{"id":5191,"date":"2021-10-21T23:27:47","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T17:27:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/falseducks.com\/theblahg\/?p=5191"},"modified":"2021-10-21T23:27:47","modified_gmt":"2021-10-21T17:27:47","slug":"dear-scott-henderson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/falseducks.com\/theblahg\/?p=5191","title":{"rendered":"DEAR SCOTT HENDERSON"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0 Last week I got to view the movie “Dear Evan Hansen” with my daughter Abbie who had been looking forward to seeing it.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong>\"ScottUnfortunately the movie did not live up to her expectations.\u00a0 She and her sister Emily were in New York a few years ago when “Dear Evan Hansen” was playing on Broadway but they couldn’t get tickets.\u00a0 Abbie has been listening to the Broadway soundtrack for a few years and had high expectations for the movie.\u00a0 Critical reviews of the movie were not stellar and Abbie and I were also left disappointed in the film.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 If you haven’t seen the film, you should.\u00a0 It’s the story of an awkward teenager who writes letters to himself for self-affirmation.\u00a0 Unfortunately one of the letters is intercepted by another teen who kills himself.\u00a0 The letter, found in the dead teen’s possessions, suggests that the late teen and Evan Hansen had a friendship which was shared through letters and emails.\u00a0 The story goes on to be inspirational through the songs and the bond Evan creates with the dead teen’s family and Evan’s classmates who struggle to make sense of things.\u00a0 It’s an interesting story and worth a viewing even if we thought it didn’t really come together. <\/span><\/strong>\"The<\/a><\/span><\/strong> Abbie said that some of the Broadway songs were not included in the film and others were added.\u00a0 Music and lyrics were created by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul who also worked on “The Greatest Showman.”\u00a0 “The Greatest Showman” is a much better film and has wonderful songs.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 I started thinking about the idea of someone writing to themselves for affirmation.\u00a0 I remembered that I once wrote a poem back in 1986 to myself.\u00a0 The title was “to old one” and it was about wanting to ask my elder self how I got through things or if I’d be okay in the future.\u00a0 Here’s that poem:\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

to old one<\/h4>\n

I imagine one day
\nI’ll be old–
\nand knowin’ me
\none day will be about
\nall I can hack–
\nso I’m writin’ this to my old self
\nnot what I was
\nbut what I’ll be
\nfor that one day<\/h4>\n

I’m tellin’ myself
\nto be happy
\nbein’ old
\n’cause maybe by then
\nI’ll have deserved that
\nbut now I can’t accord dignity
\nin addressin’ my old self
\nand this’ll only make sense
\nlater on
\nto an old man<\/h4>\n

but old one,
\nthat’s you or I mean me,
\nyer ruptured youth
\nis writin’ to you here
\n’cause we’re two different persons
\nyou and me
\nand you know things
\nI’ve yet to live
\nbut that’s cause
\nyer memory and you
\nare old old one<\/h4>\n

and there was a time
\nwhen I needed you
\nto talk to me
\nand tell me
\nhow I got by things or
\nover ’em or
\nthrough ’em
\nbut that’d be cheatin’
\nand I matured into that truth<\/h4>\n

but old one
\nyoung one
\nstill needs you
\n’cause I need to know
\nI’m still gonna be me
\nbut old me
\nand someone new to talk to
\nif only in my mind
\nwhen we’re one<\/h4>\n

so know yer youth
\nold one
\nand keep in touch
\nor get in touch
\nwith this
\nyoung one
\nwho needs not to know
\nyou’re old old one
\nbut old enough to remember being
\nyoung once
\nand writing to
\nyer old self
\nto hear if
\nyou stayed
\nold
\nlong enough
\nto receive this poem
\nwritten by
\nyer young one once<\/h4>\n

