Author: danbonbooks

Dan is a retired police officer and law enforcement educator who enjoys writing about things near and dear to his heart.

Regular Maintenance Required

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On a recent road trip in our new car, I was surprised to see a message pop up on the digital screen in the middle of the dashboard. Where this LCD panel would usually display maps or information about the radio station I was listening to, this note told me that my vehicle was due for maintenance. But that wasn’t all … this message went on to provide an electronic button that, if pushed, would connect me with the service department at my local dealership where I could schedule an appointment.

The array of digital gizmos in this new car is amazing to me, with many intended to do nothing more than help me keep things working safely and efficiently. The speedometer area of the dash is especially impressive for, upon starting the engine, I am presented with a digital image of my car that looks as if it is undergoing a CT scan from front to rear. Wow. Seeing all of this technology in action is cool, and it makes we wonder … how nice would it be if each of us had a similar collection of bodily sensors that would provide snapshots of our physical health at the start of each day?

Far-fetched, I know, and unlikely any time soon. But, as a survivor of prostate cancer I am, at the moment, especially sensitized to this issue. Full disclosure, I am coming up on my six-month checkup with my urologist which, of course, will include the ever-popular DRE.

For those unfamiliar with that combination of letters, they do not stand for “Drug Recognition Expert” or even the FAA code for “Drummond Island, Michigan.” Instead, they are medical shorthand for a process known as Digital Rectal Examination, a procedure likely as much fun for the physician as for the patient. Without going into too much detail I will only point out that, thankfully, my current physician has very slender fingers while his recently retired predecessor had digits like Shrek.

I am, of course, kidding.

It was my doctor’s insistence on an annual DRE and PSA blood test that in July, 2015, detected my prostate cancer, a finding for which I am eternally grateful. After the initial shock of the diagnosis, I connected with an outstanding team of physicians and technicians who, with great care, guided me through an eight-week regimen of radiation treatment … after which I was declared “cancer free.” That outcome, without question, is a testament to early detection, and to the remarkable medical practitioners in whose hands I placed my care. I owe each of them more than I can ever express.

According to the American Cancer Society, about one man in seven will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. About 60% of those diagnoses are men aged 65 or older; it is rare before age 40. And while prostate cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in American men (behind lung cancer and colorectal cancer), when detected early it is very treatable. Today, there are a number of very effective treatment options for prostate cancer, but the key is for men to stay vigilant and to insist on regular testing.

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month … a perfect time to join me (and my urologist) and Give The Finger to Prostate Cancer!

A Trip Down Memory Lane

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As the calendar turns to August, I am feeling the inexorable pull to return to a place that holds genuine meaning for me … Woodstock. Yes, a family reunion in upstate New York is the purported main reason for our visit this year but, truth be told, the prospect of a visit to the Museum at Bethel Woods and the historic site that used to be Max Yasgur’s farm … well, that is really tugging at my sleeve.

The fiftieth anniversary of the iconic Woodstock Festival is a scant two years off and, though I hope to return for a sure-to-be momentous reunion, one can never predict what the future might hold. That being so, I plan to make the most of my time in this very special place this summer. Maybe a stroll down Hurd Lane … a photo, perhaps, next to the “Tomb of the Unknown Hippie” overlooking the original concert site … even an unobstructed drive along Route 17b which, in August of 1969, was jammed for miles with abandoned cars. Ah, memories!

Though named the “Woodstock Music and Arts Fair,” the event was actually held in the small community of Bethel, New York. The Museum at Bethel Woods is an excellent venue for a visit as it contains a trove of mementos and memorabilia from that iconic gathering. I am pleased that my book Dear Hippie … We Met at Woodstock is available for purchase in the museum shop so we will, of course, be stopping there as well.

Though we have lived in the state of Texas for the past thirty years, I am looking forward to our visit to New York for another important reason … it was there (in the City of Poughkeepsie) that I began my law enforcement career just over fifty years ago. While I discuss a number of my law enforcement experiences in my book, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to do a Woodstock presentation and book signing at the Adriance Memorial Library in Poughkeepsie on August 16.

