BLOGLINE ENDEAVOR... Life (Song for Rich)

Life (Song For Rich)


"There is good men like you who have left this planet earth..."

I think the best way to introduce this song is to tell a story about the man this song is dedicated to...

Richard Morano was a teacher I had for art class during my years in Junior High School. He committed suicide the year I graduated in 1989.

Back in 9th grade, during Mr. Morano's art class, one of our projects for the course was to build a kite. In order to get the grade, we had to construct the kite from materials that were available to us in class. This included the wood bracing, the paper and the paint we used to draw whatever graphic we wanted. Most importantly we had a day set aside where the class went outside to get our kites to fly.

Most everyone in the class decided to go with some elaborate design. Some were building complicated structures and some were rather extreme. For me, I went with a very basic four-corner design and a graphic that looked like the eagle decal they used to place on the hood of a Trans Am back in the 80's.

I had so many problems plague me. I kept drilling holes in the wrong area or the holes that I would drill will split the wood. I was having problems making sure the structure was even and towards the end of the project I was told the string for my kite wasn't thick enough and it would probably snap.

As the six weeks for the course wore on, it was getting down to showtime and I had what looked like something that was built in Nursery School. But what did I know? From the beginning, I wasn't too keen on building this thing so I just did what I had to do.

Mr. Morano did not like my kite. He spotted the many holes that I had drilled into the frame, he didn't like the eagle design and most of all he was convinced this thing wouldn't fly. He had his mind set that I was going to flunk this project. He even said it to me, "Mr. Chandler, this kite is a piece of crap! I don't see how you're going to finish! It ain't gonna fly and you're gonna get an F!!"

I patched that kite together. I was going to prove him wrong, yet I had an idea that he was probably right. I remember how bad that kite looked and how haphazardly I had put it together.

Well, it came to the day we all went outside to fly. I don't remember too much about the other kites in the class other than a few had crash landed, some were able to get to the air but they would twist and turn then dive, and some just wouldn't get off the ground at all because they were too heavy.

It came my turn to put my kite in the air. I had it tied up, gave it a running start and let the string out. I didn't have to run far, the kite shot up the air like a missile and it was flying. In fact, I believe my kite was the only one to fly that day. I kept it up in the air for the remainder of our time outside. I felt that I might as well take advantage of the time and see how far I could let out the string and see how high it would fly. Most everyone else in the class was still struggling with theirs, trying to get them in the air.

I was surprised how well my kite flew.

Our time outside was coming to an end. Everyone else was taking the string off their kites and getting ready to walk in. Lo and behold, I was having problems getting mine down. I couldn't wind the string properly. Every time I would get a good wind, it would let out again. So Mr. Morano had some other guys in the class come over and help me wind up my string and get my kite down. It was amazing!

While we were still outside, Mr. Morano had congratulated me on being the only student in the class who got his kite to fly. I was stupified, all I did was say "What?" He repeated himself and told me that it was rather refreshing for him to see how well it all worked out.

After we got inside, I got into the classroom to see people with some very frustrating looks on their faces. A few classmates congratulated me and I was still very surprised. This wasn't the only surprise however...

As I sat down, Mr. Morano walked in and looked right at me and said "Mr. Chandler, I would like to see you!"

He pulled me into a side room he had used for supplies and was also a small hallway that led to the adjacent art classroom that was across the hall.

What he said to me, I will never forget...

"Mr. Chandler, I would like to apologize. I was giving you a hard time throughout this whole course and I gave you an especially hard time here the last couple of weeks. I shouldn't have acted like that and I do realize now that you DID work hard on this project. Not only am I going to give you an A for the kite you built, I'm giving you an A for the semester. Good Job, Mr. Chandler!" He was almost to tears as he congratulated me.

After his talk with me and giving me an excellent grade for the course, Mr. Morano took my kite and hung it from the wall in his class! He was so proud of me and I had a deeper respect for him as a teacher.

I wrote the song "Life (Song for Rich)" back in 1990. The recording posted here was completed during the summer of 2003. Towards the end of the song, there is a mention of Thomas Colley who had also lost his life in a train accident during the late 80's. Both Thomas and Mr. Morano will be missed.

Written by D.H. Chandler, 'Life' is dedicated to the memory of Mr. Richard Morano and those friends we have lost who were close to us.

Special Thanks to Beth Ann Keller for the photograph.

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