I did not know I had so much in common with Folk Singer Joni Mitchell until I reviewed an article about Earth Day and once again fell in love with one of her songs.
     “Big Yellow Taxi” did not catch my attention, nor my recollection, of the title at first, but after watching a rendition of the song I realized it was, and still is, one of the greatest songs about preserving the earth.

“Don’t Know What You Got ‘Til It’s Gone“

      Joni was alerting all of us about the actions world-wide that could lead to unbearable consequences. The words arose very easily when she was visiting Hawaii during the month of April in 1970.

     She looked out the window of her hotel room and enjoyed seeing the sun and blue skies greeting her and all others at that moment. But when she glanced downward toward the base of the building she saw nothing but the blackness of a parking lot stretching on and on.  

I believe she must have been startled with nearly a tear in her eye as she offered the next line:

“They Paved Paradise and Put Up a Parking Lot.”

      I was in Hawaii the same year she had visited having taken “R & R” which is also known as Rest and Recuperation from the jungles in the Vietnam War. The war has become known as one of the worst wars the United States ever engaged in.

We were trying to prevent the “Domino Effect” of Vietnam neighboring countries from falling to the communist party and the USSR (Russia).

      My country should have paid particular attention to someone like Joni Mitchell and the failings of war. Instead, the USA has engaged in another battle back in Iran for no good reason.