Michael Copeland

Truisms & Other Stuff

February 4, 2022 by Michael Copeland Leave a Comment

Like Al Franken liked to say, in the famous Saturday Night Live sketch Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley, I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and dog gone it, people like me. I’ve come to find out, a positive affirmation or inspirational message or simple truism isn’t such a bad way to start the day. We may not all tell ourselves that we are special and worthy, on a daily basis, but it doesn’t hurt to stay grounded and keep things in perspective as we start the new year.

In June of 2017 I wrote an article on inspirational quotes that I had occasionally texted my daughters while they were growing up and navigating the treacherous waters of high school. I come across these jewels in books, songs, fortune cookies, horoscopes and in Facebook posts. I also made a few up myself. I called them Dadisms. Just recently, a friend came across the Dadism article and reached out to me saying a lot of adults might benefit from a few of these inspirational nuggets while we continue to navigate the treacherous pandemic waters. Since I have been suffering from a nasty case of COVID Alpha Chi Omega, aka “writers block”, I decided to give this reboot a shot.

As we can all probably agree, life lessons are often painful and rarely inexpensive; however, we often learn something valuable from them. As we get older, we often either think we know everything or fail to learn from our past experiences. There’s also the few of us that become fearful of trying something new. There’s nothing in what I’m about to share that will change anyone’s life, I just hope it will possibly allow you to look at whatever situation you’re faced with a little differently.

If you can’t be good, be careful.
Forget all the reasons why it won’t work and believe the one reason why it will.
Pay attention to your gut feelings. No matter how good something looks, if it doesn’t feel right , walk away.
Be nice to someone for no reason. You never know when you’ll need someone to be nice to you.
Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t give up.
Be somebody who makes everybody feel like somebody.
Don’t chase people. Be an example. Attract them. The people who belong in your life will come find you and stay. Just be yourself and do your thing.
A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected.
When you see something beautiful in someone, tell them! It may take seconds to say, but for them, it could last a lifetime.
If someone treats you in a hostile, abusive or hurtful manner, just remember that there’s something wrong with them, not you. Don’t go around destroying other people.
Think before you speak. Is it true, is it helpful, is it inspiring, is it necessary and is it kind?
Who to spend time with? Those who make you better, those who want to see you grow, those who see the greatness in you, those who are good for your mental health, those who are inspired, excited and grateful and those who force you to push yourself up a level.
Don’t be impressed by money, followers, degrees and titles. Be impressed by kindness, integrity, humility and generosity.
Rules of Action: If you do not go after what you want, you will never get it. If you do not ask, the answer will always be “NO”. If you do not step forward, you will always be in the same place.
Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what.
Beauty isn’t about having a pretty face, it’s about having a kind heart, an accepting mind and a beautiful soul.
We don’t grow when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges.
Life lessons are rarely inexpensive or painless.
Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there.
If you stumble, make it part of the dance.
There comes a time in your life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Forget the bad and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right and pray for the ones who don’t. Life it too short to be anything but happy.
10 Things that require zero talent; Being on time, work ethic, body language, a positive attitude, passion, being coachable, effort, extra effort, being prepared and listening.
Take pride in how far you’ve come and have faith in how far you can go.
You either get better or you get bitter. It’s that simple. You either deal with what life has dealt you and allow it to make you a better person or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you.
Having real friends is better than having many friends.
Successful people build each other up. They motivate, inspire and encourage each other. Unsuccessful people just hate, blame and complain.
No matter how educated, rich or cool you believe you are, how you treat people tells all. Integrity is everything.
Pick your battles. Sometimes peace is better than being right.
Other ways to say “I love you”…I miss you, sweet dreams, Are you hungry? How’s your day going? Be Careful, Drive careful, text me when you get there so I know you’re safe, Call me if you need to talk, I hope you’ re feeling better, Don’t worry – I’ll take care of it for you, Do you need a hug? You don’t have to hear the words I Love You to know you’re loved. Listen carefully, people speak from the heart in more ways than one.
Do not think of today’s failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourself a difficult task, but you will succeed. If you persevere, you will find joy in overcoming obstacles.
Life is amazing and then it’s awful, and then it’s amazing again. In between amazing and awful it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living our heartbreaking, healing, amazing, awful, ordinary lives and it’s heartbreakingly beautiful.
Sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of simple embarrassing bravery and I promise you something great can come of it.

There are more, but I don’t want to lose my audience. For those of you still awake, I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into my sensitive soul. As someone who fails, falls, stumbles and makes more mistakes than I care to admit, I do my best to get up, dust myself off, own it and apologize when necessary and start again. I don’t profess to have any answers to life’s mysteries; however, I do strongly believe that we’re all capable of kindness, compassion, insight, strength, wisdom, heroism and so many other incredible qualities that can define our lives or change someone else’s. It’s up to each of us to see it in ourselves and others. Or, as Stuart Smalley also once said, “It’s easier to put on slippers than to try and carpet the whole world”.

I See Dead People, Part Deux

October 7, 2021 by Michael Copeland Leave a Comment

Part Deux

Ghosts, spooks, spirits, phantoms or wraiths have a definite appeal to the general public. Apparitions have ingratiated themselves into our pop culture. Look at the success of movies such as Ghost, Ghost Busters, The Sixth Sense, Beetlejuice and the soon to be released Ghost Town. The novel, Lovely Bones, sold over 1 million copies and was on the New York Times Bestseller list for more than a year. A movie version of the book is currently in production and is being directed by Peter Jackson. Television currently broadcasts a variety of popular spirit themed shows including Medium, Ghost Whisperer and Ghost Hunters. Even the immensely popular band The Police had a hit song entitled Ghosts in the Material World. There’s a certain mystery (obviously), intrigue, curiosity, even a joie de vivre about a soul that just can’t make the transition to their eternal resting place and in turn spends his or her afterlife days roaming familiar structures and in some cases communicating with the living.

After my article entitled I See Dead People appeared in the October 2007 edition of Alive Magazine I was repeatedly stopped by people anxious to share their “ghost experiences” with me. There were also those folks that were anxious to identify for me a local real estate destination that they believed was haunted. A good buddy, recently shared his story of a camping trip at Lake Del Valle when he and several others in his party thought they heard a whispering voice, wafting through the trees, repeating the words “Don’t Fear”. Granted, the reveler of this tale admitted that his group of outdoorsmen had been drinking a lot that evening and “Don’t Fear” does sound an awful lot like “Get Beer”, but I didn’t want to come across like I worked for the office of Paranormal Investigations in Martinez. A co-worker and his wife swore me to secrecy as they delivered a spellbinding tale of a spirit, known as Bubba, that supposedly inhabited their new home and could clearly be seen by their young children (anyone seen the movie Poltergeist recently?). Of course, we had enjoyed several glasses of red wine on that particular evening and the wife did crack up every time I sang the phrase, “When there’s something strange/in your neighborhood…Who ya gonna call?” Finally, while volunteering as an adult driver/chaperone for my daughter’s school field trip last spring to the One Room School House off Finley Road in Danville, one of the other adults pulled me aside to point out the colorful history of our destination which included a reported spook or phantom whose presence had apparently been seen/felt in the vicinity. Fortunately, to the best of my knowledge, the person in question had not been drinking but thinking back there was a strong scent of Altoids on her breath.

