Often when nearly-thirteen-year-old-grandson-Luca gets into our car, he presses a few buttons on his phone, and we listen to his playlist. My musical education is furthered with Bruno Mars or Ariana Grande. This week I was surprised and delighted to be hearing ELO’s ‘Mr Blue Sky’!
Mr. Blue Sky
Please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long (so long)
Where did we go wrong?
It seemed entirely appropriate. After months of damp greyness, and chilly gloom… ‘All the streets where once was pity, Mr. Blue Sky is living here today!’
Yesterday BBC Look East reported on Dean Perryman. Last November Dean lost his friend Rob to suicide. Mr Blue Sky was well hidden.
Dean decided to do something positive. Throughout December’s festive celebrations, a time of loneliness for some, Dean reserved tables in pubs across London and Essex and invited strangers to join him…
It worked. He’s continued, creating ‘Empty Chairs’, a campaign to tackle loneliness and social isolation… it’s spread to other countries…
‘I never had any plan when I started. I just wanted to do something positive with the grief and the guilt that I was feeling from having lost Rob… To see that it’s resonated with other people has just been incredible.’
Mr Blue Sky has appeared.
Older folks often tell of Mr Blue Sky times in their lives – their past achievements, memories of good times. But now they’re physically and mentally less capable, dis-abled from doing what they used to do, being who they used to be. Their Mr Blue Sky is hidden.
…Reading Joshua: ‘When Joshua had grown old, the Lord said to him, ‘You are now very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over…’
You may be old but there’s still work for you to do… Looking down you see problems; looking up you see Mr Blue Sky’s still there!
Hey there Mr Blue
We’re so pleased to be with you
Look around see what you do
Everybody smiles at you
…’Mr Blue Sky’ can be found on Electric Light Orchestra – Mr. Blue Sky (Official Video) – YouTube
malcolmsmusings.org 