Here’s to Johnny and Nancy!
Johnny Cash is one of the most revered musicians of all time. The man who wrote more than 1500 songs is one of only two musicians ever inducted into the Hall of Fames for Country Music, Rock and Roll and Gospel. The other? Elvis.
Born in rural Arkansas on this very day in 1932, one would be hard-pressed to find more of a macho man with his size, presence and bass-baritone voice (though he did apparently lose a fight once with an ostrich who broke his ribs). Like a true manly man, his rough and stern facial gestures revealed little about his feelings inside.
Then’s there my wife. Though also born on this very day in the burbs of St. Louis, she is on the surface nothing like Johnny. She is short (barely eclipsing the 5-foot plateau) and not the least bit intimidating (though she will show anyone who dares to challenge her how big her muscle is). While she loves music and has a sweet voice she doesn’t play an instrument and isn’t especially musical. And, unlike the man often called “the Undertaker,” her face hides nothing about how she is feeling – from the warmest of smiles to genuine concern about any problem of a friend, family member or complete stranger to her disappointment with me (thankfully, only occasionally).
And yet these two physically mismatched ducks share some special qualities aside from the magic of birth on the same day.
At the core both are extremely spiritual. The man originally known as “J.R”. Cash was a devout Christian. He was also an actual ordained minister and good friends with the Reverend Billy Graham – arguably, the most prominent religious leader of the past century who advised every President from Truman to O’Bama. Johnny even shared initials with Jesus!
Nancy is Jewish by birth and practice but her primary religion is that of the heart. It’s not just that she is a Rejki wizard and has an actual degree in “Healing Touch” from the distinguished Vanderbilt University. Or that she has the craziest of stories that defy logic and mere coincidence and that would cause even the most ardent atheist to question the lack of existence of a God. (Her frequent occurrences with the unexplainable and supernatural prompted me to write an entire fiction novel devoted to this topic, Searching for the Dragonfly – How’s that for a shameless plug?)
It’s that she lives every day as a truly spiritual person, extremely grateful for life’s gifts, fully appreciative that this journey on earth is limited, and sincerely believing that collective good energy can and does transform the world. This spirituality has led to her latest endeavor – “Sixty Seconds of Silence”- a Facebook page that encourages a brief tribute each night to the millions who have died from COVID (far less shameless plug since there is zero renumeration involved).
But what Johnny and Nancy mostly share is a great empathy for their fellow man and woman.
Nancy has spent a career in the noblest of professions, nursing, where she has chosen to help the sickest of the sick – first, briefly, those suffering from cancer, then for the bulk of her career the folks teetering on the edge of life in the intensive care, and finally in the last few years, those for whom death is imminent in hospice care. Until you find yourself or a loved one in one of these life-altering predicaments you can’t fully appreciate how amazing these caretakers are – doing things that the rest of us cannot contemplate in our charmed worlds and making a difference. That she has done it for decades with love, empathy and compassion and without ever losing sight of the fact that each patient is a unique person deserving of dignity and respect speaks volumes about the kind of person she is. It’s no doubt, in part, why she is a such a staunch advocate for equality and decency and why Gandhi, MLK and Eleanor Roosevelt are her biggest heroes.
Johnny Cash was also surprisingly a deeply empathetic man, defying the stereotype of a white successful southern man of his time. Perhaps the best insight into the feelings of this stoic man was his famous song “Man in Black” wherein he explained why he chose to always dress in black. It was his effort to shine light on the poor and underprivileged, the prisoner and the soldier at war. Indeed, his words were intended to apply to all folks “beaten down” by a society which he felt was far too often unfair, unequal and uncaring.
Sadly, his lyrics still ring true 50 years later and seem to be an especially worthwhile reminder as we close out Black History Month. Hopefully, all those who loved the Man and his music will heed his message:
Well, you wonder why I always dress in black
Why you never see bright colors on my back
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone
Well, there’s a reason for the things that I have on
I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down
Living in the hopeless, hungry side of town
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime
But is there because he’s a victim of the time
I wear the black for those who’ve never read
Or listened to the words that Jesus said
About the road to happiness through love and charity
Why, you’d think He’s talking straight to you and me
Well, we’re doing mighty fine, I do suppose
In our streak of lightning cars and fancy clothes
But just so we’re reminded of the ones who are held back
Up front there ought to be a man in black.
I wear it for the sick and lonely old
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold
I wear the black in mourning for the lives that could have been
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men
And I wear it for the thousands who have died
Believing that the Lord was on their side
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died
Believing that we all were on their side
Well, there’s things that never will be right I know
And things need changing everywhere you go
But ’til we start to make a move to make a few things right
You’ll never see me wear a suit of white
Ah, I’d love to wear a rainbow every day
And tell the world that everything’s okay
But I’ll try to carry off a little darkness on my back
‘Til things are brighter, I’m the Man In Black
Happy Birthday to Johnny and to my Wife (Numero 60!) – an unlikely but remarkable pair!