I wouldn’t say it’s one of my better efforts but it was what I was feeling and the way I was writing at the time.\u00a0 I’m sure there’s not a song to be made of it.\u00a0 If I had to reply to my young self I’d say “no comment” or “spoiler alert” because it would be cheating to help my young self out.\u00a0 I had problems and adversity but it made me who I am today and if I told myself to avoid all of those things then I’d be completely different and the truth is I’m fine being me.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 I started reading through all of my poems around that time and found that some were good and some were bad but the bulk were mediocre and not worth repeating.\u00a0 I did find another poem written in December of 1986 that I thought I would post here along the line of Dear…\u00a0 Here’s “dear santa”:\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

dear santa<\/h4>\n

I was maybe nine
\nwhen my parents
\nup and told me
\nthere\u2019s no Santa Claus
\nand I suspected
\nat the time
\nthat they weren\u2019t
\nbein’ truthful ’bout that<\/h4>\n

but now
\nI\u2019m pretty sure
\nthey were mistaken
\n’cause I saw old Nick
\nthe other day
\nat the mall
\nand I can\u2019t help wonderin’
\nif he knows
\nparents are tryin’
\nto suppress
\nhis existence
\nall over<\/h4>\n

and why is that?
\nwhat have parents got
\nagainst Santa?<\/h4>\n

ya know it just might be
\nthat Nick\u2019s too powerful
\nfor the average parent
\n’cause all year long
\nmoms and dads
\ntry to discipline
\ntheir kids
\nwithout success
\nbut ya mention
\nSanta
\nanywhere nears Christmas
\nand control is
\nimmediately established<\/h4>\n

and maybe that\u2019s it!
\nmaybe parents
\nget their ego’s bruised
\nby the idea
\nof some
\nwhite beard old goat
\nhavin’ more pull
\nthan them<\/h4>\n

and maybe that\u2019s why
\nafter eight or nine years
\nthe kids are told
\nthis lie
\nabout St. Nicholas
\nbein’ a myth
\nso’s parents can say
\n“LISTEN UP,
\nWE’RE THE BOSS.
\nTHERE\u2019S NO SANTA
\nJUST US
\nAND YOU EITHER
\nLIKE IT
\nOR LUMP IT”<\/h4>\n

but I\u2019m not sayin’
\nI disagree with
\nthis method
\n’cause at some point
\nya gotta outgrow
\nthe need for Santa Claus<\/h4>\n

ya gotta depend
\non the family
\nand what they can do
\nfer ya
\nand ya\u2019ll be
\na better person-
\n-more rounded
\nnot in the gut
\nlike Santa
\nbut in your outlook<\/h4>\n

sure the method’s okay
\nbut what if
\nya reversed the order
\nand said right off-
\nright at birth-
\n“KID YOU\u2019RE GONNA HEAR A LOT
\nABOUT THIS
\nSANTA CLAUS
\nBUT DON\u2019T BELIEVE IT.
\nWE’RE THE ONES
\nYOU HAVE TO RESPECT.
\nWE’RE THE ONES
\nWHO ARE
\nLOOKING OUT FOR YOU.”<\/h4>\n

and maybe later
\nwhen the kids are older
\nand have lost
\nall faith
\nin mankind
\nand have given up
\non anything magical
\nya sent them straight
\n’bout Nick<\/h4>\n

ya tell ’em
\nya lied
\nand there really is
\nthis St. Nicholas guy
\nand he\u2019s alright
\nand as long as
\nthey believe in him
\nthey\u2019ll be alright too<\/h4>\n

and wouldn\u2019t it be easier
\nthat way?
\nwouldn\u2019t it be nicer
\nto know
\nya haven\u2019t ruined
\nyer kid’s entire life?<\/h4>\n

sure tell ’em ’bout Santa
\nand they\u2019ll pass the word
\nand they\u2019ll believe
\nand behave
\nand ya\u2019ll have
\nno more problems
\nin discipline
\nif ya use Nick’s name<\/h4>\n

‘cept maybe ’round Easter
\nwhen his moniker
\nbrings no pull
\nwhatsoever…<\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/strong> Maybe there’s a song somewhere in that or maybe I’m thinking of the 1993 song “Hey Santa” by Wendy and Carnie Wilson :
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n