Among the local haunt spots, when it come to reports of paranormal activity that I failed to mention in last year’s article, are the One Room School House off Finley Road in Danville, the Pleasanton Hotel in downtown Pleasanton, the Historic Green’s Store, a one time Pony Express stop on Dublin Blvd. in Dublin and the David Glass House which is visible from Interstate 680 in San Ramon. My wife and I even had our own paranormal experience while staying one weekend at a hospitality residence, situated on the grounds of the Beaulieu Vineyards (“BV”) in Napa. Late that Saturday afternoon as I attempted to nap off my wine tour buzz the door of our guest room unexplainably opened and closed several times. I admittedly thought it odd as there wasn’t a cross breeze, the door appeared to be securely shut and no one else was upstairs at the time. Throughout our weekend together, the four couples we were with commented on the odd door play and flickering of lights throughout the house. It wasn’t until we were preparing to leave on Sunday morning that a caretaker for the property told us the story of the house’s original occupants and their precocious daughter who died young (around 9 or 10 years old) and apparently chose never to leave her family home, originally built in the early 1900’s. People have reported seeing the little girl’s spirit and experiencing her sense of humor for over 100 years. Upon hearing this enchanting yarn of the supernatural it was a race to the cars for our group of scared Sh*!@%less wine snobs.

If you access the internet site www.legendsofamerican.com/GH-celebrityghosts2 you’ll find a plethora of famous ghost sightings. The list includes such deceased celebrities as magician Harry Houdini (Las Vegas), writer Mark Twain, entertainer Liberace (Las Vegas), Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson (the White House), actress Jean Harlow, outlaw Jesse Jackson, Confederate General Robert E. Lee, actor George (Superman) Reeves, mobster Bugsy Siegel (Las Vegas), director Orson Wells and musician John Lennon (The Dakota Hotel). The most famous and frequently spotted spirit appears to be that of Marilyn Monroe. Her ghost has reportedly been seen numerous times at the Roosevelt Hotel, where she frequently stayed, her Hollywood hills home, where she died of an overdose of sleeping pills, and the Westwood Memorial Cemetery, where she was laid to rest. According to psychics, Marilyn has relayed to them that her death was an accident not a suicide.

As the annual holiday of Halloween draws near, ghosts will once again become part of our culture but a lot of folks don’t know how the whole costume connection to the date of October 31^st began. There are numerous reports as to the origin of Halloween but they all date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain over 2000 years ago. It wasn’t until the seventh century when Pope Boniface IV designated November 1^st All Saints Day (also known as All Hollow) to honor deceased saints and martyrs. Hallow meant sanctify. The night before November1st became known as All Hallows Eve. In 1000 A.D. the church would mark November 2^nd as All Souls Day to remember the dead. Eventually all three days of celebration became known as Hallowmas which transcended into Halloween. It was customary to celebrate this joyful time with bonfires, parades and costumes. A costume honoring a dead spirit or soul has always been the most popular. The whole Trick or Treating for candy thing is just a wonderful byproduct of this festive season undoubtedly concocted by the people who make M&Ms and KIT KAT bars.

As we get ready for our suburbia night of terror festivities which include costume parties, office themed dress-up contests and neighborhood Trick or Treaters. Civilized people everywhere will once again eagerly disguise themselves as a ghostly presence. Most of us remember the animated television holiday classic, It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. This time honored masterpiece features wonderful acting, a catchy soundtrack and an intense plot line. While numerous Trick or Treating children (minor characters) don the white sheet as a favorite costume selection, our hero, the socially awkward Charlie Brown, not surprisingly cuts far too many holes in his sheet. He unwittingly resembles either a homeless person wrapped in discarded linen from the Salvation Army or a drunken college freshman draped in a soiled bed sheet after a fraternity toga party. As you’ll recall poor Charlie Brown never got any good treats, such as Milky Way or Snickers, instead he got a bag full of tricks from his neighbors. If that Charlie Brown ghost boy had lived on my block growing up the families that gave him rocks and coal would have felt the wrath of about two dozen raw eggs raining down on their cars, garage doors and front porches.

When it comes to ghosts, I’m still not certain that I’m a true believer. I would definitely say I’m more open to the possibility than I was last year. As long at there is the slimmest, slightest, remotest of chances that a paranormal otherworld might exist in our otherwise ordinary mortal lives I’m willing to keep an open mind. Maybe the next time I’m getting my freak on and can’t explain what feels like a dead person’s presence or energy nearby I’m going to hang on to it for awhile and question my surroundings. If I think I’ve heard an indeterminate, nebulous voice in the breeze maybe I won’t just assume it’s my imagination. I might even talk back (in a whisper of course). I’m no longer going to be so quick to ignore, shrug off or discount the frequent paranormal occurrences I can’t explain. From now on I’m going to embrace these ghosts or spirits as part of the “in crowd” because who doesn’t want to hang with the cool and popular people….even if they are dead?

I See Dead People

October 7, 2021 by Michael Copeland Leave a Comment

The East Bay’s Most Notable Ghost Haunts

When it comes to ghosts, spirits, spooks, phantoms or wraiths I have three distinctly different frames of references, all a product of Hollywood and what I saw on television or in a movie growing up. The first is Casper, the friendly ghost. Casper was a sweet and gentle ghost who, along with his nice witch friend Wendy, would go around making friends while helping people understand that ghosts were nothing to be frightened of as long as you kept an open mind. When I was six I talked my mom into buying me a Casper costume for Halloween. Unfortunately, being somewhat husky, I more closely resembled the Michelin Tire guy’s illegitimate son. In my teens I was introduced to the wildly silly paranormal activity in the movie Ghostbusters. Who could forget Bill Murray’s character, Dr. Peter Venkman, getting slimed while chasing an especially nasty green tinted apparition from the afterlife while the catchy “GHOSTBUSTERS” sound tract played in the background? More recently, M. Night Shyamalan brought us his impression of what I’ve always imagined real ghosts to more closely resemble, Bruce Willis in a bad hairpiece. In his celluloid masterpiece, The Sixth Sense, the audience is blown away by the plot twist at the end of the movie? Finding out that Willis’ character had been dead for most of the flick and only the innocent Haley Joel Osment could see and communicate with his ghost freaked out the entire theatre.

