The Big Three: Farmer’s Markets

The world can be a crazy place. Sometimes it helps to step back and list a few of the things you’re grateful for. I’m making it a habit each week to list three blessings. Here’s what I’m grateful for this week, July 6 – 12.

What I’m grateful for:

—Farmers Markets. When I was a kid, my community had a livestock auction and farmer’s market every Wednesday. The market drew large numbers of people from the region. My father would come home with vegetables and fruit that he picked up at the market. My mom would have me husk the corn outside on our porch and cut open big watermelons and cantaloupes. There’s nothing else like fresh fruit and vegetables. I’m grateful that we had access to them.

—Long, late night conversations. The topic could be anything. It could be about current day politics, the weather, or the best time to plant a vegetable garden. It could be about a long forgotten memory or where you want to travel together. It could be about your choice of one album to pick if you could only have one for the rest of your life? Or your all-time favorite movie. Long conversations with a friend are the best. There’s nothing else like it. They give us insight into ourselves and others. They’re the best.

—Robbing from the rich to give to the poor. Classic films American Graffiti, The Sting, The Exorcist, and Papillon were all released in 1973. It didn’t win an Academy Award, but the list above skips one of the best movies of all time. Disney’s animated Robin Hood came out too. I’m a little partial, but I still think of it as one of the all time best movies.

Robin Hood and Little John running through the forest is still one of my favorites.

What gave me a smile?

Forty years ago on July 13, 1985, Live Aid concerts in Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia raised more than $100 million for famine relief in Africa. The massive global event with more than 1.5 billion viewers across 100 countries featured David Bowie, Elton John, Dire Straits, Duran-Duran, Bryan Adams, U2, Queen and many other performers.

And yes, all these years later, I still wish I had managed to find a way to go to the Philadelphia concert!