Saturday, January 17, 2009

I Know We Can Make It


Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I was going home one night in mid December past a house that in past years has offered very creative and large lighted Christmas decorations ( the year before it had been "Fa la la la la la la la la" on colorful stacked blocks about as tall as a house). This is what I saw and I only had my cell phone camera at the time. I intended to go back with the real camera and get some decent shots to show you, but we had all that snow and then we were out of town, more snow, yadda yadda. . . I was hoping it was still up when I went back in the fog last night with the real camera and tripod and it was. The home owner has mounted the 3' high letters (made of polyester batting, 3 types of Christmas lights, and some shiny embellishments) on flexible metal fencing grid and hung it from a tree at an angle facing traffic. It lights up the whole street. I'm betting there's a party there next Tuesday night ;^) .

Update: Although folks are probably more likely to crank up the Goo Goo Dolls' "Better Days" as inauguration day gets closer, here are the lyrics to the Pointer Sisters huge hit song Yes We Can from many, many moons ago. Perhaps they will serve to inspire US folks considering following through on the president elect's request that Americans spend a few hours volunteering time and service in their communities on this Monday's national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday:

Now's the time for all good men
to get together with one another.
We got to iron out our problems
and iron out our quarrels
and try to live as brothers.
And try to find a piece of land
without stepping on one another.
And do respect the women of the world.
Remember you all have mothers.
We got to make this land a better land
than the world in which we live.
And we got to help each man be a better man
with the kindness that we give.
I know we can make it.
I know darn well we can work it out.
Oh yes we can, I know we can can
Yes we can can, why can't we?
If we wanna get together we can work it out.

And we gotta take care of all the children,
the little children of the world.
'cause they're our strongest hope for the future,
the little bitty boys and girls.

We got to make this land a better land
than the world in which we live.
And we got to help each man be a better man
with the kindness that we give.
I know we can make it.
I know darn well we can work it out.
Oh yes we can, I know we can can
yes we can can, why can't we?
If we wanna, yes we can can.

12 comments:

brattcat said...

Perfect photo, Kim. Captures the spirit and times with beautiful understatement...particularly with that bus moving down the dark empty street toward the 'yes we can' illumination.

Small City Scenes said...

You bet we can. Whatever!!! MB

Michael Salone said...

This is from your cell phone camera? You're a genius!

Kim said...

Michael, No, this is from the real camera :-). I went back night before last with the tripod and three lenses and took a bunch of shots. Most folks have taken down their Christmas displays, so I was glad to see this still up. . .I guess until inauguration day.

MB, I meant to look it up. I can sing all the words but can't remember the exact name of the song and if its the Pointer Sisters or some other group that sang it.

Bratcat, Thanks very much. I took a number of shots from a few perspectives and decided to use the one with the bus. I was standing in the street when he rolled passed and waved at me. . . it was way after midnight.
-Kim

Knoxville Girl said...

yes we can, and thank goodness for that!
What a neat twist onthe topic!

Jilly said...

Superb photo, Kim. Yes We Can says so much anyway and this is almost on fire with the meaning. Roll on Tuesday!

Bob Crowe said...

This looks more scary than celebratory to me! I know these are electric lights but the fuzzy image and warm color temperature make it look like fire. It's like Freddy Krueger and friends were invading the neighborhood or a chapter of the Klan snuck into Seattle. Still, it's a really heads-up picture. You recognized the scene and you were ready.

Thank you very much for your kind comment on one of my Flickr pictures the other day. Flattery will get you everywhere. However, the answer to your question at the end is no. First of all, you shouldn't grow up at all. Second, if you did what you suggest, you'd have to become a lawyer which isn't always a good idea.

Kim said...

Knoxville Girl, thank you!

Jilly, I like that way you put that! It's like a mighty river rolling toward us, or the surf, and we are more than ready to ride this new set! Time to switchfoot!

Bob, Well, it's probably scaring the bejeebers out of some members of loyal opposition, but here we all go into this unknown adventure together. Yeah, the first night I shot this in December there was no fog and I shot just the sign, so the white balance on my cellphone shot was very white. The fog and the inclusion of the street lights gave this the amber hue, and I chose to leave it that way for the golden glow of it all (it was cold out and in my mind the lighting warmed up the shot.). Oh, and I'm just aspiring to be the photographic you. . .although the lawyer part is probably nice, too. I watched my husband get into law school and that was enough to dampen any ambition I might have in that direction. We both have been inspired, though, by friends who are spending their careers in public interest law and who volunteer internationally with Gary Haugen's organization to help shut down child slavery, child soldiering, and child sex trafficking operations. My daughter's fave subject right now is her high school street law class. She is stoked that she gets to be a prosecuting attorney in their second mock trial, and the class has influenced her thoughts about college. I could kiss her teacher!
-Kim
-Kim

Michael Salone said...

Oh yes, I went back and re-read the caption and understand now. Glad I did, because the added lyrics are great to see again.

Anonymous said...

A simple message with alot of effort and thought behind it. I love it.

Virginia said...

Yes, I hope we can. It 's so damn refreshing to be embarking on a new era with our friends around the world , or most of them, as enthusiastic as we are. God bless America and our new president. May there be peace in our world one day in our future.
V

Petrea Burchard said...

What a great post, Kim. I know there are parties planned all over Pasadena on Tuesday. So much excitement is building. Our hopes are high. I know Obama can't do it alone and we have a lot of work to do, but I'm willing to do my part to repair America. Rolling up my sleeves as as I type...