Monday, January 26, 2009

Optimism: A Pierced Handout





In 1971 I was a senior in high school. One of the first jobs I had was at a 31 Flavors. I scooped ice cream. (And I ate good portions of it too!)

One of the other perks at Baskin-Robbins was the music. It was on all the time, and we listened to the radio for hours on end.





An interesting gospel pop song climbed the charts that year: Gene MacLellan’s “Put Your Hand In The Hand” recorded by a group called Ocean. (Until today I never knew who wrote it or recorded it: I just listened to it.)

I grew up Methodist, and gospel was new to me. (Maybe “unknown” to me would be more accurate.)

The lyrics of this song presented an option I’d never considered possible: a life led by God.



The first stanza of the song reads:

Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself and-a you can look at others differently
By puttin' your hand in the hand of the man from-a Galilee.




The rest of the lyrics are much the same: a simple story, a simple invitation, a strange but wonderful notion to an open-minded 17 year old. It was downright inspirational!





(This song is on my personal, but short, play-list of inspirational songs.)

Full lyrics here.

The song on YouTube with a slide show here.

4 comments:

  1. Don...We were both seniors in the same year! How about that! I recall that song as well and now reading the lyrics, I've got it stuck in my head!! LOL! Baskin-Robbins! Mmmmmm! One of my favorite places! Blessings, Lisa

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  2. Thanks to you, I just remembered the title to a good ole rousing song I haven' heard in ages: "You Can't Be a Beacon if Your Light Don't Shine."

    And I will also be picking up ice cream on my way home. In the sleet and snow. Because of you.

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  3. You know, I used to listen to this song back then all the time and never connected the meaning until now. How sad is that? But sure am thankful for you sharing it in this manner. No wonder I liked it!
    Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Baskin and Robbins...I agree...mmmmmmm. They don't have them here in Columbus Ohio anymore. But everytime I get back to California I stop in for a cone and some pleasant memories from 1971..

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