The year was 1965 and the venue was the Newport Folk Festival. Long hair was “blowin’ in the wind.” The air was hazy with smoke when the crowd made ready to welcome Bob Dylan to the stage.
Then the unthinkable happened. Dylan arrived on stage with a thrown-together back up band sporting a lot of plug-ins. The wail of electric guitars shot through the night leaving the crowd stunned. Where was his acoustic guitar and harmonica? Dylan had sold out. He’d joined the rock and roll establishment. The crowd booed.
Reviews said Dylan had “electrified one half of the audience and electrocuted the other.” It was the last time he performed at the Newport Folk Festival for thirty-seven years.
To be fair, Dylan was a goofy guy who did whatever he felt like doing at any given time. And that night after the big faux pax, he finished his set with two acoustic numbers to settle his fans. But he stepped on a lot of toes that night and the incident hasn’t been forgotten.
I happen to like loud rock and roll music. I also enjoy the quieter, more intimate feel of acoustic. There’s room for both.
How about our daily lives? Do we find a balance between full throttle, all-out living and quieter spaces in which to think and converse?
When I look at today’s families and their hectic, run to the next event lifestyle, I see a need to make time for quiet. Children need down times, free times, unscheduled times. When they get them, they’ll think and dream and pretend. They’ll relax. They’ll begin to create.
It’s not that strenuous activities are bad, it’s just that they tend to overshadow the quiet and before we realize it, there isn’t any quiet left. Mental health professionals tell us this is an issue we must face for the well-being of our children.
What do you think about intentionally creating quiet spaces in your family’s life? When and how might that happen? What would it look like?
Can your family unplug? What would happen if you did?
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Jan,
I love this! As I was reading, it made me think back when we had children home. In particular, my son Brandon and Jess’s son Cory both had a passion for drawing, reading and writing. Although they were both encouraged to play outside, they were also allowed time to be creative. Today, both still love to write, Cory published his own books, and Brandon has signed with a publicist, hoping to sell his book. Brandon is manager at Nickelodeon and still to this day loves to draw cartoons. You are right, it’s beneficial to allow children down time!
Great memories, Ruth and wonderful outcomes. One of the joys of being with young children is seeing how they pretend and create out of nothing. And for those who love to read and write, quiet time is really essential.