Here’s a video I put together in honor of my son Alexei’s 21st birthday tomorrow, in what is becoming an annual tradition of lovingly embarrassing my children on social media. The choice of music was a long thought-out process, but I chose this track for a number of reasons. Every father sees himself in his own son, so in a sense the selection is about both of us, although I’ve never believed in living vicariously through my children; I’ve always tried my best to give them the freedom to choose their own path and to prepare them with the guidance they needed to follow it. That being said, the experiences of my younger days come rushing back to mind on this joyous day. Of course, Harry Chapin is from my generation and not Alexei’s, but Harry’s life of charity and his talent for reaching the human heart with the gift that God had given him is an example that everyone’s child can emulate. The words of this song are not only true, they’re also haunting, since it would be his last recorded concert. The concert itself was held on a day that literally didn’t exist for me, since I was on my way to my new duty station at Misawa AB in Japan, and crossing over the International Date Line meant that I completely skipped August 19th, 1980. I was still in Japan a year later when I heard the news of Harry’s tragic death, and although I’m not one to be enamored with celebrity, the loss of such a great humanitarian, devoted family man and brilliant songwriter felt like a personal loss. So, here It is - the pictorial story of Alexei’s life so far. He’s chosen a good path…..may the Lord always guide him on it.
Posted on: Fri, 20 Jun 2014 22:26:43 +0000
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