In the greater East Bay Area we don’t hear about many reported ghost sightings on the Channel 7 evening news or in the Contra Costa Herald. Oh sure we’ve all had that feeling from time to time of a spirit like presence in our vicinity at Broadway Plaza and who hasn’t heard a melodic voice wafting through the trees while walking alone on the Iron Horse Trail? I can’t be the only one who’s had their furniture inexplicably moved around the room while they’ve slept in peaceful Danville? But ghosts…? Come on. In a phone interview with Loyd Auerbach, a Director at the Office for Paranormal Investigations in Martinez and an instructor of Parapsychology Studies at the HCH Institute in Lafayette, I learned that while older East Coast cities such as Boston, New York or Philadelphia, where the age of a structure and the history of the area contribute to the chances of paranormal activity there are places of unusual phenomena sprinkled throughout our local suburban landscape. The fact that Mt. Diablo (translated means Devil Mountain) sits in our back yard has some relevance. Apparently many of this area’s most active spirit hangouts are within eyesight of Mt. Diablo. Mt. Diablo can be said to have either an unusually dynamic soul of supernatural activity or it’s the geomagnetic fields in the surrounding earth that can explain the incomprehensible metallurgy which get misreported as spirit sightings. Mr. Auerbach says that while there is significantly more commotion reported in East Bay homes, there are a few relatively well know public locations that have had people talking for years. The Banta Hotel in Tracy, the Rosehill Cemetery in Antioch, the former Quail Court Restaurant in Walnut Creek (currently vacant), the Black Diamond Mines of Concord and apparently the City of Clayton (at the northeastern base of Mt. Diablo) which has been routinely recognized for its abundance of paranormal activity ever since the infamous Poltergeist of 1957. Now I don’t know if the ‘57 Poltergeist was anything like the film but just to be safe I’m never moving there. In fact I don’t think I’ll ever play golf at the Oakhurst Country Club again.

Perhaps the best-known East Bay spectral destination is the famed aircraft carrier, the U.S.S Hornet, which is now a museum and event center berthed at the closed Alameda Navel Air Station. The Hornet has long been recognized for having a reputation as a haunted ground. While the trustee’s that run this National Historic Landmark and popular tourist attraction downplay any actual ghost sightings or unusual occurrences, Mr. Auerbach says that the treasured history of this storied vessel could explain its reputed spirit visitations. The Hornet is the eighth ship of the United States Navy to bear the name dating back to 1775. Its wartime legacy is impressive. The vessel, currently housed at the former Alameda Navy Air Station, CV-12 is one of the most decorated combat ships in the U.S. Naval fleet. and holds the record for the number of enemy ships and aircrafts destroyed during World War II. The U.S.S. Hornet also had the honor of retrieving Apollo capsules 11 and 12 from the Indian Ocean upon their splash down following trips to the moon. After being decommissioned and languishing at the Bremerton Shipyards in the state of Washington, the Hornet lay in disposal status until 1997 when a determined volunteer effort was successful and the proud ship was converted into a floating museum and relocated to Alameda. Since the ship’s renovation began the number of phantom sighting is rumored to be in the hundreds. Due to the Hornets popular community outreach activity, the Youth Liveaboard Program, they do not sensationalize this aspect of the ships appeal but Mr. Auerbach has consulted for several TV specials on this very subject.

Whether or not ghosts actually exist is up to each person’s own beliefs. In an informal poll of roughly 20 people it was split evenly between the believers and non-believers. Loyd Auerback says that while most occurrences he investigates are easily explained he adds the possibility of a spirit’s presence or the sighting of an apparition, especially if the historical circumstance of the location would dictate a reasonable explanation, does exist. Visit any library, bookstore or Amazon.com and you’ll find thousands of books and documentaries on the subject of ghosts, paranormal activity, supernatural occurrences, etc. Logic usually prevails when it comes to things we can’t explain, but if you keep an open mind it’s not impossible to accept the possibility of a ghostlike existence in our living world. In the immortal words of Ray Parker Jr., “I ain’t fraid a no ghosts”.

Side Bar

Loyd Auerbach, M.S., is a respected parapsychologist. He is a Director at the Office of Paranormal Investigations in Martinez and a teaching member of the staff at the HCH Institute in Lafayette. Newsweek proclaimed his book ESP, Hauntings and Poltergeists as “Sacred Text” on the subject of ghosts. Mr. Auerbach has appeared on over 100 local and national television shows on the subject of ghosts and paranormal activity and has consulted on countless movies, television shows and books. He is typically contacted through referral sources such as the Rhine Research Center but he is also listed in the yellow pages under Parapsychologist.

Once Auerbach has been contacted about an unusual occurrence, he first tries to explain away the event in a phone interview. He says, “Oftentimes a person mistakes what they saw, the sighting occurred too far in the past, or they’re just plain nuts.” He adds, “If it is a current phenomenon and there is some type of history connected to the person or place and an investigation is warranted, I will make it a point of doing my investigation immediately.” The investigation itself consists of Auerbach visiting the area, talking with those involved and getting a sense of the psychic energy. The Moss Beach Distillery, a popular restaurant in Half Moon Bay, is Auerbach’s favorite haunted spot and the site of his most vivid experiences with a spirit coined the “Blue Lady.”

You can read learn more about Mr. Auerbach, his services and adventures at www.mindreader.com or contact him at esper@california.com

ADVENTURES & MISADVENTURES OF MY CHILDHOOD SUMMERS

August 6, 2021 by Michael Copeland Leave a Comment

When I think of the summer vacations of my youth the magic always started at 3:00 pm on June 8^th. That was the last day of school. Back in the olden days the school year was always September 8^th to June 8^th no exceptions. By some cosmic glitch in the calendar of the sun those days never fell on a weekend so we could religiously schedule those dates into our 12 year PDA (if we had one back then) starting in Kindergarten. When the final bell rang the chains of academia broke loose and freedom rained on the youthful masses. A heard of mating bison couldn’t have stopped me from busting through the door of my classroom into a world of staying up late, sleeping in and no responsibilities. Of course me and every other kid in my neighborhood usually waited until June 10^th before uttering the inevitable phrase, “Mom I’m bored, there’s nothing to do. “

The best part of summer is no school, no tests and no homework. Charlie L. 9 years old in Alamo

June also meant the conclusion of the little league baseball season. Little league was for ages 9-12 before the days of minors, majors, minors majors and Senior Major Minor’s. The number of boys that continued playing organized summer league baseball dropped off significantly as they got older as many gave it up in favor of summer jobs, year round commitments to other sports or to become stoners, but everyone played little league. In our town every little leaguer still has delusional aspirations of playing pro ball. Our McKelvey Park had a snack bar, PA announcer’s booth and a home run fence. If you could “park one” over the fence you were a stud. My last year of little league Jay Hines hit 15 bombs in an 18 game season. If that happened today he would be tested for steroids or Human Growth Hormones. But in 1974 he was the king of the park. I loved the glory days of little league probably because that’s when my own baseball career peaked. When we weren’t at McKelvey we were usually putting together pick up lob ball games in the streets of our neighborhood. We ate, drank and breathed baseball and the occasional broken window was just an occupational hazard paid for out of our allowance.

I like everything about summer, especially playing sports and video games with my friends. Logan P., 10 years old in San Ramon.

Summer nights were reserved for various forms of mayhem and mischief. Namely hide and seek, door bell ditch and sleepovers. Evenings were triggered when one by one we were called into the house for dinner by our crazed mother’s, who were crazed because they had been sweating over a hot stove for hours due to the fact that virtually no one had central air conditioning and no one ate light or healthy. Salads were something you ate before the meatloaf, corn on the cob, bread and mashed potatoes arrived. Once the sun set a group of a dozen or so boys and girls became children of the night and it wasn’t until the old people on the block, today they’re known as “empty nesters”, started to complain about the frenzied noise or their door bells being rang continuously for hours without a hint of an actually visitor that we were finally called in for the night, unless of course we could maneuver a sleepover. Sleepovers usually meant sleeping outside with a group of buddies in a make shift beach chair fort with no curfew. Since Dad and mom rarely stayed up past Carson, this allowed us to sneak out of the backyard for a well orchestrated TP blitz on someone’s house.

