From A Distance

 Bette Midler - From A Distance

VERSES

From a distance the world looks blue and green,
And the snow-capped mountains white.
From a distance the ocean meets the stream,
And the eagle takes to flight.

From a distance, there is harmony
And it echoes through the land.
It's the voice of hope, it's the voice of peace,
It's the voice of every man.

From a distance we all have enough,
And no one is in need.
And there are no guns, no bombs, and no disease,
No hungry mouths to feed.

From a distance we are instruments,
Marching in a common band.
Playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace.
They're the songs of every man.

REFRAIN

God is watching us. God is watching us.
God is watching us from a distance.

The lyrics from this song are inspirational though definitely not our reality.    The world is not harmonious, folks are in need, guns and bombs are aplenty, and disease is ever present.   The skies are still blue and there are snow-capped mountains but humans are quickly chipping away at that.   We get daily reminders in life of this and it doesn't help that our current administration is slowing taking away our basic rights.

There is one thing I believe is still true.  God indeed is watching us.   A lot of times we don't understand why bad things continue to happen to good people but God is watching over us.   I was reminded of this when I received a phone call last week from my college friend Doug who mentioned that he was in my neck of the woods for his training at a new job he got at Motorola.  

We reminisced about old times and I couldn't help but remember our time at the club 9.9.   I actually blogged about that experience before in my original blog.   I kept a paper journal (which I've since lost) back in the early 90's (that was a whole lifetime ago over 30 years ago).   To recap I was part of an organization called National Society of Black Engineers.   Our chapter of the organization attended a national conference that was being held in Houston, Texas.   I believe we attended that conference in 1993.   I remember that the R&B group SWV was hitting the scene and they had two songs that were making waves, I'm So Into You and Weak.   Former college friend Earvin and I were riding in a rental when Weak started playing.    I remember telling Earvin how I enjoyed the song and Earvin saying that the ladies sounded like chipmunks.   I remember that comment making me chuckle.

Hemingway the experience that stuck with me the most was my time at a ghetto club called 9.9.   I had my version of my experiences there but when I reunited with Doug years after my first blog entry he shared a version of the story that I didn't remember.   He told me that I was almost jumped by three random hoodlums who were up to no good.   Doug said that he was standing off from a distance checking out the scene when he hear three guys talking and pointing at me saying that they were planning to rob me as soon as I left the club.    Doug said he was worried about me but didn't know what to do.   He stood still and was watching me from afar.    He said he was praying that I wouldn't leave the club on my own.

Next is where my version of the events and Doug's version of the events differ.   In my version I pretty much was standing in one spot (Doug and my recollection of that was clear).  I did not see Doug or Rick at all.   I did see Earvin having his fun with some locals.   Eventually Earvin comes to me and the two of us split up looking for Doug and Rick.    When we don't find them, we go outside and when walking to the car, we see Doug and Rick waiting there.

Now in Doug's version, he says that he was racing in his mind trying to figure out what to do to save me.   He mentioned that there was a girl fight that distracted the random hoodlums and other patrons.    He said during this time that he quickly came up to me and told me that we needed to go and to ask no questions.   He mentioned that we both went outside away from the club.

I don't remember the events playing out that way at all.   I feel like he would've told me that sooner.   But nonetheless if I truly was about to be jumped, all I can say was that God truly was watching out for me that night.   Who knows how the trajectory of my life might've changed had I gotten mugged that night.   Maybe I may not even be here today.   I do thank goodness guns weren't involved as shootings have become all the more prevalent.

But now that I think about it, based on my version of events, Earvin and I found Doug and Rick outside by the car.   Maybe Doug was misremembering who the potential victim was.    Maybe Rick was the one that was in danger and he actually was saving Rick instead of me.    The next time I talk to Rick I'll have to bring up the story to see if he remembers it the same way.    Either way none of us had any business going to that place.   God truly was watching us to get us unscathed.