Monday Morning Refuge

Home

Are you using a browser that doesn't support JavaScript? If your browser does not support JavaScript, you can upgrade to a newer browser, such as Mozilla Firefox (recommended), Microsoft Internet Explorer or Apple Safari. If you have disabled JavaScript, you must re-enable JavaScript and reload the page to better access this site.

Monday Morning Refuge

Written by David Gittlin

Thursday, 12 May 2011 09:34

In his prime, Jean Shepherd hypnotized audiences for hours with stories about the landscape of the United States during the 1960s and '70s. His subjects included Nixon/Agnew bumper stickers, Alka Seltzer TV commercials, Green Stamp, and the hallowed Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.

Like most great discoveries, I found Jean Shepherd purely by accident. Sunday nights after my 10:00 p.m. bedtime presented a daunting challenge until Jean came along. I wanted something to keep my weekend party swinging. I was deathly afraid to close my eyes, because an instant later, the sun would be pinching my cheek. It would be Monday morning, the beginning of another week of Junior High School.

The situation was not unlike the premise of the sci-fi flick “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” If you saw the original 1950s version or the remake, you’ll know what I mean. I needed to push Monday morning as far from me as my sleep-deprived brain would permit. My pre-Jean Shepherd strategy involved rock and roll music played quietly on a radio underneath the covers, so my parents wouldn’t know I was up way past my bedtime. One night, while switching from one rock and roll station to another, I found “Shep.”

The experts at the time might have called it “experimental radio.” Whatever it was, I had never heard anything as intoxicating as the smooth jazz of that voice, the one that put an arm around my shoulder and whispered, “C’mon pal, I got some cool places to take you to” while ragtime played in the background.

When I first tripped over the threshold of this new world, that silky voice swept me away. I lay there listening to the radio, staring at the speaker, my hand on the back panel making sure the big tubes inside were not overheating. I felt like a five-year-old kid attending the circus for the first time with his Dad. The world outside was crazy as hell but I had it made in the shade, hypnotized by another one of Jean Shepherd’s stories. Monday morning had disappeared over the horizon — miles and miles and miles down the road.

Fast-forward two decades. I'm a young man in the working world, fortunate to have a good job and loving relationships to sustain me. Something, however, hasn’t changed. I still need a place to get away from the pressure to perform on the job and all of the other “Monday morning” aspects of life. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was looking for until I found it courtesy of my teacher, Prem Rawat. It is a place of peace, harmony and contentment hidden deep within the recesses of my heart.

As I've learned, you can never truly escape Monday morning — not even Shep's late night talks could keep it from coming. But I can access that refuge within me anytime, anywhere. And I'm very grateful to have found it.

It’s something like tuning to the right channel on the radio.

Illustration by Sara Shaffer.

18 Comments

Joe makes this comment

Monday Morning Refuge

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

David, I've heard of Jean Shepherd. There's a guy form Hoboken, NJ, who wrote a song about him. I was never quite sure what he as talking about, but now I know. Thanks.
Ellen Kirschner makes this comment

Monday Morning Refuge

Monday, 30 May 2011

Synchronicity! I listened all night to Steve Post. One of my high school buddies went me one better--she married him! I'm going to send them this story.
raul acosta hernandez makes this comment

Refugio contra el lunes por la mañana

Monday, 30 May 2011

gracias me hacia falta leer esa parte que tanto me cuesta superar
Angel makes this comment

Refugio contra el lunes por la mañana

Saturday, 28 May 2011

querido David. me identifico plenamente contigo. pues conoci a Prem rawat en los setenta...y todavia disfruto de su entrega y su mensaje (alimento siempre dulce y fresco). creo que ahora puedes tratar de localizar a Jean Shepherd..ya que tanto te inspiro.y compartir este mensaje con el, para que pueda disfrutar de esa preciosa inspiracion que sientes...
laura cerwinske makes this comment

Monday Morning Refuge

Tuesday, 24 May 2011

Beautiful story, beautifully written. Congratulations on a lovely creation, David.
Gene Semon makes this comment

Monday Morning Refuge

Tuesday, 24 May 2011

Indeed, allow me to second Jean Sheperd and Bob Fass, who's still worth checking out on WBAI ... Thanks for the memory David, I had the same Sunday night strategy ...
Eugene B. Bergmann makes this comment

Monday Morning Refuge

Wednesday, 18 May 2011

Many thousands have considered Jean Shepherd a mentor, and many thousands still do. His work in all media is still widely available. Over a thousand of his broadcasts are available free or at little cost. See the main Shepherd website, flicklives.com for web addresses, and see ebay for many hundreds of audios on sale for a few dollars. My book about his work, EXCELSIOR, YOU FATHEAD! THE ART AND ENIGMA OF JEAN SHEPHERD,was published by Applause Books in 2005 and I'm seeking a publisher for my follow-up book about him and his work. EXCELSIOR!
Ted makes this comment

Monday Morning Refuge

Tuesday, 17 May 2011

Beautiful, David. Thanks
Sherrin@attractessentials makes this comment

Monday Morning Refuge

Tuesday, 17 May 2011

This explains some of my own behavior. Thank you for sharing your story, it really clicked me into an ahaa! moment.
Danielle makes this comment

Monday Morning Refuge

Monday, 16 May 2011

I liked how you were able to create a relationship and smooth transition from old childhood memories to newer ones. It's like you made a full circle, and that we were right there with you.