The fact that I was assigned to work at Woodstock as a police officer was pure serendipity, but it was an experience that I cherish. As I look forward to visiting a place laden with rich memories, I am reminded of the 1966 song by Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders: “Something Keeps Calling Me Back.” Indeed, something does.

Getting “Rightsized” at Last

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After more than fifty years of marriage, we took a “leap of faith” and made a series of major changes in our lives.  We also wrote a book about the process titled “Home Sweet Apartment … Getting Rightsized in Our Seventies.”  For senior citizens, making the willing choice to “Rightsize” their lives can be a challenge. Done smartly, though, the outcome can be deeply rewarding. As this book suggests, the journey begins with a clear vision of what an ideal lifestyle looks like and then, while keeping that goal in focus, taking intelligent steps forward. Using our personal experience, we describe how – while both in our seventies – we sold our home, moved to an “Over-55” apartment community, got rid of a lot of accumulated “stuff,” and fashioned a lifestyle of reduced stress and increased personal contentment. This book outlines steps for a comfortable relocation, strategies for letting go of “stuff,” managing the stress of a major lifestyle change, and making wise choices about what is important in life. This new book is now available on Amazon in both Paperback and Kindle versions.

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Woodstock Book Now Available at The Museum at Bethel Woods

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We are very excited about the recent good news that the book Dear Hippie … We Met at Woodstock is now available for purchase at the Museum at Bethel Woods in New York.  This lovely facility – which is located on the grounds of the 1969 Woodstock Festival – does a wonderful job of collecting, tending and preserving the history of that iconic event.  The setting is beautiful, and fond memories abound.  For those who were there, this museum provides a wonderful trip down memory lane (especially if memories are a bit vague).  For those who weren’t there but want to know about the event itself along with a sense of the times, this facility is outstanding.  Their site can be found and enjoyed at bethelwoodscenter.org

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Hippie Holidays!

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With the 50th Anniversary of the Woodstock Festival only a couple of years off, I got to wondering how some veterans of that iconic event might be celebrating Christmas.  In their song Old Hippie Christmas, the Bellamy Brothers give us one possible answer:

All the kids made up their wish lists, Sunshine wants the A-bomb banned

Rainbow wants to go to ‘Frisco in an old Volkswagen van,

And the black lights and the lava lamps are flashin’ all about

And Santa in his sandals leaves us little doubt

That Christmas time is almost here and it’s gonna be far out

Some younger folks may not be clear on the reference to black lights and lava lamps, and the mention of banning the A-bomb is somewhat dated, but those of us who were around the 60’s and 70’s get it.  And as the song suggests Christmas, without a doubt, is going to be “Far Out.”tumblr_mxjphf1w2f1s1vvomo1_1280

Christmas Shopping for Hippies

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If you are looking for that last minute gift for an aging Hippie (or a Hippie “wannabe”), our latest book Dear Hippie … We Met at Woodstock might be a good choice.  The paperback version is in stock and can be received by Christmas, and the Kindle version is currently being offered at a reduced price.  Both are available at Amazon.com.  Simply type Dear Hippie in the Amazon search box and it appears instantly.

Our pre-Christmas book signing events were lots of fun, with many folks stopping by to share their recollections of the 60’s and 70’s.  For many, the memories and images of Woodstock remain vivid.  And while nobody adorned themselves in tie-dyed clothing and sandals, the conversations included a fair number of Woodstock-era phrases like “Far Out”, “Groovy” and “I’m Digging It!”

Perhaps there is more than a little truth in the popular saying: “Old hippies never die … they just flashback!”

Interesting Coincidences

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Over the past two weeks, two very interesting phone conversations with old friends (both male) has revealed – once again – something that, according to the statistics, should not be surprising.  Each of these conversations started with the caller telling me how much he has enjoyed reading my latest book Dear Hippie … We Met at Woodstock, but then going on to point out that in tracking down that publication, they learned that I had written an earlier one on the subject of Prostate Cancer.

