Feb 26th, 2009
California Here I Come
Turn towards California with a luminous face, a joyous soul, an attracted heart, an enlightened spirit, an eloquent speech and a radiant expression. Bahai writings
On my way to New York to attend the UN Commission on the Status of Women, I have stopped for a couple of days in California. I know, New York is closer to England than LA is, but that’s the way the fare worked out. If I had gone to New York first, then to LA and then flown home to England, the fare would have been nearly double what I have paid.
My father is living out here, along with my stepmother and two of my sisters and their 7 children. We’re having a great time. My dad is Buddy Worth, known locally as the `piano bar legend’ for his many decades of working the nightclubs in the San Fernando Valley as a piano player and his big popular following. Although none of this part of my family are Baha’is and it is not meaningful to them, I am still celebrating the Baha’i holiday of Ayyam-i-Ha (Intercalary Days) with them just by being here and sharing something of their lives. My sister Tina has just had a beautiful little baby girl - her fifth child - Cadence - so it is a double celebration.
California is where I was born, although I left here more than 40 years ago. In many ways it has changed but in basic ways it is still the same. The weather is still wonderful, especially coming from the bad winter snow we have just had at home, and the people are still very nice and friendly to each other, even strangers in restaurants smile at you and chat. I am also impressed with how accommodating people are to children - this is a big change from the UK, where you sometimes get the impression that children are just an irritation to everyone and where people actually tell children not to play in front of their own homes. Here many of the children are playing in front of all the houses on the street and people seem to look after them all.
I don’t think I could live here again, despite the many attractions, but it a great place to visit for a few days.
And to all my friends in California who I should have visited - sorry, two days was only just enough to see my dad and family. Maybe next time!
Technorati Tags: Bahai, Baha’i, Ayyam-i-Ha, Intercalary Days, California, Buddy Worth, Commission on the Status of Women
Ahhh, California. That’s where I met you- but didn’t get to meet your dad…
strollin down memory lane!
Dear Ms. Momen,
I just learned about your post from a colleague. We keep a site on independent record labels and some of their artists in Chicago during the post-World War II period.
One of the companies we have been covering is Aristocrat (the forerunner of Chess and Checker). In 1947, Aristocrat released a 78 by the Hollywood Tri-Tones, which we believe was your father’s group. He is credited as the composer and the vocalist on the record.
The record has always been rather mysterious to us, because it obviously wasn’t made in Chicago and the owners of Aristocrat must have picked it up from a source in Southern California. If your father is interested in talking to us the record, we would love to talk to him.
Sincerely,
Robert Campbell
Red Saunders Research Foundation