hal blaine bliss...

 Hal - BE WELL AND BE HAPPY!

This is one of my favorite photos of Hal. Look at the bliss in his face. Life was not always a bowl of cherries for Hal. Yet he never gave up. Much of what kept him going was gratitude. Even in his darkest days he remembered how blessed he was to have been a part of a historical time in music. He appreciated what he had and didn’t dwell on what he didn’t have (or lost). He used to always quote the song That’s Life. The bad things he said “that’s just a part of life”. To study Hal it is a lesson in life. His life in many ways was like a rollercoaster. But through it all he continued. He said “they could take away everything I had but they couldn’t take away my talent”. He always said that his drums saved him many times

And one of the best parts of Hal was his attitude. Even in his lowest points he never dumped it on anyone or looked for pity. He was always telling jokes to make other people feel better. He determined many years ago that the only person you can rely on is yourself. You are responsible for your life and what you make of it. If you hit a bump in the road, even if it is not your fault, you must fix it. You also control how you feel, how you respond to things and your attitude. He never wanted to be a burden on anyone. Even when he was 90 years old he was bound and determined to take care of himself. Also he knew by taking control of your own life it gave you freedom and peace

Oh course he was upset that he lost things that he had worked hard for for 35 years. But he also realized they were just things. He always had his memories and no one could take those away from him

Hal - “I had my ups and downs in life, but I came through it ok!”