In many ways, Bob Shane was a great man.
In a good many way, he wasn’t so great.
But, when you consider everything, he was pretty great.
If, in this instance, we’re also talking about people who were/are GIANTS.
Bob was not a GIANT.
Who’s a GIANT?
Abraham Lincoln
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln
Nelson Mandela
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela
Jimmy Carter
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter
Almost GIANTS
Martin Luther King Jr.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.
Why wasn’t King a GIANT?
He couldn’t keep his dick in his pants.
(See the Wikipedia article on King where there is a discussion of King’s adultery.)
Kennedy couldn’t keep his dick in his pants.
Neither could Bill Clinton
Why is this important?
Marriage is a trust.
A big one.
People are not perfect.
People screw up.
I think it’s OK to screw up if you don’t make a habit of it.
A few screw-ups are acceptable.
But, not many.
From what I can tell from the article, King made a habit of it.
We all know that Bob slept with many women after he was married. Many when he was younger, only a few when he was older.
There’s that saying: ”You knew he was a snake when you picked him up.”
There’s also … “A leopard cannot change his spots.”
I think Bob’s first wife should have known what she had gotten herself into very early in their marriage. The Trio wives spent a lot of time together. They had to talk about this. There are a lot of women who marry men thinking they can change them. It rarely happens. Most people are what they are, and hardly ever change. I don’t think there was any infidelity in Bob’s second marriage. Why? He finally grew up (a lot). He quit drinking.
Who am I to make these judgments?
Just another guy.
But, I believe that everyone needs to have some standards FOR PEOPLE.
You encounter a lot of people during your life. What you think of them, I believe, is important. In deciding how much they should be a part of your life. There are some people it’s best to avoid. Because they do bad things. Things you should not be a part of.
For me, Bob Shane is a tough call …. in the final analysis.
Especially when you consider his sale of the Kingston Trio name, and the affect this had on George, Bill, and Rick. Paul too.
Here’s how I look at it.
Bob Shane enriched a lot of people’s lives.
He did it in six ways.
First, by being a husband, father, and brother.
Second, by being a founder of The Kingston Trio.
Third, by keeping the Kingston Trio alive.
Fourth, by putting on a lot of shows that made people happy.
Fifth, by spending time with fans, and that enriched their lives.
Sixth, by being a good friend to many people.
The best thing that I can say about Bob Shane is that he genuinely cared about other people and proved it many times.
He put friends first many times.
You could ALWAYS count on Bob.
I can’t say that about very many people.
The Kingston Trio started a very important music movement.
I don’t believe that they got nearly enough credit for this.
They changed popular music. By making it something that caused people to think.
Music is art.
Art is a very important part of civilization.
It’s inspiring.
Art tells us what we are, who we are, and what we can be.
It makes our lives better.
The Kingston Trio changed my life, and it enriched my life.
Bob Shane greatly enriched my life.
I greatly value the time I spent with him.
He made me feel good. About life, myself, and others.
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