Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

It was 25 years ago today that we lost one of the most brilliant songwriters and musicians the world has ever known, John Lennon. Of course, I never really understood the compulsion to celebrate unhappy anniversaries. For example, I think it would be to celebrate his birthday, October 9, but this morbid anniversary is all over the news today, so I'll share some thoughts.

John Lennon was my favorite Beatle. Some consider him the intellectual Beatle, the artistic Beatle. Over his life, he lived through many phases, from the rebellious young man to a sort of New Age sage in later years. Through it all, he never lost his anarchic sense of humor nor his off-kilter way of looking at the world.

He found a like-minded partner in Yoko Ono, who shared his political views and artistic tendencies, and the family had just expanded to three with Sean Lennon, his second son after Julian, with his first wife.

If we mark this anniversary, we should mark it by remembering John Lennon's life, not by indulging in exposes about his murderer. I permanently lost respect for Barbara Walters about a decade ago when she interviewed his murderer from prison. He doesn't deserve that type of attention, especially when he killed John Lennon for that exact purpose, to become famous.

I had a high school Social Studies teacher who told us that, while he would tell us the names of assassins of people like Abraham Lincoln, he would never test us on them. He felt such people deserved ignominy.

So I am sickened and horrified by the fact that yet another news program has recently been boasting about airing tapes made by the murderer in prison. Even more so, that a new movie is coming out starring Mark Ruffalo as this wretched individual. The film's producers would be wise to consider the feelings of John Lennon's family and friends, who I'm sure would not like to see such a person glorified for his acts. Neither do his fans.

Though I never got to meet him, being only 10 when he died, I'm familiar with John Lennon through his music and writings. He was a remarkable thinker with the ability to inspire. Many of his lyrics have a Zen-like wisdom, such as: "There's no place you can be that isn't where you're supposed to be."

He stood up for his beliefs, whether it was the remarkably silly "bed-in" for peace with Yoko shortly after their marriage, or whether it was the classic Beatles song, "All You Need is Love." And he spoke out in a way that made people smile and join in.

Many of us will carry on in that spirit, just as his widow, Yoko Ono, and his two sons have been voices, by and large, of positivism in the world, as have his former band mates, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the late George Harrison.

In a way, we'll always have what John Lennon gave to us. One of the most striking instances was during a celebrity benefit for 9/11 victims shortly after the shocking attacks. Neil Young sang "Imagine," surrounded by banks of candles. For months afterwards, either Neil Young's cover or the original version of "Imagine" was played frequently of the airwaves.

The lyrics of that song are not about revenge, or taking care of the terrorists, but about a world where one day we'll all live together in peace. What a beautiful example of the resilience of the human spirit, thanks to John Lennon, man of peace.

Like another man of peace, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the cruel irony is that he died a violent death. But I don't think he'd want us to remember that as much as the life he lived.

We should strive to find ways to heal. Wallowing in the mechanism of his death is simply a distraction from the real legacy of his life. So on this day, play one of his albums, listen to "Imagine," and sing along. I think that is the best way to remember this fun-loving dreamer, John Lennon.

Copyright 2005 by Alyce Wilson

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