Imagine ...

On this day 25 years ago, John Lennon was murdered.

I remember, as a kid, cutting out all the newspaper articles about John's death and pasting them into a scrapbook. I wasn't really sure what John Lennon or the Beatles were about then, but I knew that his death had a significant impact on many people around the world.

Years later, when I discovered the magic of The Beatles and Lennon, I remember being quite upset and angry whenever I thought about him being cut down in his prime by an insignificant, mixed up individual.

I sometime wonder what he would be doing now, if he was still alive. I don't think there ever would have been a Beatles reunion, but that's probably a good thing (see the Rolling Stones today). What type of music would he be making today? What would he be interested in? While reading a 1980 interview with John earlier today, I found the following quote from him particulary poignant. He was being asked about the Beatles ever getting back together, and he had the following response:

"... Everyone always talks about a good thing coming to an end, as if life was over. But I'll be 40 when this interview comes out. Paul is 38. Elton John, Bob Dylan... we're all relatively young people. The game isn't over yet. Everyone talks in terms of the last record or the last Beatle concert... but, God willing, there are another 40 years of productivity to go. I'm not judging whether 'I am the Walrus' is better or worse than 'Imagine.' It is for others to judge. I am doing it. I do. I don't stand back and judge... I do."

 

One can only imagine what he would have achieved, given those next 40 years of productivity ...