Harry Chapin

Sunday July 17th, 2011 - Kenosha, WI

   I read a blurb somewhere that this weekend marks the 30th anniversary of Harry Chapin losing his life in a car accident. He was only 38. I liked his music well enough, but what I really was and still am a fan of were his humanitarian efforts. That guy was a true giver.

   I’ve read all kinds of stories through the years how he would donate a large part of what he made to various charities, mainly world hunger. I don’t know if that particular cause is  any better or worse than another, but it seems like a most noble and worthy one to me.

   How many other performers really get out there and make things happen like that? It’s a difficult enough life being an entertainer of any kind, as focus often has to be put in a self achieving mode to get ahead. It becomes a mind set after a while and some people are not good at turning it off. It’s me, me and more me - with a side order of me and a me dessert.

   Changing gears from that to giving humanitarian doesn’t happen very often. Some try to give it lip service, but I have to wonder if they’re really sincere. Bono from U2 is the first one that pops into my bean. I never met the guy, but he seems like a completely pompous ass with his greaseball haircut and his goofy looking way overpriced ultra hip sunglasses.

   Maybe I’m wrong, and I hope I am, but that fop makes me puke whenever I see him on TV going off on his bleeding heart whining to save the rare mosquitoes of the rain forest or stopping the inhumane treatment of hunchback eunuchs in Singapore. Enough already.

   The same with Angelina Jolie and Madonna going over and adopting multi colored kids from countries nobody can pronounce. Do I think those kids deserve to be adopted? Sure, but it seems like they’re trying to outdo each other with some sort of exotic pet. Why does the kid have to be an aborigine from Madagascar? Did they run out of orphans in Detroit?

   It’s none of my business what any of those people do. I’ve got my own problems to tend to at the moment. It just seemed to me that Harry Chapin was a real guy who had his heart in the right place and tried to make a real difference. Apparently he was always asking his peers to help out with benefit shows and donate their time, and some of them complained.

   I know people have to make a living and all, but at some point giving back is the way to really find out what life is about. At the end of the road when the chips are cashed in, is it going to matter how many gold teeth and Escalades a rapper or a pro athlete had? Nope.

   How about getting to the other side and being immediately greeted by hundreds or even thousands of people you’ve never even met graciously thanking you for the big difference your contributions made not only in their individual lives but for their families as well?

   Whether or not there’s any thanks or reward, it takes enormous stones to give from the heart like that, and in such generous proportions. I want to have money mainly to be able to do the same thing. Life really is all about giving, and I want to do it like Harry Chapin.

Posted via email from Dobie Maxwell's "Dented Can" Diary