My two friends then went on to tell me that they, too, had recently been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, undergone treatment, and were now pleased to describe themselves as cancer-free.  Each described the journey they had taken, and the gratitude they felt toward the medical professionals who caught the disease in its early stages and then provided the treatment and care that has allowed them to continue on with their lives.  In listening to these fellow I was struck by how similar their experience was to my own, and I celebrated with each of them.

The buzz associated with my Woodstock book has been uplifting and exciting, but hearing stories like those shared by these two men reminded me that, according to the numbers, approximately 1 in 7 men will confront prostate cancer over the course of their lives.  It is fortunate that, when detected in its early stages, this type of cancer can be treated effectively, and a man can expect to live a full and satisfying life.

Thanks, Robert and John, for taking the time to share your stories with me … you made my day.  You also reminded me of the importance of keeping men vigilant about being tested regularly and, as the saying goes, giving “the finger” to Prostate Cancer.

Calling All Hippies

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Now that our new book is published and available on Amazon, we are pleased to announce that in early December, we will be taking part in three local author events at various Half Price Books locations in the Dallas area.  At each store, we will be on hand with copies of Dear Hippie … We Met at Woodstock available for purchase.  The dates, times and locations for the local author events are:

December 3 – Noon-3pm – Irving, 7631 North MacArthur Boulevard

December 4 – 1-3pm – Dallas, 5803 East Northwest Highway

December 11 – 1-3pm – Lewisville, 420 East FM 3040

We hope to see you there!

 

 

Woodstock Memories

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It has been a delightful labor of love getting to this point, and I am pleased to announce that our latest book Dear Hippie … We Met at Woodstock has been published and is now available in paperback through Amazon.  Subtitled One Cop’s Memories of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, the digital/Kindle version will also be on Amazon within the next two weeks.

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Though the event took place almost fifty years ago (August 15-17, 1969), writing about my time there as a police officer brought back a number of fond memories, many of which I included in the book.  For example, while the organizers of Woodstock only planned for a crowd of about 50,000 people, an estimated half million actually found their way to Max Yasgur’s 600 acre dairy farm in bucolic Bethel, New York.  Fun fact: when the “official” tally of attendees was noted, that colossal number  made the little town of Bethel – at that moment in time – the second largest community in New York State!

Needless to say, concert organizers and government entities quickly were  overwhelmed.  With chaos seeming inevitable, catastrophe was averted through a grassroots spirit of cooperation and collaboration between Hippies and cops.  Though the few police officers assigned to work at Woodstock did a commendable job of providing essential services under very difficult circumstances, the young concert-goers, themselves, were remarkably cooperative, kind and generous.

The iconic images of Woodstock are ordinarily those of crowds, traffic jams, rain, mud … and did I mention traffic jams?  When all was said and done, though, thousands of Hippies and a handful of cops had worked together – and succeeded – in keeping things relatively calm … and peace, love and music prevailed.

 

 

 

Paging Bob Dylan …

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The news that Bob Dylan had been selected as winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature was a big deal in some quarters, but now that the excitement has died down there remains an important question … where is Bob Dylan?  Apart from making passing reference to the award shortly after the announcement, he has not discussed the honor and has even removed any Nobel Prize reference from his web site.  One can only assume that being awarded an international prize (and the more than $900,000 that goes with it) simply does not hold much allure for Dylan.

At least one member of the Nobel Academy has suggested that Bob Dylan’s reaction to the award reveals him to be both arrogant and impolite.  Others closer to the artist would point out that Dylan is just being Dylan.  What, after all, was the Nobel Committee expecting from someone who has expressed his views on fame this way: “Being noticed can be a burden.  Jesus got himself crucified because he got himself noticed.  So I disappear a lot.”

While some seem shocked that a Nobel winner would drop off the grid upon learning he had won, this has happened before.  In Dylan’s case, though, this should not have been a surprise.  In August of 1969, he lived in upstate New York not far from the site of the Woodstock Festival and, despite several invitations to appear and a nodding commitment to do so, Dylan was a “no show” there as well.  At the end of the day the current contretemps may come down simply to his adherence to a philosophy he has expressed in the past: “Just because you like my stuff doesn’t mean I owe you anything.”