Valerie Parnell, Seminole County Watch columnist

A while back, in applauding the efforts of a local "activist" who served us all in her role as a governmental watchdog, I mentioned the music of Harry Chapin.  In conversation that ensued afterwards, someone mentioned to me the music of Phil Ochs, with which I was unfamiliar.

In fact, I was unfamiliar with Phil Ochs period, even to the point of not knowing that one of Harry Chapin's songs actually was about Phil Ochs.  The person who told me about Ochs also loaned a CD of Ochs' music, and I am most grateful that he did, for it allowed me to become acquainted with Ochs and his music.

Come to find out, Ochs was a folksinger of the mid-1960s who at one time was actually considered a rival of Bob Dylan's.  To be honest, Dylan's music has never "spoken" to me or had any great appeal, and after hearing the songs of Phil Ochs, it seems another one of those cases wherein there is no accounting for the public's taste.

Dylan obviously soared to much greater heights than Ochs, who actually eventually sunk to great depths of personal despair.  In fact, nearly 30 years ago, at the age of 36, Ochs committed suicide after spinning through a personal downward spiral of despondency, including bouts with mental illness and substance abuse.

It sounds like a sad story of a life with a sad ending, and it is.  Yet it is also a life that has come to have great personal meaning to me, and, in a very ironic way, one that has provided great hope and inspiration. 

Many of those who were closest to Ochs say he was too sensitive to the injustices of the world, and that the inequities he saw in life made life too difficult for him to bear.  Yet it was that same sensitivity that came through so clearly and sincerely in his music, which has come to be the legacy he has provided to anyone who cares to listen.

I do not know how many listened to Ochs then, other than it was sadly less than listened to Dylan, and I surely do not know how many people still listen to him now.  I do know that he deserves to be heard, if for no other reason than to allow us to aspire to the best within ourselves.

Driving along one of Seminole County's back roads a few evenings ago, I had the windows down and Phil Ochs up on my car stereo.  As I listened to the words of "When I'm Gone," I thought about all the people in our community who do things simply because they are the right things to do, because they have the realization and the recognition that such should be done.

They are, in a way, the unsung heroes of our community.  Often, they do not get much attention or recognition, because they are doing things for reasons other than attention or recognition.  That is another irony of our society, in that people who simply do the "right" thing are often neglected in deference to those who self promote and seek attention for themselves.

Doing the right thing can take many shapes and forms, from volunteering with social service agencies to working to influence local governmental policy that can impact ranges of people beyond ourselves.

Regardless of the manner in which it is done, what matters is that it is done simply because it is the right thing to do.  So often, we fail to stop and recognize the people who do so.  Even worse, we fail to appreciate their efforts.

The music of Phil Ochs has helped me to remember to appreciate the efforts of others who seek to do the right thing not because of any desire for personal gain, but because it simply is the right thing to do, making it the least they can do. 

It has also helped me to remember that my goal should be the same, with the hope that my efforts will selflessly benefit others.  The time for me to do it is now, because it will not be possible when I'm gone.

Listen to "When I'm Gone" by Phil Ochs with Windows MediaPlayer

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