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How Berkeley Can You Be?

Grandmothers Against the War

Imagine there’s no Heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

— John Lennon

So lately I’ve been thinking alot about John Lennon. I’m not sure why exactly except for maybe the fact that I’ve always seen him as a such creative genius and I think that where his genius shined most was when he had love and collaboration. And lately especially I’ve really been interested in the idea of photographic collaboration. Lennon’s collaboration with Paul McCartney is legendary, of course, and then his follow up collaboration with Yoko Ono and the celebration of love as fuel for the creative process is just a beautiful thing in my book. He certainly was and is famous both then and now.

And so while I was out there shooting the How Berkeley Can You Be parade today, I was thinking, damn, I wish I was John Lennon. But then I thought a little bit more about it for a bit. And, well, first off, depending upon which God you might believe in, and take your pick from about a dozen or so of the popular ones, there’s a good chance that John Lennon is suffering in some sort of eternal hell right now. And well, even if you don’t believe in a God, still, John Lennon wasn’t out there taking photos of the How Berkeley Can You Be parade today now was he?

And so one of the things that I decided today was that it is better to be alive with a digital SLR than famous and dead. No matter how creative you were back in the good old days when you were still alive.

Here’s a link to a set of 20 or so of my shots from today’s parade. I’ll be adding more to this set through my archive in the weeks ahead.

5 Replies to “How Berkeley Can You Be?”

  2. You are right. He’s most likely in Hell forever. But gee, I’m sure he had a great time while he was here. Bummer he got shot. Him in the Fab 4 had an incredible run. Classic hits and moments. Not Eternal, but “classic”.
    But yeah, in Hell forever. That’s the real thing. It is very well spelled out. (Don’t be misled)
    Ephesians 2:8-9 The Real Thing.
    The parade didn’t look so “spectacular”.
    Peace
    p.s. Here,,, is a long time… That Eternity thing, is a double-DaMn long time-choose wisely.

  3. Please – I’m guessing you didn’t read the quote: “No hell below us, Above us only sky”.

    I doubt that Lennon was worried about going to hell, or that his is in hell or that there even is such a thing. What kind of sick joke would it be that, if you mess up in your precious few years on this planet, you in return receive banishment for time without end (eternity). Even the inverse is equally insane – don’t make a mistake, as define by the power grubbing organization of your choosing, and you are rewarded with all the best things you can possibly imagine for ever and ever. Right…

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