Summer is great because you get to hang out with your friends and you have so much freedom, Elliot B. 11 years old in Danville

Another haunting memory of summer was chores. My dad liked to say, “Being out of school doesn’t mean you aren’t going work young man”. To earn money you had a list of chores to complete every week. Not sissy things like putting away your CDs/ DVDs or turning off the computer, we had heavy lifting jobs like mowing the lawn…with a push mower, washing cars, pulling weeds, sanding the fence, scrubbing the patio and replacing the TV antenna attached to the chimney, but that last task wasn’t added to my list until I was 7. I felt like a chain gang convict doing time on Dalma Drive.

What summer was complete without the annual road trip car vacation? Name a kid who doesn’t enjoy being trapped in the back seat of a car for hours on end with warm air blasting into their face as his dad winds his way through a series of hairpin mountain passes with his mom making him eat homemade tuna sandwiches to avoid stopping. I experienced more motion sickness than if we were on a small fishing boat during the perfect storm. These trips from hell (and I don’t think Satan even takes his kids on long car trips) were topped only when we got a car with air conditioning whereby we were forced to inhale secondhand cigarette smoke for 8 hours a day from two parents each with a pack a day habit. Coal miners have cleaner lungs than me and my sister. The trip was only worth the pain if we staying in hotel with a swimming pool. Back then I dreamt of living in a Holiday Inn with an attached Denny’s restaurant. Visiting relatives was always a jip because we didn’t get to eat out or swim. Boy I loved a good chicken fried steak and a spritz.

The best part of summer is taking cool vacations with your family. Austin C., 12 years old in San Ramon

Now as I stare at my computer screen or make a sales call in the late afternoon of another hot summer day I still have flashbacks of sun burns (Coppertone is not sun screen) from a day at Santa Cruz, building a fort in the backyard, waiting for darkness at the drive in, bleacher seats at an A’s game and neighborhood pool parties. My kids wish adults got work off for the summer and frankly so do I. Reality is we don’t but I do take pleasure knowing that they are swimming, at day camps or enjoying a play date with one of their friends. Summers are a time of joy for kids and although the circumstances may be different than mine I’ll try to ensure that they have as much fun as I did. Hopefully they’ll treasure the adventures or misadventures they encounter along the way.

Now That I Can Take My Mask Off…

June 18, 2021 by Michael Copeland Leave a Comment

Today is the first day, of the rest of my life. At least it seems that way. I should trademark that term, because now that California is opened-up and we don’t have to wear our masks in public anymore we’re free to start living again. I feel like that guy from the musical Phantom of the Opera who wore a mask because, a, well, I didn’t actually see Phanton, but I know the lead character had a mask…. or a hat and at the end of singing all those long songs, didn’t he take his mask off?

The mask that the “Phantom,” Erik, wears over his face symbolizes his vulnerability and the injustice he suffers from, as he is forced to hide his face because it causes too much horror in other people. Although the mask gives Erik some control over his life, as it allows him to decide when to reveal his real face, it also signals that he has no control over one crucial factor: other people’s reactions.

OK, now that I’ve read the plot of Phantom, it does kind of relate to the mask we’ve been wearing the last year. Was I the only one who felt vulnerable injustice in the COVID state we’ve been living in the past 15 months? I’m no GQ model, anymore, and while my mask wasn’t hiding ugliness, I did feel if I took my mask off in public I couldn’t control other people’s reactions. Mask shaming was real. I think we can all agree that the Corona Virus was ugly, like Erik, and yet we’ve all been living life as Erik. Well today, June 15, 2021 is the day when when Governor Gavin Newsome says we can reveal our faces once again unless…………..

I want to go to the bank. Wells Fargo, Band of America, Chase, Citibank and even credit unions (which are like junior banks). All of these financial institutions would still prefer I wear a mask when coming into their establishment to ask for some of my money. If I don’t like it I can keep my money at home at the Under My Mattress Savings & Loan.

I want to go the post office. NO, the USPS still wants me to wear a mask when I come in to mail a letter, package or purchase a sheet of Hello Kitty stamps. I also get the pleasure of waiting in a long line.

I want to go to the grocery store. Well, Safeway, Lucky, Draeger’s, Andronicos, Whole Foods all kinda want me to still wear a mask when I come into shop for my Fruit Loops, Pringles, turkey burgers and hummus. 7-Eleven might be a little looser if I just need a Slurpee.

I want to go to out to eat. Unless I’m mistaken, most of my favorite restaurants, such as Olive Garden, Five Guys, Panda Express and the Taco Bell Cantina, all are still expecting me to “mask up” if I want to come in and order a little something when I get hangry.

I want to go into an office building. I work in an office building and yes, I am expected to wear my mask into the lobby, hallways and restroom, but I do take it off when I “do my business” in stall #2. I also take my mask off when I go into my suite. That’s pretty sweet because at least I can now go into the office and stop working from home in my pajamas and participating on a million Zoom calls.

I want to go to a sporting event. Knowing that I watch football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey and LAX with my eyes, I don’t have to cover our eyes, just my nose and mouth. That is until I get hungry and want to dig into a stadium dog, nachos and a cold beer…..for $89.00

I want to attend a concert. Knowing that I listen with my ears, my ears don’t have to be covered, just my nose and mouth. At least until I get hungry and want to dig into a stadium dog, nachos and a cold beer…..for $99.00. Apparently, they mark the prices up at concerts.

I want to visit the zoo. Well the giraffes and camels are requesting their I wear my mask to avoid that dreaded human to animal COVID transmission. It seems that new Delta variant is making everyone a little nervous.

I want to go to a movie. However, with the Top Gun movie coming out on July 2^nd, I’m prepared to double mask and wear a face shield if I that’s what it takes to see that long awaited sequel to the 1986 hit starring Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer. Who could forget the epic line delivered my Cruise’s character Maverick, “I got a need for speed”?

I want to travel. No, wait for it, I do still have to wear a mask on an airplane per the website instructions from Southwest, United, American, Delta, Aloha, etc. However, travel restrictions might be a little looser on Spirit and Frontier, but you also might need to act as the flight attendant or actually fly the plane.

I want to gamble or enjoy the entertaining music at a strip club in Las Vegas. Apparently craps dealers and strippers, excuse me, exotic dancers, both still want more separation from the customer.

Come to think of it, maybe Phantom of the Opera was the wrong mask reference. Maybe I was thinking of the movie, The Mask staring Jim Carrey where a hapless, everyday bank clerk finds a magical mask that transforms him into The Mask, a cartoonish, mischievous, genuinely insane, green-faced troublemaker with the ability to alter himself and his surroundings at will who later on becomes a crimefighter. Come to think of it, I was starting to feel a little cartoonish, mischievous and genuinely insane wearing my mask. Lets hope this pandemic is essentially over and we can all get back to life as we knew it, maskles

The New Normal?

