Modesty, Propriety, Can Lead To Notoriety
I once flew from my home in the UK to the USA, on a very thrilling mission. This caused me to accidentally commit a crime, which led to a journey through music, then on to the Presidency, and the occasional fidelity of animals.
To explain, this story begins in June 1988.
I had just spent a year working as part of the British animation crew, on the Steven Spielberg / Walt Disney feature: "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?". Now, at last, the moment had arrived, to see the premiere at Radio City Music Hall in NEW YORK CITY!
The trip was more exciting than I could handle, and was punctuated by a medley of songs that played in my head:
"All my bags are packed; I'm ready to go..."
"I'm sittin' in the railway station; Got a ticket to my destination..."
"I'm LEAVING, on a jet plane..."
Yes, I know the first song is the same as the third, so I will admit that my taste in music is limited. However, this did not matter after I landed in New York, when all the tunes that initially filled my brain, suddenly gave way to a single song from Sting, as I strutted down Broadway, feeling good in the summer sunshine:
"I'm an Englishman in New York..."
Eventually I found myself in a bar, holding a cold bottle of Budweiser. I admired my surroundings, and marveled at how everything looked so… “American”. Wooden bar counters with little trays of nuts and pretzels; rows of alcohol bottles behind serving staff, and multiple TVs showing American sports around the room. I soaked up the atmosphere until eventually it was time to leave.
"Check please," said the Englishman in New York.
The man looked up from polishing a glass. He gave me the customary "Yes sir" raise of his eyebrows, and handed me a piece of paper with a total at the bottom. I reached into my wallet.
"Can you give me change from a hundred dollar bill?" I asked.
"Of course," came the reply.
Behind him, an important baseball game was drawing attention from everyone in the room. Apparently, some Yankees were in a tight competition against a bunch of Tigers, and as I accidentally handed the barman a TEN dollar bill, I pointed to the screen and made some polite British conversation about baseball and cricket.
With both of us distracted by the ballgame, the man handed me change from a hundred, and I went on my way. Later, I realized that I still had the large bill in my wallet, plus an additional ninety dollars more than I should have. At this point, the song from Sting was replaced by the theme from the movie: "The Sting", because apparently, I had just pulled off a perfect con trick. Of course, I had no way of returning the money, because I completely forgot where this bar was, and so feeling very guilty, I gave the money to an extremely lucky guitarist, busking in the subway.
I think we all have music punctuating key moments our lives. This week, I believe that some sort of American Presidential Election has been happening, so every time I turned on the TV, "Hail to the Chief" echoed annoyingly through my head.
It’s a little-known fact that this American Presidential anthem has British roots. It originated in a 19th century poem by a Scottish writer, Sir Walter Scott. Music was added to the poem by the English composer James Sanderson, and it was first performed in Britain, before a production came to the United States, in 1812.
In 1829, Andrew Jackson was the first President to be personally honored by "Hail to the Chief", but it was Julia Tyler, the wife of President John Tyler, who requested that the tune be played to announce the President's arrival on official occasions. Her successor as First Lady, Sarah Polk, encouraged its regular use after it was played at her husband's inauguration. James Polk had not been a strong military hero like some of his predecessors, and by all accounts he was a very physically slight man. Sarah Polk had the Marine Band play "Hail to the Chief" so people would notice when her husband entered the room.
I love that it was the wives of powerful men who ensured their husbands would be given the grand entrance they deserved. So often in humanity, we see division and separation, and it's nice that US history is peppered with great moments of support and togetherness.
In nature, a requirement to reproduce often outweighs the need to stick with a single partner forever, so the faithful and devoted exceptions are notable.
Many species of birds stay together, including eagles, owls, swans, geese and doves, but their lifetime of devotion isn’t the same as mating for life. Sometimes the pair may be unfaithful to each other. Often, a female bird carrying an egg fathered by her bonded mate, will lay that egg in a different nest of the same species. So, when you see a nest full of eggs, you can’t be sure who is the biologic father or mother.
A similar infidelity exists in mammals like gibbons, who pair for life but mate with others to ensure the continuation the species. Gray wolves are also monogamous, except during breeding season. In the canine world, only coyotes remain faithful. Researchers followed 236 coyotes over a six-year period, and found no evidence of polygamy, or of a mate ever leaving its partner while they were still alive.
Some creatures are loyal, even after death. Prairie voles are one of the few rodents known to mate for life, and in the wild, in approximately 80 percent of situations where a vole loses its partner, they won't ever seek out another.
Even creepy crawly critters know how to be faithful. As crazy as it might seem to imagine, termites form a lifelong pair bond. They will land on a log, find their termite soulmate, and begin building their new life together within a few hours of meeting. That said, a species of termite native to California has been observed to abandon their new mate within the first 90 minutes, to seek out a better partner. So, I guess occasionally, even the truest termite love is not meant to last.
Monogamy isn't limited to creatures on land. Seahorses mate for life, as do angelfish, to help each other defend territory. Several species of shrimp pair up, and find refuge inside mesh basket-shaped sponges, where they become trapped and spend their days together forever. After the shrimp breed, the small offspring squeeze through the holes in the mesh to escape, but eventually they will settle into a new home with their own imprisoned mate.
And speaking of imprisonment with a mate, at this time of Coronapocalypse, my family in England is about to go through a month-long, government-mandated lockdown, with orders for everyone to stay confined at home.
With luck, this will have the desired effect, to keep the current pandemic under control. Hopefully, everyone will be isolated with a supportive partner, willing to split parental duties and share some great music, to create a world free of bad things, like viruses and English con men!
