"WHAT WONDROUS LOVE IS THIS"

  I was in Eureka, California at a Motel 6 visiting my son who was in college. 1988.  I had never seen MTV before so while I was waiting for him to get off work, I watched the videos. I grew up on classical music and folk. I knew who Theodore Bikel was but not Axel Rose. Erik arrived and was highly amused at my comments as we saw a few of the songs. I'm famous for saying Morrison had no charisma. Well, sorry, but for charisma, one has to open his or her eyes and he didn't.  When a man came on singing, "Livin' on a Prayer" I jumped up and exclaimed, "He could be an opera star!" In his usual deadpan fashion Erik said, "I hadn't thought of him that way." I said, "That's going to be my theme song!" Erik was into alternative rock so I guessed he was being diplomatic to his mom because all he did

was nod and in a Philly accent said, "O.  K.  " But right there was probably the beginning of a big dream of mine which at the time I didn't realize would involve this same Bon Jovi. I had a passion for helping homeless people. As a child, I would find them sitting on the steps outside. Whole families of them. I felt so helpless. When Bon Jovi started his Soul Foundation, I cheered. If every celebrity could personally help the homeless hands-on, especially children of war, I thought the world could be such a lovely place. When I moved to New York city, I read that as part of his projects, Bon Jovi had an "All are welcome at the table" restaurant called Soul Kitchen. I dreamed someday of going there. A suggested donation of $10 for a three course meal with no alcohol and nice iced tea appealed to me. Volunteers can pay for their meals by jobs around the garden or in the restaurant. Strangers sit together and become part of the positive energy seen in any Bon Jovi concert. I have not been to one of his concerts but I TELL YOU and I kid you not, trekking down to Red Bank this past Sunday was as exciting and transforming as a Sunday + concert could be. At the table for four, Maria told us about another, similar, restaurant in Denver called the 180 because it changes lives 180 degrees. Her life had been changed 180. The details of her story I will let her write as I didn't ask permission but it is a winner! I was glad to read later that community places such as these are catching on. Fabulous.

 Whatever dreams you have, secret or shared, I hope they will come true. One of mine did in a place called Red Bank, New Jersey on a Sunday

          .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDK9QqIzhwk

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