April 20, 2021 by Michael Copeland 2 Comments

I bet it involves a mask

After virtually 15 months of living through COVID madness, COVID hysteria, COVID mania, it’s probably safe to say we’re all ready to get back to normal. That would be the new normal. Raise your hand if you have any idea what the new normal is these days? I wasn’t all that normal to begin with, but those are personal issues that I’m working on with my team. The new normal will undoubtedly involve masks—more on that later—but it may also still involve washing our hands, hand sanitizer, limited seating at entertainment-type events, not to mention working from home, restricted travel, and antisocial distancing. Please understand that I’m not making light of a global pandemic, however, I’m just ready to move on…..now that I got my double Pfizer vaccine and several hundred COVID preventative masks.

Masks: It was a little over 15 months ago that if you walked into a bank wearing a mask the alarm would have been triggered and you’d be given a dye pack with your withdrawal. That’s a bank robber joke. Masks have become so commonplace you’d think we’d been wearing these things forever. That said, most days I still double back to my car to grab one of my collection of 28 masks that litter the floor of my car. I hate those things. If I never wore a mask again in my life, I’d be fine. Those damn things limit my free breathing of air, fog my glasses and spend more time as a chin diaper than an actual germ constrictor/restrictor. That said, I’ll wear my mask to the bank, gym, post office and grocery store until otherwise notified because it’s apparently against the law now and if I’m anything it’s a law-abiding citizen who will comply with the new normal mask laws.

Masks: I haven’t worn a mask to a movie since I dressed up as Frankfurter at the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was less a mask and more just a lot of makeup. How am I going to eat my tub of movie house popcorn if I must wear a surgical mask to the picture show? Most places allow you to remove your mask to eat, but then what’s the point of wearing it at all I ask? I guess I could wear a mask into and out of a sporting event or outdoor concert venue, but aren’t these people I’m coming and going with the same ones I’ll be sitting next to enjoying an adult beverage and legal inhalant? This new normal/wearing mask could be an annoyance.

Masks: What if I attend a wedding/funeral (sometimes a very similar event), a trade show or some other type of indoor participatory activity such as bowling, dancing or shopping? Do I wear my mask every time I walk through a door? What if I visit friends, go to my office and/or pick up a Mocha Frappa Al Pacino at Starbucks? My Alexa says YES, you must wear a mask until Siri says you can take it off or risk being arrested for indecent face exposure. Masks are the new watches, but does anyone wear a watch anymore? I should invent a mask that tells time. Wait, don’t anyone steal my idea because it’s genius! Mask watches will be the new, new normal.

Masks: Some people, and you know who you are, don’t mind wearing masks. I’ve heard it said, masks have become so common place that it is now not normal to travel without a face condom. As we head into the summer months, it’s one thing to wear a mask in the winter or spring when there’s a cool marine layer, but just wait until it’s 110 degrees for a solid week in July and you have to do yard work or attend one of your kid’s sporting events wearing a thick wool mask with your tank-top, shorts and flip flops (my go-to summer attire). Oh yea, that will be fun. No trouble breathing when pollen and dust mix with a lethal dose of sweat. Those will be some good new normal times.

Masks: Doctors used to think they were so cool when they would come out of surgery with their masks on to give a concerned family good or bad news. Total GOD complex. Now everyone has 50 surgical masks in the glove compartment of their car. You can’t even pretend to be a doctor, not that I ever tried that lame come on…..very often. We now see masks on our favorite characters of television shows, streaming movies, sporting events and music videos. I’m pretty sure Micky and Minnie Mouse wear masks at Disneyland. I’ve heard that American Girl Dolls have a line of masks as do Lulu Lemon, Athletica, and every college and pro sports team, rock band, and popular liquor line. If Playboy was still in circulation, I’m confident the lovely ladies would make masks look sexy and appealing. COVID masks, of one type or another, will likely be the new normal for years to come.

Masks: With Halloween just a few months away, masks will once again become of the cultural fabric, not that they aren’t already. I’ve been known to sport an occasional Mike Meyer’s Halloween mask, a catcher’s mask, a Kabuki mask (if my Kimono is clean and I’m feeling Kabukisih), and an occasional exfoliant mask for my sensitive skincare. None of these have the global appeal of the COVID-19 mask, but they are keeping with the new normal mask heavy theme of this article.

Masks: While I like to joke about the mask, and might even watch The Mask starring Jim Carey, I certainly understand the importance of maintaining preventative mask etiquette for the foreseeable future. That said, I’ll never be one of those people who wear a mask while driving alone in my car, walking on a deserted trail, taking a shower, or while on a ZOOM call. I don’t judge, that’s just not me. The “New Normal” will certainly involve mask wearing, but it could be worse. At least it’s not the flatulence pandemic several fortune tellers and psychics were predicting a few years ago. Just imagine that mask.

Side note: If you’re starting to feel like the Pfizer versus Moderna vaccines are reminiscent of the Blood and Crips drug battles from the 1980s, you’re not the only one. Poor Johnson & Johnson has got to feel like the lowly Latin Kings not getting any gang drug love. Maybe J&J needs to come out with a cool mask to get back in the nation’s good graces?

Where Does the Time Go?

March 16, 2021 by Michael Copeland Leave a Comment

It is often said that time flies when you’re having fun, but I’m finding that it flies even when I’m not having fun. Time flies when I’m happy or sad, busy or bored, burdened or carefree, having the time of my life or writing another article for ALIVE. By the time you read this article, it will be Easter. I haven’t even taken down my Christmas tree and now it’s time for flowers, baskets, chocolate bunnies and Peeps. Just for the record, I’m always very appreciative of a delightful holiday gift basket from one of my loyal readers. I’m not so much of a chocolate guy, but more of an IPA or whiskey type basket is what I’m thinking.

It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating New Year’s Eve and then we blew right past Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day. Not to mention it’s been over a year since COVID-19 shut down our world and changed our lives forever. Look how much our lives have changed in the past 12 months. Where did that year go?

In the song Young Turks, Rod Stewart sang, “Because life is so brief and time is a thief when you’re undecided and like a fistful of sand, it can slip right through your hands.” That Rod is deep.

Growing up, time moved at what seemed like a normal pace. Days were from sun up to sun down, evenings and weekends were leisurely, summer vacation from school was a legit twelve weeks, and it seemed like forever until Christmas or my next birthday rolled around. I never thought much about time as a kid and yet time is a constant topic of conversation as an adult. “Where did the time go” is a typical line heard at any coffee place in town.

In the song, Time Stands Still, by Rush, Geddy Lee sang, “Time stands still, I’m not looking back, but I want to look around me now. Time stands still, see more of the people and the places that surround me now.” Geddy could be very introspective. Probably because he’s from Canada.

Once I became an adult, time seemed to speed up. It started a little at a time, but days, weeks and months all started to go by a little quicker. A busy workweek would fly by in the blink of an eye. A weeklong vacation would feel like it was over before it even started. Every six-month dental check up and teeth cleaning seemed to arrive before I got into a regular flossing routine.

In the song Time is on My Side, by the Rolling Stones, Mick sang, “Time, time, time is on my side, yes it is, I said time, time, time is on my side, yes it is, I said time, time, time is on my side.” We get it Mick. He’s always been more than a little conceited.

