I'm from the Midwest, and I loved my family. I had a very good time as a child, but I was also - I have a theory about Jews growing up in the Midwest, that there is an ultimately sort of wonderful avoidance of a lot of things, and a great acceptance of whatever is happening.
quote by Bob Balaban

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I love the Midwest. I think about it every day. I wonder if I would rather have a little farm in the Midwest, in Illinois or Wisconsin, or would I rather have like a little getaway up in the mountains of Colorado.
Children of the Midwest Sun
We are the children of the Midwest sun:
its light has weight, measured musical tones.
'Come along, ' sang Empedocles,450 BCE,
'and I'll tell you a tale of the Sun's nativity:
how the land, and rapid air,
damp vapors and the sea,
that bind Titan's circle around the earth,
all spring from the same identity.'
For the great Sun God, the Egyptian Ra,
lordly Mithras of the Persians,
Greek Apollo bright-orbed,
the majestic Incan Sun, Druidic Stonehenge Sun,
the Chinese, the Indian, and Australian Sun
are all One...
its light has weight, measured musical tones.
We are the children of the Midwest Sun:
the buzzing insects, beasts and birds,
and creatures that ride the waves in herds,
down the Mississippi basin and out to the world.
This phoenix-like maelstrom earth
in truth is but a shard of ashes and vapor,
for eons in labor,
to which the Midwest Sun gave birth.
We are the children of the Midwest Sun:
its light has weight, measured musical tones.
poem by Jay Mandeville

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Great Mid-West
Written by John Mellencamp
Everything is slower here, everybody's got a union card
They get up on Sunday and go to church of their choice
Come back home cook out in the backyard
Chorus:
And they call this the Great Midwest
Where the cornfields row and flow
They're all 5 years ahead of their time
Or 25 behind, I just don't know
All the young men talk about their 4 wheel drives
And how much money they're gonna make on Friday night
And, they like to brag about how they mistreat their girlfriends
Hey, let's get drunk, party it up, start a fight
Chorus II:
And they call this the Great Midwest
Sure make a hell of a car
And the old hearts, they race their way through the night
The upheaval of who they really are
Growin' up under normal conditions, television and radio
That's just about all of this whole world
That any of us get to see, get to know
Chorus III:
And they call this the Great Midwest
Where you sacrifice your body and soul
And no one really wants to get even
Most of us find it hard enough just lettin' go
Bridge:
Don't get me wrong I ain't complaining
I ain't braggin' nor do I mean to place blame
That's just the way things are around here
And there's a future carryin' my name on it
Sayin' hey man, you gonna stick around here you better get on it
If you're gonna stick around here you better make yourself some real good friends
Well I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth
So I can't talk about the big city life
But if you wanna talk about bein' bored and runnin'
away from yourself, hell I talk to you all night
Chorus IV:
And they call this the Great M
song performed by by John Mellencamp

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You can take the boy out of the Midwest, but you can't take the Midwest out of the boy.
0007 Rilke on Solitude
If you notice that solitude is great,
rejoice because of this.
For what would solitude be
that had no greatness? There is
but one solitude, and that is great,
and not easy to bear,
and to almost everybody come hours
when they would gladly erxchange it for any sort of intercourse,
however banal and cheap; with the first comer,
with the unworthiest...
but perhaps those are the very hours
when solitude grows, for
its growing is as painful as the growing of boys
and sad as the beginning of springtimes.
To be solitary, the way one was solitary as a child,
when the grownups went around involved with things
that seemed important and big
because they themselves looked so busy
and because one comprehended nothing of their doings.
Be close to things; they will not desert you;
there are the nights still
and the winds that go through the trees
and across many lands;
among things and with the animals
everything is still full of happening
in which you may participate;
and children are still the way you were as a child,
sad like that and happy,
- and if you think of your childhood
you live among them again.
(Abstracted from Rilke's letters to a young poet)
poem by Michael Shepherd

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In fact, ballet companies did not exist in the Midwest when I was a child.
quote by Suzanne Farrell

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I am not that athletic, but that is the beauty of film and television, they can make you look good. I'm just good enough to get the job done, but in reality, I get served all the time. I am a white Jewish guy from the Midwest, I can't ball that much, but I can hold my own.
quote by Bryan Greenberg

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Dilemma
I love and I need you
Nelly, I love you, I do
Need you
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when Im with my boo
Boy, you know Im crazy over you
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when Im with my boo
You know Im crazy over you
Uh-uh-uh-uh
I met this chick and she just moved right up the block
From me
And she got the hots for me, the finest thing I need
To see
But oh, no, no, she got a man and a son, oh-oh, but
Thats okay
cause I wait for my cue and just listen, play my
Position
Like a shortstop, pick up erything mami hittin
And in no time I better make this friend mine and
Thats for sure
cause i-i never been the type to break up a happy
Home
But theres something bout baby girl, I just cant
Leave her lone
So tell me, ma, whats it gonna be
She said, you dont know what you mean to me, come
On
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when Im with my boo
Boy, you know Im crazy over you
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when Im with my boo
You know Im crazy over you
Uh-uh-uh-uh
I see a lot in your look and I never say a word
I know how n****s start actin trippin , and hate up
All the girls
And theres no way nelly go for it
Aint f***in with no dame, as you could see
But i-i like your steeze, your style, your whole
Demeanor
The way you come through and holler, and swoop me in
His two-seater
Now thats gangsta and I got special ways to thank ya,
Dont you forget it
But it aint that easy for you to back up and leave
Him
But you and me we got ties for different reasons
I respect that and right before I turned to leave
She said, you dont know what you mean to me, come
On
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when Im with my boo
Boy, you know Im crazy over you
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when Im with my boo
You know Im crazy over you
Sing it for me, k
I love and I need you
Nelly, I love you, I do
And its more than youll ever know
Boy, its for sure
You can always count on my love
Forever more, yeah, yeah
East coast, I know youre shakin right
Down south, I know youre bouncin right
West coast, I know youre walkin right
(cause you dont know what you mean to me)
Midwest, I see you swingin right
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when Im with my boo
Boy, you know Im crazy over you
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when Im with my boo
You know Im crazy over you
East coast, I know youre shakin right
Down south, I know youre bouncin right
West coast, I know youre walkin right
(you dont know what you mean to me)
Midwest, I see you swingin right
East coast, youre still shakin right
Down south, I know youre bouncin right
West coast, I know youre walkin right
(you dont know what you mean to me)
Midwest, youre still swingin right
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when Im with my boo
Boy, you know Im crazy over you
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when Im with my boo
You know Im crazy over you
Yeah, yeah
East coast, I know youre shakin right
Down south, I know youre bouncin right
West coast, I know youre walkin right
(you dont know what you mean to me)
Midwest, I see you swingin right
East coast, youre still shakin right
Down south, I know youre bouncin right
West coast, I know youre walkin right
(you dont know what you mean to me)
Midwest, youre still swingin right
song performed by by Nelly

