Thanksgiving Day 2009

Thankful for wonderful family, good friends, that I am able to do many things I like and want to – that I was just able to see the clips from ‘Ragtime’ that started off the Thanksgiving Day Parade, and that I’m not cooking the turkey. Happy Thanksgiving to All and may you all have many things to be thankful for in your lives.

Of course I turned on the Macy’s Parade, and was so glad to have done it now, since they began the broadcast with a performance from ‘Ragtime’, done at Battery Park with the harbor and Statue of Liberty in the background (kudos to the camera crew, btw, for that great show of the statue between Sarah and Coalhouse, wonderful placement). What a great ‘on location’, because one plot line of the show is the immigrant’s story. No surprise that show music often has special meaning for me, even before I worked at a musical theatre I had that feeling for some songs. ‘Ragtime’ has glorious music and the lyrics are especially touching and meaningful. Anyone who’s ever loved a child or been proud to be American can relate to ‘Wheels of a Dream’ (lyrics below), where Coalhouse tells Sarah how they will travel as a family in his car: ‘We’ll go down South to see your people, They’ll take to him like cats to cream’ – can’t you see the aunties fussing over that baby boy. And when he sings about living in a country that lets ‘a man like me – own a car, raise a child, build a life with you’, it is so much of the dream that so many came here or grew up here with. Sadly, in the show, Sarah and Coalhouse do not realize the dream; however their son does. The story is a powerful and touching commentary of those times. It makes me snuffle.
Of course seeing the shots from Battery Park remind me of standing there and looking at the same view when I was in New York with the rescue squad after 9/11; of the guard pointing out the Coast Guard ship and saying ‘they’ve got our backs’, of looking at the Statue of Liberty and thinking she could still stand proud for how Americans were coping with this.
Hm – now they have the cast of ‘West Side Story’, another show about immigrants – wonder if they planned it for that? It does tell another story of people who came here to make another life for themselves. Well, let’s face it, we’re all connected with people like that, unless we’re Native American descendants, and we can be thankful that our ancestors did come here and build a life for us. And that they started this tradition – although, quite frankly, I’m having trouble seeing them sitting outside eating a huge dinner in what the weather likely was in late November on Cape Cod at that time, but maybe it was Indian Summer, who knows? We could get in to a big discussion here about how that gesture of friendship went down the tubes, and a lot of other such discussions, but I’m not going to. There have been good moments throughout all of that.
I have to go make my salad for dinner at my sister’s later. There will be liberal amounts of laughter, food and wine and I’ll be thankful once again for my family and being able to enjoy them and my life as it is.
Blessings to you all, enjoy the day. May you have the hope in your hearts that Coalhouse and Sarah do here:

“On the Wheels Of A Dream”
[COALHOUSE]: I see his face.
I hear his heartbeat.
I look in those eyes.
How wise they seem.
Well, when he is old enough
I will show him America
And he will ride
on the wheels of a dream.

(COALHOUSE): We'll go down South

[SARAH]: Go down South,

[COALHOUSE]: And see your people

[SARAH]: See my folks.

[COALHOUSE]: Won't they take to him

[SARAH]: They'll take to him

[COALHOUSE]: Like cats to cream!

[SARAH]: Mmm...

[COALHOUSE]: Then we'll travel on from there.

[SARAH]: California or who knows where!

[BOTH]: And we will ride
On the wheels of a dream.

[COALHOUSE]: Yes, the wheels are turning for us, girl.
And the times are starting to roll.
Any man can get where he wants to
If he's got some fire in his soul.
We'll see justice, Sarah,
And plenty of men
Who will stand up
And give us our due.
Oh, Sarah, it's more that promises.
Sarah, it must be true.
A country that let's a man like me
Own a car, raise a child, build a life with you...

[COALHOUSE]: With you...

[SARAH]: With you...

[BOTH]: Beyond that road,
Beyond this lifetime
That care full of hope
Will always gleam!
With the promise of happiness
And the freedom he'll live to know.
He'll travel with head held high,
Just as far as his heart can go
And he will ride-
Our son will ride-
On the wheels of a dream.