PBS travel shows) will tell you, “Keep on travelling.”
Another year has begun and we can see it is indeed the same as days gone by. If “old acquaintance be forgot” as one year passes into another, old hatred, old disputes, old border wars, old and new religious battles carry on as if they will forever be remembered. Are these disagreements worth the killing of men, women and children standing on the other side?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne?
In our neighborhood, just as in many around the world, we conclude our year wishing “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.” It is on our greeting cards and in our songs. It appears in Christmas stories and is heard from pulpits and lecterns around the world. The invocations I used to read on Christmas Day, to those assembled at noon mass at a nearby church, included a call for world leaders to truly seek world peace. For this intention, I would say to the congregation, “We pray to the Lord.” They responded to my prayer by rote, since we have the same response to all our intentions, “Lord hear our prayer.”
The Lord may hear our prayer but I think He surely means for usto work at resolving the conflicts that plague the world. I am not convinced many really heard the intention or remembered it by the time they hit the pavement an hour later. Do we want a new beginning or will things continue in the same direction? Our history for this sort of thing suggests the answer.
Sometimes our world leaders do indeed seem to be making strides for peace, but these strides often suffer reversals when conflicts begin anew as they predictably do. While Presidents, prime ministers and even royalty call for peace, how many are actually plotting retaliations and wars behind the scenes? In fact, we would all think our leaders were careless and irresponsible if they were not prepared to take up old battles at a moments notice, or begin new ones if need be.
Even the current Pope, revered for his concerns for the poor, has condemned violent groups and urged the world not to be indifferent to the suffering they have caused. If we are not to be indifferent, than what are we to do? Is it a call for those facing conflict to continue the fight? Is it a call for outsiders to join in?
There are no easy answers to what is left of ISIS, the Taliban, the war lords and terrorist groups. If there had been, I wish we would have employed them by now. How about closer to home? What of the racial profiling, police brutality, gun violence and large prison populations? What of the street gangs and drug cartels? What of organized crime and the violence they are willing to commit? How many marches in the street will it take to rid us of the same old acquaintances we know through these oft-repeated scenes? Will marches alone bring peace to our homeland?
The sad truth of starting each year with a call for peace on earth is we end each year needing to renew the call again. Perhaps it would be best if old acquaintances could be forgotten, so we could start with a new and clean slate. There are, however, those who can not let go of the hate. They perpetuate the cultural divide. They do not wish to give up the fight or extend a hand across the border or the battlefield. Is this what we were taught? Did we say “Peace on Earth” when we really meant “Don’t let our enemies get any peace?” What messages are we really sending when we learn that the greeting card verses are more fiction than fact?
“Should old acquaintance be forgot and never be brought to mind?” Perhaps. And perhaps we need to start believing in the simple verses of seasonal songs and bring peace on earth. The answers to our problems are actually there in many of those simple holiday songs. They have always been there. It is contained in a four letter word we are afraid to use, especially when it comes to those we perceive as our enemies. Do you know that word? Love, as in Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself. They know on the streets we can not continue to live with the past wrongs, some streets anyway.
Auld Lang Syne, or “old long since” is a Scottish poem by Robert Burns. It was subsequently set to traditional folk music. The modern question for us is, “Will we ever ‘take a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne’?”
And there’s a hand my trusty friend! And give me a hand o’ thine! And we’ll take a right good-will draught, for auld lang syne.
By now you are expected to have a good response. So what is it? What are you doing? Certainly, your friends have been asking and you must have something interesting to say. Unless you are under 18 or over 80, you do not get a pass on this one. So, what’s it going to be? Party? Dinner and dancing? Will you be outside watching fireworks or in where it is warm? If you are in Florida or Arizona, I guess you could be outside watching fireworks where it is warm.
Happy New Year!
Since there seem to be so many different things to do, the question might actually be more or less logical. Restaurants, bars, and hotel ballrooms all have some sort of package deal. There are shows and concerts of every type. Whether you are in a big city or a small town, plans for the celebration abound.
For some strange reason, everyone is expected to have a plan.
One year, when downtown Chicago still had a glut of movie theaters, I was on a double date at a late showing of a movie that finished up just before midnight. I do remember which movie, but not the date. We had just enough time to empty out into the intersection of State Street (that great street) and Randolph where Chicago used to conduct a poor man’s version of the final countdown. Since it was quite cold and we were not loaded with anti-freeze, we stayed for the countdown and ran off for warmer places. It was an experience I do not need again. If I watch the ball drop in Times Square, it will be on television from another locale.
Since then I have ventured to house parties, bar parties, restaurants, and shows, but I am not sure any of these supposed grand events were particularly memorable. They certainly did not ring out like many of the grand events we see in the movies. If you missed all of them, then I will suggest that you put “movies with new year’s eve scenes” in your internet search so you can find a lot of them. Maybe you will get some cool ideas.
Since the death of one year and the dawn of another seem to evoke feelings of nostalgia, then you may know that “When Harry Met Sally” contains one of the most memorable and nostalgic New Year’s scenes of all. Indeed it is the climax of the “will he or won’t he?” scenario. It has all led up to one fateful New Year’s Eve moment. The typical New Year’s Eve hoopla only adds to the drama of the moment. (SPOILER ALERT). I love making dramatic “spoiler” pronouncements, and here is that great scene from one of our favorite movies.
The director of the movie needed no special music as “Auld Lang Syne” made the perfect background song. And what does this sentimental tune actually mean? We don’t know, something about goodbye and hello. It doesn’t matter, our sentimental feeling just associates with it and that is all that counts. So will you have a sentimental moment?
For some gentlemen, the coming of New Year’s is met with all the anxiety of asking someone to the high school prom. You know you are supposed to do something. You know it is supposed to be really good. You know it is going to cost you money, which you are not supposed to care about. You also know, just like the high school prom, you might get shot down when you ask the “jackpot question.” Unless you want to get teased by family and friends, you may just have to ask the question anyway.
Ooh, but in case I stand one little chance Here comes the jackpot question in advance: What are you doing New Year’s New Year’s Eve?
Did you ask yet? What was the answer? If you haven’t asked, what are you waiting for?
Seth MacFarlane is the creator of Family Guy, American Dad!, The Cleveland Show and stars in “The Orville.”
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