When I became a young parent, when my children were newborns and then toddlers, each day seemed to last forever, but somehow we started going through calendars at a rapid pace. As someone once said about having children, “The days are long and the years fly by.” No truer words have ever been spoken. Then, the next thing I knew, my kids were teenagers and I worried about them all the time. They were so busy I barely had enough time to get anything done outside of keeping them on their schedules.

When we were attending the kids’ sporting events, a swim meet or equestrian horse competition, it seemed easy to wipe out an entire weekend. I once saw a t-shirt that read, “If I only had one day left to live, I’d want to spend it at a swim meet because that feels like the longest day on earth.” Take it from me, a horse show feels even longer.

Now that my wife and I are empty nesters, time has new meaning. With our two girls living out of state, we never get enough time with them and there’s way too much time between visits. Time goes by pretty quickly keeping up with tuition, rent, allowances and other expenses.

In the song Time in a Bottle, Jim Croce sang, “There never seems to be enough time, to do the things you want to do. I’ve looked around enough to know, that you’re the one I want to go, through time with.” Jim sure knew how to sweet-talk a lady.

In the song, (I’ve had) The Time of My Life, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes sang, “Now I’ve had the time of my life/ No, I never felt like this before/ Yes I swear it’s the truth/ And I owe it all to you. Cause I’ve had the time of my life and I owe it all to you.” I still get goose bumps picturing Baby and Johnny tearing up the Catskills banquet room with their provocative dance moves.

At work, a day can fly by or it drag out forever. When we’re busy, there’s never enough time and when it’s slow, there’s too much time. Days lead to weeks, weeks to months and then another year is gone. Because a majority of us work to live and not live to work, the workday can’t end soon enough to enjoy the quality time we all want, need and crave.

In the song, Long Time, by Boston, the band sang, “It’s been such a long time/I think I should be goin’, yeah time doesn’t wait for me, it keeps on rollin’. And then, Well, I’m takin’ my time, I’m just movin’ on, you’ll forget about me after I’ve been gone. And I take what I find, I don’t want no more; it’s just outside of our front door.“ Those 80’s bands were full of long haired guys that just lived for the moment.

The one and only exception I can come up with to time moving too rapidly is probably “doing time.” You know, jail time. Being locked-up, aka doing time in the big house, the joint, hoose-gow or the gray bar hotel. However you want to phrase it, prison time has got to be the most difficult, surreal time experience a person can face. I’ve seen The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Escape from Alcatraz and The Longest Yard so I know. Doing time seems like just that: doing it. Not spending time, not killing time, not even wasting time. The Covid (Shelter in Place) experience is as close as most of us will ever get to being locked in a cell. My house isn’t exactly a 6’x 8’ cell, but I truly felt like I was “doing” time.

In the song, Cats in the Cradle Harry Chapin sings the ultimate song about the passage of time as it relates to parenting. I would go on, but it chokes me up every time I hear it and a writer never cries.

In the song, Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is, by the band Chicago, the guys sang, “As I was walking down the street one day, a man came up to me and asked me what the time was that was on my watch and I said…Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care? If so, I can’t imagine why/we’ve all got time enough to cry.” Personally, I don’t usually cry when I look at my Timex, but the band sure sold a crap ton of records with that line.

As we start to come out of the Coronoa Virus/ period in history, it’s time to take some time and smell the roses. Slow things down enough to enjoy the moment. Start with the time we can now spend with family and friends or doing something that we truely love. We only get so much time in our life, so don’t waste it.

In the song Time after Time, Cyndi Lauper sang, “Time after time, Time after time, Time after time, Time after time, Time after time, Time after time, Time after time, Time after, Time”. I don’t know about you, but I find Cyndi to be a bit repetitive. That said, I am so ready to appreciate the time I have available to do what I want without the government or medical experts taking time away from me.

Be a Light

January 27, 2021 by Michael Copeland Leave a Comment

Last year, one of my favorite country music artists, Thomas Rhett, came out with a song entitled Be A Light. Contrary to popular belief, the song was not about proper illumination, but more an anthem of initiating a positive change in attitude and action. The chorus lyrics go a little something like this:

In a world full of hate, be a light
When you do somebody wrong, make it right
Don’t hide in the dark, you were born to shine
In a world full of hate, be a light

Given the current climate in our country, truer words have never been spoken or sung. I want to be a light. If I was going to be an actual “light,” would I be a flashlight or a light bulb? I like the thought of being a spotlight, search light, night light or lighthouse. I have always enjoyed how fireworks light up the sky. Props go out to both Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison for their contributions to light.

I joke, or pitifully attempt to, when obviously, Mr. Rhett is trying to musically inspire a nation of people to be a ray of light with the hope of bringing us out of this somewhat dark time in history. He is essentially saying that it’s time we put aside our partisan agenda and focus on bringing the citizens of our neighborhoods, cities, states, and nation together again for the greater good and prosperity of our entire country.

Thomas and I truly believe if we don’t start turning darkness into light, we’re destined for a Hunger Games type future. The Hunger Games were very impactful books, pretty good movies, but a really distressing vision of the future. My guess is none of us want our grandkids to be tributes chosen to fight to the death for the betterment of the capital. To ensure that isn’t the path we’re headed down, we’re going to need a reckoning and perhaps that reckoning starts with a song.

I grew up on a military base with the children of Navy and Marine officers and enlisted men. We were a small and diverse nation of every race, religion, ethnicity and GPA. To probably no one’s surprise, I was on the lower end of the GPA scale. That said, growing up together from the time we were infants and toddlers through high school, I’m comfortable saying we didn’t see color or political preference in our friends.

Our military base gang were often lightning rods for mischief and mayhem, but those kids went on to become teachers, policeman, firemen, software engineers, real estate and insurance agents, business owners—and one poor sole even thinks he’s a writer.

As children of military men and women, we were all raised to respect each other and our country. We played, learned, traveled, fought, dated, and competed against each other in a healthy and productive environment. That appears to be a concept that has slipped between the cracks, however, it’s not inconceivable that it could be brought back if we all tried to be a light.

Ironically, I remember chasing Fireflies as a child. What better way to exemplify being a light than having your butt actually light up? I wish my bottom could light up just for the sake of this article.

A few people that I think exemplify being “lights” in society today include:

Tom Brady, who, as a 43 year old NFL quarterback, headed to his 10^th Super Bowl, lights up the NFL with every victory.

Amanda Gorman shone brightly when the 22-year-old American Poet graced the stage at President Biden’s inauguration.

John Krasinski (formerly a cast member on The Office) shows us the lighter side of life with his “Some Good News” Show.

The health care workers throughout the country who deal with COVID-19 are truly bright lights in the pandemic darkness.

Lights that were recently extinguished include:

Eddie Van Halen whose guitar licks loved the spotlight.
The same could be said for Hank Aaron as he lit up Major League Baseball when he broke Babe Ruth’s home run record back in the day.
And then there’s Larry King, who truly seemed to love the limelight as he conducted over 50,000 interviews.

On a “lighter” note, I find those Progressive Insurance commercials where Dr. Rick, the Parental Life Coach, helps people from turning into their parents. Those spots are incredibly enlightening. They are so me. I do virtually all the things pointed out in that entertaining series of 30 second TV ads, including introducing myself to my waiter at a restaurant, groaning when I get up from sitting in a chair, offering advice to other customers at Home Depot, and being intimidated by technology—just like my dad used to do.

