RELO Roundtable…a gathering place

Just a few minutes after reading Reader's Digest print version of Gary Sledge's "You’re Welcome, America, Now Hire Us" in the upstairs “library”, I found this note in my inbox.

Do you have the stand by me vid i sent it [to] my bff when she deployed she really liked it shes home now but still can't find a job i want to send it to her again thx sherrie

Talk about déjà vu!

Sherrie's text reminded me of similar email a close friend sent a little over three years ago after he recognized I was going through a long mental fuge from being unemployed for so long. His message was even shorter.

Put on the headphones, crank up the volume, and click on the link – T.

I originally published the Playing for Change (PFC) video (below) in an article called “Time Out” in April, 2009. RELO Roundtable was just over five months old and didn't have many regular readers or subscribers. 

At the time, PFC's version of Stand by Me it had been viewed a little over 1.4 million times. Today over 42,294,000 folks have enjoyed this remarkable – and growing – effort of worldwide musical collaboration and cooperation on YouTube.

After I posted it, a friend apparently sent it a friend, who shared it with a friend. You can probably figure out the rest … interest in the article went viral!

Within several weeks, the piece was being visited – and then shared – from around the globe, often from IP addresses or locations associated with military installations. Both my outlook and my attitude toward my little niche blog improved!

Roger Ridley, the humble outdoor street musician entertaining the family audience in Santa Monica, introduces the once popular Staple Singer's piece (released in 1955) and sets the stage by saying “This song says … uhh… no matter who you are, no matter where you go in your life, at some point you're gonna need somebody to stand by you.”

Ridley recorded several songs for the Playing for Change producers but, unfortunately, never got to see the award-winning documentary which featured his music. On November 16, 2005, Roger's Lord and Savior called him home – just like with many of the brave soldiers taken during their deployment, especially those serving in the hostile war zones of Iraq or Afghanistan.

Sherrie, thanks so much for your note! I truly appreciate your concern for your friend – and all the other returning military veterans who are now struggling to find jobs.

As we approach that special day when Americans memorialize and remember the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces, I hope all of them eventually discover that the country they fought to protect and defend acknowledges their sacrifice by now standing by them! 

Please send your friend this new link.  Tell her to put on the headphones, crank up the volume and enjoy!  

Thanks! ~ Eric

Stand By Me | Playing For Change | Song Around the World

Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay | Playing For Change

God Bless America | Playing For Change | Grandpa Elliott

If you love the way that New Orleans' legendary Grandpa Elliott soulfully sings the blues, be sure to check out his powerful rendition of Little Milton's 1966 classic, Blind Man, which was just posted in March, 2012.  It's one of the 70+ videos featured at the Playing for Change YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/PlayingForChange.

The Playing For Change Foundation is dedicated to connecting the world through music by providing resources to musicians and their communities around the world. You can find more information about their worthwhile program and music at http://playingforchange.org/

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

  is a mutually supportive but commercially neutral learning environment that deals with the trials and tribulations of movin’.

Have questions or need professional assistance with an upcoming moving and storage issue, or help choosing a domestic or international relocation product or service supplier?

FOLLOW US and SUBSCRIBE at: