One of the modern miracles that enriches and deepens life experience is the development of the compact digital camera. Doorbell videos catch porch pirates; body cams protect police officers; cell phones held aloft obscure stage performers; surgeons can see what they’re doing; leftist groups train adherents how to catch cops doing something wrong. Dozens of bystanders document an assault while no one steps forward to help.
In the good old days, I never had a camera when I needed one. There was one event where I really could have used a humble snapshot, to document for posterity an astonishing scene.
In 1971, the University of Kansas Jayhawk marching band practiced on a field a half mile south of the fine arts building where we kept instruments. My Sousaphone had to be carried on foot, or I could drive and put it in the car.
Sousaphones and Mini Coopers don’t mix all that well.
The 1966 Mini had a steel lip around the perimeter of the roof of the car to catch rainwater. There was a tiny drain at each of the four corners, like pockets in a pool table. Consulting my dad, I wallowed out the drain holes with an electric drill to accommodate a spring clip (like a carabiner) which I attached to a nylon cord about four feet long. I cut two cords and knotted spring clips to each end.
By repositioning the bell of the Sousaphone slightly (it was built to break down easily for shipping) the instrument could be laid face-down, as it were, on top of the car. The nylon cords were used to strap it down, and the clips secured the cords to each corner of the roof.
Voilá! Hands-free Sousaphone transport! I was the envy of the bass section. Others wanted in on the act.
The lightweight Sousaphone could also be held by a front-seat passenger by sliding open the window (the Mini did not have roll-down windows) and then holding the horn outside the car by the right hand, door closed. The modern white fiberglass Sousaphone weighs about 15 pounds, no stretch for a one-hand hold by an eager teenager. The original full brass instruments could exceed 40 pounds.
There was also the matter of the bonnet (hood) which was fairly flat, three feet wide, and only a couple of feet long, making a potentially attractive perch for an intrepid young man who wanted to sit on it while the car was moving.
On the day in question, I strapped my horn down to the roof, then rode as a passenger in the front, holding a second horn out the right-hand window. Jeff, a trumpet player, was tasked to drive.
Alan sat on the hood, wearing his Sousaphone (marching configuration), and he held on by extending his arms backward and wrapping a hand around each door, the windows slid slightly open to allow a perch for his fingers.
In the backseat of the overloaded Mini, three men were wedged together with two cased trombones and Jeff’s trumpet across their collective laps. Jeff drove slowly and prudently as we made the trip without incident, although with a great deal of spectator interest.
Nobody had a camera.
Theological Contemplations
Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.
A characteristic of God is that He is said to remember His people when they need deliverance. In the same way, the implication is that we who are His should remember His goodness to us. It is not a small leap to also say that we ought to remember others in our own sphere of influence whom we can help.
Consider these passages, and what they signify about the character of a remembering God. Also consider what they suggest about our own awareness of others:
God remembered Noah in the Ark (Genesis 8:1)
God remembered his promise to Abraham (Genesis 28:15)
God remembered Rachel (Genesis 30:22)
Pharoah’s cupbearer remembered Joseph (Genesis 41:9)
God heard Israel’s cries in Egypt (Exodus 2:24)
God remembers His covenant (Deuteronomy 7:9)
God heard Jonah’s cry (Jonah 2:1)
A scroll of remembrance was written (Malachi 3:16)
Paul: “Remember Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:8)
Too bad that I did not have a camera that day in 1971. It would be a framed wall-hanger classic. But in the words of the Apostle Peter (2 Peter 1:19) we have the holy Scriptures, “a more sure word,” reminding us what God looks like.
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Have a good week!
Curt
Alligator Briefly Said: 6 Men, 3 Sousaphones and a Mini Cooper