Finally, it’s a beautiful sight seeing the sun light warm the I-680 hillside, between Stone Valley Road and El Pintado in Alamo, where a zebra, camel, llamas, Shetland Ponies and other animals roam.

If you’re interested, the entirety of Rhett’s song goes a little something like this:

In a time full of war, be peace
In a time full of doubt, just believe
Yeah, there ain’t that much difference between you and me
In a time full of war, be peace

In a place that needs change, make a difference
In a time full of noise, just listen
‘Cause life is but a breeze, better live it
In a place that needs a change, make a difference

In a race that you can’t win, slow it down
Yeah, you only get one go around
‘Cause the finish line is six feet in the ground
In a race you can’t win, just slow it down

In a world full of hate, be a light (oh)
When you do somebody wrong, make it right (make it right)
Don’t hide in the dark (don’t hide in the dark), you were born to shine
In a world full of hate, be a light

Yeah, it’s hard to live in color, when you just see black and white
In a world full of hate, be a light

I look forward to seeing and meeting more lights in and around town. Let’s turn our high beams on and move forth into the New Year. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, and collectively we can illuminate the future.

How the COVID (19) Stole Christmas

December 22, 2020 by Michael Copeland Leave a Comment

I’m dreaming of a White (not Stage Purple) Christmas, just like the ones I used to know. Wouldn’t it be so nice to get back to the way life used to be pre-Coronavirus/COVID-19? Does anyone remember when we were free to shop, travel, carol and congregate with friends and family over eggnog and fruit cake? Remember a holiday season when we could go out to a nice dinner, get together at the house with neighbors or co-workers and tolerate seasonal gatherings with our extended family? It seems like that was so long ago. After a Thanksgiving lockdown with limited travel, who knows what our Christmas/Hanukah through New Year’s will look like this year given an out of control worldwide pandemic. COVID could literally be an updated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

With a little help from Dr. Seuss, I’ve given a slight local spin to a familiar Christmas story with hopes that it will bring a smile to those who read it. Does anyone read our online magazine? We’ll soon find out.

Every Dan down in Danville, liked Christmas a lot…
But the COVID amongst us, Did NOT!
COVID hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season
Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be this virus wasn’t screwed on just right.
Or it could be, perhaps, its symptoms too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all,
May have been that COVID has a heart, two sizes too small. Whatever the reason, its heart or its glands,
COVID spent Christmas Eve, hating all of us Dans.
Staring down from its cave, with a sour COVID frown,
At the warm lighted windows below in our town.
“And they’re hanging their stockings!” COVID snarled with a sneer,
“Tomorrow is Christmas! It’s practically here!”
Then he growled, with his COVID fever nervously running,
“I MUST find some way to stop Christmas from coming!”
For Tomorrow, he knew, all the Dan girls and boys,
Would wake bright and early. They’d rush for their toys!
And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the Noise!
That’s two things COVID hated! Dr. Fauci and NOISE!
Then the Dans, young and old, would sit down to a feast.
They would feast on Dan-pudding, and rare Dan-roast beef.
Which was something that COVID couldn’t stand in the least!
And THEN They’d do something it liked least of all!
Every Dan down in Danville, the tall and the small,
Would stand close together, with Christmas bells ringing.
They’d stand hand-in-hand. And the Dans would start singing!

And the more COVID thought of this Dan Christmas sing,
The more COVID thought, “I must stop this whole thing!”
“Why, for hundreds of years it would happen right now?”
“I MUST stop this Christmas from coming! But HOW?”
Then he got an idea! An awful idea!
THE COVID GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!
“I know just what to do!” COVID laughed at that note.
And he made a quick Santy Claus hat and Santy Claus coat.
And he chuckled, and clucked, “What a great COVID trick!”
“With this coat and this hat, I look just like St. Nick!” And when the Dans gather in numbers they’ll all get real sick”

THEN COVID loaded some bags and some old empty sacks,
On a ramshackle sleigh and it hitched up old Max.
Then COVID said, “Giddy up!” and the sleigh started down,
Toward the homes where the Dans lay asleep in their town.
All their windows were dark. Quiet snow filled the air.
All the Dans were all dreaming sweet dreams without care.
When it came to the first little house on the square.
“This is stop number one,” the old COVID Claus hissed,
And it climbed to the roof, empty bags in his fist.
Then it slid down the chimney. A rather tight sinus.
But, if Santa could do it, then so could the virus.

Where the little Dan stockings all hung in a row.
“These stockings,” it grinned, “are the first things to go!”
Then he slithered and slunk, with a smile most unpleasant,
Around the whole room, and it infected every last present!
Pop guns! And bicycles! Roller skates! Drums!
Checkerboards! Tricycles! Popcorn! And plums!
And it stuffed them in bags did the COVID quiet nimbly,
Stuffed all the bags, one by one, up the chimney!
Then it slunk to the icebox. He took the Dan’s feast!
It took the Dan-pudding! It took the roast beef!
It cleaned out that icebox as quick as a flash.
Why, that COVID even took their last can of Dan-hash! Then it stuffed all the food up the chimney with glee.
“And NOW!” grinned the virus “I will infect the whole tree!”
And COVID grabbed the tree, and he started to shove,
When he heard a small sound like the coo of a dove.
COVID had been caught by a tiny Dan daughter,
Who’d got out of her bed for a cup of cold water.
She stared at the virus and said, “Santy Claus, why,”
“Why are you taking our Christmas tree? WHY?”
But, you know, that old COVID was so smart and so slick,
He thought up a lie, and it thought it up quick!
“Why, my sweet little tot,” the fake Santy Claus lied,
“There’s a light on this tree that won’t light on one side.”
“So I’m taking it home to my workshop, my dear.”
“I’ll fix it up there. Then I’ll bring it back here.” And its fib fooled the child. Then it patted her head,
And it got her a drink and it sent her to bed.

Then the last thing it took was the log for their fire!

Then it went up the chimney, itself, the old liar.
And the one speck of food that it left in the house,
Was a crumb that was too small for even a mouse.
Then it did the same thing it the other Dans’ houses
Leaving crumbs much too small for the other Dan mouses!
It was quarter past dawn… All the Dans, still a-bed,
All the Dans still asleep when COVID packed up the sled,
Packed it up with their presents! The ribbons! The wrappings!
The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings!
Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mt. Crumpit,
He rode with his load to the tiptop to dump it!
“PoohPooh to the Dans!” it was COVIDLY humming.
“They’re finding out now that no Christmas is coming!”
“They’re just waking up! I know just what they’ll do!”
“Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
Then the Dans down in Danville will all cry BooHoo!”
“That’s a noise,” grinned COVID, “That I simply MUST hear!”
So he paused. And the virus put its hand to his ear.
And it did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow.
But the sound wasn’t sad! Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn’t be so! But it WAS merry! VERY!
It stared down at Danville! COVID popped out its eyes!
Then it shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise!
Every Dan down in Danville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!

