Ripples in Three Score Time

It’s a wild ride watching unplanned connections unfold into perfect alignment. A dear friend

recently started creating pieces of artwork inspired by his love of music. He’s always been an

artist, specifically a sculptor, but with his recent diagnosis of ALS, it’s not possible for him to

create as he once did.

Seeing his struggle, someone suggested that he express his artistic talent on paper rather than

through the larger, more physically aggressive sculpting media.



Thank you to the smart soul who recommended this therapy and to his beautiful wife and sister

who nudged him along. His initial sketch was of his son as a child - a full-faced, wild-curly

haired, little boy. The work was raw and captured the sweetness and energy of his child. This

was his first pencil drawing since his days in school, and in the making of this piece, at a time of

Art and Resilience: Defying ALS Through Creative Expression

Since my friend listens to music every waking moment of his life, discusses it with anyone

anywhere, anytime, and enjoys live concerts more than most, music inspired his next few pieces.

He posted a few of his pencil and watercolor sketches on social media and his followers went

nuts to purchase them. That really wasn’t my friend’s intention. He was just sharing what he had

been up to, but as soon as people saw his artwork, they wanted one.

I believe these new creative pieces are one way he tells ALS to go F*** itself! He won’t let the

limited use of his hands stop him from expressing his soul and using his talent. He is a gift and

inspiration to everyone.

One print that I purchased was a rooster. It had a raw feel to it, a few details with a smattering of

color at the bottom, sides and top. He captured the animal in action. I loved this piece because of

a lyric in one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs, “…when the rooster crows at the break of dawn,

look out your window and I’ll be gone…” I recently visited Grand Cayman Islands with roosters

everywhere, crowing throughout the day. The song was on repeat in my head for four days.

A Bee's Message to Johnny

The second print spoke immediately to me. It was a bee with the words Johnny above it and

Goode below it. That song by legendary musician, Chuck Berry, never fails to get people off

their feet and onto the dance floor. The center had an oversized and intricately detailed bee,

which reminds me that we should all be focusing on saving bees and being kind. Beyond all

those points combined, my son’s name is Johnny. I purchased that piece too.

Unraveling Connections: A Journey Through Music and Memory

The third print featured a train with a bright headlight and the words above it “wish I was a

headlight” and below it, “Northbound.” It didn’t speak to me, at first. I wasn’t familiar with the

song reference. I looked it up and discovered it’s a Grateful Dead song, and the lyrics ripped my

heart. The song is “I Know You Rider.” One stanza talks about missing him when he’s gone.

This led me to research the Grateful Dead, for I am not a Dead Head, however after reading

about them, I have potential. I learned they began in San Francisco in the mid-1960s, a very

special place in my heart since 2018, and I’ve been in a ‘60s vortex for the last eight months. The

Dead, along with their dedicated fans, became symbols of the counterculture movement,

representing freedom, experimentation, and strong sense of community. I’m all in for that!

Also, while exploring, I found out the Grateful Dead performed “Johnny B. Goode” and so did

Bob Dylan and they performed it together once!



All three music legends -- Berry, Dylan, Grateful Dead -- were at the start and heart of their

careers when I was born into the world. That era of a generation making their own way, breaking

barriers, expressing love, peace, and music as a lifestyle touches the song within my soul.

The city of San Francisco has also been a theme in my life ever since my daughter and I took our

first girl’s trip there in 2018. Another new obsession of mine is the writings of Jack Kerouac, a

poet and writer from the 1950s-1960s, also known to the bay area, and who personified the Beat

Nik life, the precursor to the Hippie. I recently purchased one of Kerouac’s books, “The

Lonesome Traveler” and on the cover is a train with its headlight glaring and approaching us just

like my friend’s work of art. I contacted him immediately and purchased the third print that I

thought I had no connection with, but it turns out the tapestry grew exponentially.