Roadsinger Came to Town...

Several years ago, I was in a difficult employment situation, one that left a lot of my colleagues without jobs, without explanation, and a general feeling of malaise.

My personal life was going through a major transition, at its most negative point.

Things just seemed bleak.

And then, the Cat came back. Cat Stevens, who had become Yusuf Islam many years back, had come back to singing after over 20 years of ghostly silence with a previous album and a children's album. Re-born as simply Yusuf, the former Cat Stevens came back with a beautiful song to lead of his most recent album, "Roadsinger." I remember listening to this song over and over, and over and over, and then some. And, I remember crying quite heartily when I heard it.

As Yusuf says, there is so much hatred and tears in this world, so where do you go...?

I went to music.

I have retreated to music many times in my life, and this was one of the times I needed it most, and from out of the mists of the Past, in came Yusuf.

Perhaps I am reminded of Yusuf because of someone I met this weekend, a gentle and kind man, dedicated to Peace and understanding, and most of all laughter and to the smile.

Kaz taught me many things I already knew this weekend, but sometimes, we have to begin at the beginning again to realize how far off we have strayed.  To begin again is the greatest gift.

Yusuf is an inspiration for that, and Kaz is a fellow "Roadsinger," who came into town and gave the gift of Peace.

Thank you Yusuf and Kaz...

Boots and Sand

Cat Stevens has always had a very special place in my heart. Some years ago, under his new name, Yusuf Islam, he began to sing again, which was a blessing to the world. Under his own admission of ignorance to what it really was, Yusuf was banned from entering the US some time ago because of his mistaken association with a fatwa against the Indian writer, Salman Rushdie. Cat/Yusuf has been a promoter of peace all of his life. Because of his recent conversion at the time to Islam, being a public celebrity, his name was used to promote violence, something he immediately condemned, though that fell upon deaf ears. I remember seeing his albums being run over by a steamroller and being burned by radio stations. "Peace Train" was banned from many radio stations...might be subversive lyrics if played backwards.

Cat/Yusuf is still smiling.

Boots and Sand

Hope you can too with this video.