COVID hadn’t stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the virus, with its COVID-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: “How could it be so?”
“It came without ribbons! It came without tags!”
“It came without packages, boxes or bags!”
The virus puzzled three hours, till its puzzler was sore.
Then COVID thought of something it hadn’t thought of before!
“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.”
“Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”

And what happened then? Well…in Danville they say,
That COVID’s small heart grew three sizes that day!
And the minute it’s heart didn’t feel quite so tight,
He whizzed with a vaccine through the bright morning light,
And it brought back the toys! And the food for the feast!
And at the end of the day, the Dan’s ate their roast beast!

There’s probably a little more to the story, but I’m tired and I’ve far exceeded my word count. The purpose of the retelling of this timeless holiday classic was to remind all of us that while this pandemic has been horribly tragic to many and terribly burdensome to everyone, it shouldn’t define us or dampen our holiday spirits. Perhaps that’s easier said than done, however, as a Mike here in Danville, who likes Christmas a lot, I won’t give up hope, no I will not. Let’s try and be happy, let’s all persevere, let’s everyone try to enjoy some much-needed holiday cheer.

David Victor of Rock Stars & Stripes

November 30, 2020 by Michael Copeland Leave a Comment

Walnut Creek native and Northgate High School alumni, David Victor, is a bona-fide “Rock Star” as a former member of the legendary rock band BOSTON. Yes, that BOSTON. The “More Than a Feeling,” “Don’t Look Back,” “Piece of Mind” and “Amanda” BOSTON who dominated the AM/FM air waves from the late 1970s to the mid 1990s and are still a staple on classic rock radio playlists. Today, David is still “rocking out”, but also giving back through rock music.

David moved to L.A. to pursue a career in music after graduating from Cal State East Bay with a degree in Computer Science. After modest success with the band Velocity, David played with the BOSTON tribute band Smokin’, where he was discovered through a YouTube video by BOSTON’s founding member, Tom Scholz. David spent five years with the band, and was featured as the lead vocalist on their #1 classic-rock charting single “Heaven on Earth” from their 2014 album “Life, Love & Hope”. I caught up with him recently at Side Board in Danville to talk about his BOSTON experience, and to hear more about his current project, Rock Stars & Stripes.

What was it like playing with BOSTON? Did you do a big tour of large venues?

I joined BOSTON in late 2009, and we did a couple of North American tours with the band in 2012 and 2014. We rehearsed in north Boston for several weeks before I did my first show in Hollywood, Florida in 2012. Rehearsing with the whole band was a trip. The lineup was not settled. I thought they were going to ship me out the first day! But I stuck around. One of my vivid memories was working with Tom Scholz who wrote “Peace of Mind,” my favorite BOSTON song ever. Of course, I learned way more than I ever could possibly have given back, most importantly exactly how the guitar parts went from the guy who wrote them!

The two tours I did were amazing, but the Boston Strong show was especially moving, because some of the survivors got up to talk about their recoveries, and it was very personal and a huge event. There were 20,000 people packed into the Boston Garden, and we opened the show with the “Star Spangled Banner”. It was practically a religious experience. All the Boston-area bands played, and then Aerosmith closed the show. My wife encouraged me to jump up on stage, and I actually got a chance at the mic with Steven Tyler singing “Come Together”.

David is currently performing as the founding member and lead vocalist of Rock Stars & Stripes, a polished, high-impact live rock show with powerful and moving visuals celebrating some of the greatest American rocks artists and hits including music by: BOSTON, Styx, KISS, REO Speedwagon, The Eagles, The Cars, Billy Joel, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Journey, ZZ Top, Night Ranger, and many more. The show takes the audience on a “rock and roll road trip” across the country with a positive, entertaining musical and visual experience. David fronts a seasoned group of All-Star musicians accompanied by an evocative video produced by Emmy and MTV award winning video editor Jeffrey Clark. Rock Stars & Stripes is a patriotic tribute to the people and music of America.

How was Rock Stars & Stripes conceived?

That Boston Strong event was obviously very moving. Seeing the unity and strength from the assembled people of Boston made me start to think about how we are all related to each other. And of course the fact that it was a big rock concert, well it kind of dawned on me: one common bond that many Americans share is their love of rock ‘n roll! This is not a show about our political or ideological differences; this is a show about music and our common bonds.

Then it was just a matter of figuring out how to deliver that kind of a show, start to finish, in a compelling way. That led me to presenting the show as a “Rock ‘n Roll Road Trip across America” to tie all the great musical areas of the United States together into one show. I wanted the videos to relate directly to the music being performed, so that people got a sense of the areas we were traveling to, the people of those areas, and the music that was created there. We’re very gratified that the show is being extremely well-received.

What do you enjoy most about these shows?

No question, the great community vibe and unity that we generate. There’s much more to this presentation than just the musical journey! We also have a “Local Heroes” segment, in which we honor individuals for their positive contributions in their communities. We bring them on stage, tell the audience their story, and honor them with a special Rock Stars & Stripes medallion. We also have a Charity of the Evening, which is connected to the local community. It’s about paying respect to the communities in which we perform. People leave this show happy, entertained and even a little prouder to be Americans!

Rock Stars & Stripes has a show at the Lesher Center in your hometown of Walnut Creek on November 12^th, how is ARF involved?

Obviously ARF has been part of the Walnut Creek scene for many years, and now has a national presence as well. I was checking out their website a few months back, and hit upon their “Pets for Vets” program, which meshes with our message perfectly; people doing good for their communities. Anyway, we asked them if they would be interested in being our Charity of the Evening for this Lesher show, and we were delighted they said yes! We are donating three wrapped Rock Stars & Stripes autographed guitars to ARF, one for auction, one for raffle that night, and one which will hang at the ARF HQ. We’ll also be selling customized show programs for this event, also to raise money for ARF and “Pets for Vets”.

You’re a newlywed. Where did you meet your wife, Tamra?

Tamra and I were introduced to each other by our mutual friend, Michael Brandon. We were both happily single, but wow – we just fell head over heels for each other! We were married just this past December 5^th in Kona, Hawaii. So yes, we’re newlyweds!

In retrospect, I was really happy that I didn’t meet her at a show; instead we met in a much more natural way. It’s not exactly ‘keeping it real’ to first set eyes on someone when they’re performing on stage. As it turned out, once we were already a couple, the first show she saw me play was Boston Strong! I’m up there on a 75-foot Magnatron screen performing with BOSTON, in Boston, for the first time the band had played there in 20 years. Then I’m singing with Steven Tyler, and we’re meeting all these celebrities backstage. I told her “Honey, not every day is going to be like this!” And she’s good with that!

What does the future hold for David Victor?

Of course, we’re going to be working hard on booking shows for Rock Stars & Stripes as well as my other bands, which includes BOSTYX (a tribute to the music of BOSTON and Styx!) I’m also planning on opening a music school in Danville in 2017 for private lessons, guest seminars and career education.

Today, David lives a suburban rock star life which includes encouraging his friends and neighbors to come out to his shows. I saw one of the very first Rock Stars & Stripes shows back in August at the Firehouse Theater in Pleasanton and was blown away by the music, the video and the great time had by people in the audience.

Feel free to “Friend” David on Facebook or visit his website at www.davidvictor.com. Tickets to the Lesher show can be purchase at the Lesher Box Office or through https://rockstarsandstripesshow.com/