Woody Guthrie Resolutions and Wedding Blessing

Resolutions

Today is New Year’s eve 2011 and I found these resolutions of Woody’s last week. I love New Year’s resolutions and Woody, and as always he puts it perfectly, plain and simple.

woodyguthrie-resolutions

  1. Work more and better
  2. Work by a schedule
  3. Wash teeth if any
  4. Shave
  5. Take bath
  6. Eat good — fruit — vegetables — milk
  7. Drink very scant if any
  8. Write a song a day
  9. Wear clean clothes — look good
  10. Shine shoes
  11. Change socks
  12. Change bed cloths often
  13. Read lots good books
  14. Listen to radio a lot
  15. Learn people better
  16. Keep rancho clean
  17. Don’t get lonesome
  18. Stay glad
  19. Keep hoping machine running
  20. Dream good
  21. Bank all extra money
  22. Save dough
  23. Have company but don’t waste time
  24. Send Mary and kids money
  25. Play and sing good
  26. Dance better
  27. Help win war — beat fascism
  28. Love mama
  29. Love papa
  30. Love Pete
  31. Love everybody
  32. Make up your mind
  33. Wake up and fight

Wedding Blessing

Speaking of Woody (and #30 on the list), my brother Pete called today to see if I had a copy of the Woody Guthrie quote that he read at our wedding. With his help I found it on the web in Joe Klein’s biography of Woody.

For me to bless your married life is like a cowboy trying to bless the sky. It is perfectly hung, perfectly balanced and perfectly blessed. Marriage is something bigger and greater than you or me and it is as durable as the sky which always remains clear and endless in spite of the clouds or planets that whirl and spin there. And since love is as endless and empty as the clear blue eternal sky, all of my blessings whether written or spoken or prayed would Fall short and not be Complete. But l ask you to look many days and many nights into that empty blue above your head, and I wish that same peace and that same power and that same balance and that same freedom, that same wealth, that same health, that same harmony and that same quietness and that same love in life that is birthless and deathless; I wish you nothing else. On the day of your marriage, in the season of your awakening, in the year of your new birth, in the land of your people . . . Woody Guthrie, Mary, all the children and all your friends.

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I'm j and I play: musician, web guy, family man.

3 thoughts on “Woody Guthrie Resolutions and Wedding Blessing”

  1. Gotta love Woody! Special place in my heart for resolution #30, too, not that I’m partial….

    -Brother Pete

  2. I don’t even remember how we became Facebook friends, but I’m really glad we did. You’re a gardener of good thoughts. Thanks for sharing these.

  3. Same here, David. Glad to be connected to what you’re sharing and the music you’re making. Keep singing and sharing!

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