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Walk as I Walk, and Die as I Die
Walk with me my child, let us walk along the shore
For there is something I must reveal to you
A great mystery explore
Because life my child, is what we are all around
From the moment you were conceived
To your first wonderful sound
My child, I am slowly growing old, getting cold
And there is a great something that I need to say
Something important, only on this special day
I want to you to be great and wonderful, the one who they trust
To not be blinded by Greed
Bribes or Lust
So will you walk as I walk, and die as I die
And you will great my child
Like a bird in the sky
poem by William Milam

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Wonderful
These are the days I love,
And Ill be happier than most
Crossing england coast to coast,
Through your town,
And as I cross the land
And I cry a salty tear,
For those who are not here
On this day
Youre wonderful
So wonderful,
Its good to see you
Youre wonderful
So wonderful,
Its great to be here.
And as I think back when
Life was uncomplicated then
We had some things we hated
But more that we loved
And we took care to wear
What nobody else would wear
Cos we didnt really care
In those days
Youre wonderful
So wonderful,
Its good to see you
Youre wonderful
So wonderful,
Its great to be here.
song performed by by Madness

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Midwest kids got to summer camp. There is something very special about being away from your parents for the first time, sleeping under the stars, hiking and canoeing.
quote by Jami Gertz

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Not Rich In Money
I may not be rich in money but I'm rich of happiness
I don't care about money
Why?
Money can't buy everything, especially feelings
Money can't last forever
I'm happy even though I'm not rich
I have a good life, I have wonderful friends and families, and most of all: I am loved and cared
Being loved and cared is far better than having money
What will you choose?
Money or friendship and love?
I am grateful for all the things God gave me
Money doesn't matter
So what if you have a lot of money
But do you feel happy?
Being happy is more important than money
Why?
Because if you're not happy... it's hard to heal unhappiness as time goes by
I am happy as long as my family and friends care about me
I am happy to have such wonderful friends and family that supports me everyday
I am happy
Even if I'm poor... but I'm happy because my family and friends fill my heart with laughters, jokes, and smile in which all the burdens and stress flows away like the wind
Being poor is good though
You see poor people that are happy
Because they have each other
You can do anything with each other and do anything together
I am thankful God...
Thank you forgiving me such a wonderful life with the best friends and family in the world
Thank you for making me feel happiness everyday
Thank you God, for supoorting me, my family, and my friends
Thank you God, for protecting everybody in this world. Even you.
I like Target. I like the ones in the Midwest, personally. We don't really have those in England yet.
quote by Roger Andrew Taylor

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It's a character I've created. Actually, that's pretty much the opposite of me, off a farm in the Midwest.
quote by Douglas Wilson

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She comes from the Midwest. She had me at a very young age and raised me on her own. She's a very hard worker.
quote by Lara Flynn Boyle

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I had been plunged into a different world. I found myself spending half my time answering weird questions on book tours in the Midwest. People would stand up and explain to me the situation in their office and ask me whether they should resign or not.
quote by Kazuo Ishiguro

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There is extraordinary similarities between the Midwest in America and Europe in that there is this sense of vast, open sky and loneliness and cold.
quote by Ajay Naidu

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Sabu Visits The Twin Cities Alone
The movie wasnt really doing so hot
Said the new producer to the old big shot
Its dying on the edge of the great midwest
Sabu must tour or forever rest.
Hey look ma
Here comes the elephant boy
Bundled all up in his corduroy
Headed down south towards illinois
From the jungles of east st. paul.
His manager sat in the office alone
Staring at the numbers on the telephone
Wondering how a man could send a child actor
To visit in the land of the wind chill factor.
Sabu was sad the whole tour stunk
The airlines lost the elephants trunk
The roadie got the rabies and the scabies and the flu
They was low on morale but they was high on.
song performed by by John Prine

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Tennis
In the morning madness and the stabbing light
She pours the coffee and she says
What was wrong with you last night?
Dreams, just dreams my love, were half asleep
But the headlines on tennis
So it seems, everythings all right
Theres a girl from the midwest, with a pretty face
Scratched where it itched, they said it was a disgrace
I dont wanna go to work today
Wanna stay at home and watch that girl play
Do you like tennis?
Yes I do
There are people in boats in the middle of the sea
Crying and dying like jews
Do you like tennis?
Freedom is the man with the red grenade
She ran out of gas, got beat and raped
Do you like tennis?
Well do you like tennis?
Yes I do
song performed by by Chris Rea

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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We're Jews, my family, and Jews break down into two distinct subcultures: book Jews and money Jews. We were money Jews.