Saturday 9: The Straw Hat Song

The Straw Hat Song (1955)

Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.


1) In this song, Desi Arnaz encourages us to laugh and sing instead of concentrating on our troubles. Is this an approach to life you could adopt? Or are you a worrier?  Most of the time I prefer to concentrate on the good in life, pray about problems, and trust God to work them out...but I'm also human and sometimes I worry about something. Actually, it's usually about somebody.

2) Because Desi's public persona was carefree, people are often surprised to learn his early life was hard. In 1933, his wealthy family was targeted by Cuban revolutionaries. Their home was destroyed and were forced to flee the country. In Miami, they lived in a warehouse and 16-year-old Desi helped support the family by cleaning cages for the man who sold canaries outside a drugstore. Think about your friends and acquaintances. Whose life story turned out to be very different than you originally thought?  We know a couple from the Philippines who have very different backgrounds. She is Chinese and from a very wealthy family. Her father was a doctor, owned a hospital, and rumor has it was connected to organized crime. The husband grew up very native way up in the mountains. They met through church. When they got married, he came to the U.S. to work and she stayed behind. Two of their three children were born over there. Even though he had been against the marriage (there is a lot of prejudice between the Chinese and the natives), her father is the one that finally told her she had to decide if she was going to stay married to him and if she was, she needed to herself to the States and be his wife. 

She did eventually come over. She didn't speak English, but learned. She had given up being a doctor and worked odd jobs here until she went back to school to get her license here. Once she started her residency, her husband stayed home with the kids and that is how it was until they grew up. It freed him for ministry and to take care of the computers and other business for her practice. All very unconventional, but it worked for them.

3) While still in his teens, Desi got his first job as an entertainer. As a boy in Cuba, he expected to be a lawyer, not a musician. He only began playing guitar because he noticed girls like musicians and he liked girls. Tell us about a hobby of yours, and what inspired you to pick it up.  Does blogging count? I had never heard of it back in 2000 when a pastor friend of mine introduced me to it. It was nothing like it is now and I mostly used it as a platform to keep the youth group up to date on activities at first. Then I used it as a forum for Christian posts I wrote and now I just do it for fun. And that pastor friend? He started several blogs over the years, but never stuck with it.

4) He discovered he was not only a talented musician but a natural leader. By the tender age of 19, he had organized The Desi Arnaz Orchestra and they were performing in Miami hotels. Have you ever been a boss? If so, did you enjoy it?  Sort of. Years ago I worked in the front office at a grocery store and among other things I supervised the cashiers and baggers on my shift. It was okay, I guess, because it wasn't the main part of the job. I don't think I'd really like to be a boss of any kind these days. Too many people have crappy attitudes and work ethics. I'd probably get frustrated and lose my cool.

5) When he was 23, he went to Hollywood to try his hand at movies and met a 28 year old actress named Lucille Ball. In Hollywood back in 1940, it was considered embarrassing for a woman to date a younger man. Their initial attraction was so powerful she quickly got over it. Do you think age matters when it comes to romance?  I don't think it's a cookie cutter kind of thing. Age makes no difference to some, but it can be a big problem for others as they age. Me personally? My husband is 4 years older than me, but I would never marry anyone more than 10 years older than myself. I've personally seen too many couples where it did matter...my parents among them.

6) Desi was the first person to call that famous redhead "Lucy." Throughout her entire life, friends, family and coworkers always referred to her as "Lucille," as she preferred. But Desi insisted on "Lucy." He said that name was his and his alone. Ironically it became the way the world referred to her. Do you have a pet name for anyone?  I have pet names for EVERYONE! I am that kind of person.

7) Lucille and Desi named their son and daughter after themselves. Were you named after anyone?  Nope 

8) Desi was the founding force behind Desilu. One of the first great production studios of the television age, Desilu grossed $15 million in 1957 (more than $135 million in today's dollars). He credited his success to his unconventional and creative approach to problems. Are you a good problem solver?  I like to think I am, but I may be completely delusional.

9) Random question: Who annoys you more, a know-it-all or an ignoramus?  Definitely the know-it-all.

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