Sunday, September 12, 2004

A Sly Tribute to...Patriotism & Love...


A Sly Salute Posted by Hello

This day dripped constantly with patriotism on the TV screen and in the streets of LA. 911 flashed everywhere, as it should I imagine... I seen this dude walking across a bridge overpass, just above the 101 freeway. He carried a very large flag that trailed behind him in such a beautiful way, held up by the gentle breeze of an early evening. It was a sight that had me wishing I had a camera but instead, I was able to simply photograph and capture the moment in memory. My only worry was the possibilty of getting hit by another driver who might be so overcome with the sight of the flag that they forget we're traveling at a somewhat highspeed on the freeway. Luckily, nothing like that happened but folks did slow down a bit.

Funny thing, on this day I also found myself paying tribute to the musical legend and genius of Sly Stone. I think that brotha was one of the most patriotic artists of his time. His enthusiasm when he first started, matched the times of the day and his later discoveries and disappointments could be felt just as strongly. Seems like in the beginning he thought he could change the world and just create sounds that would unite everybody... Dancing to the same rhythm; humming the same melodies... That's a tough mission for one man to take on and even tougher to convince a nation to adopt, one melody of love. Ain't nothing sadder than a creative, gifted soul losing his faith in love...Keeping the faith is a test all by itself..

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