A really cool thing about being psychic is being able to talk to dead people – even famous dead people.

Many people whose lives had a huge impact on earth continue to do their work from heaven.  John Lennon is one of them.

My Sweetie first told me about her contact with John a few weeks into my practice talking to dead people.  John first came to her when she was 15 and attending a catholic high school, just before her confirmation.  She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to be confirmed, and she and John had their first conversation about religion.

Today, Sweetie sends me an email – she had another conversation with John.  I’ll cut and paste it:

I think Sunshine is a bit exasperated.  After you left this morning I told her that since you were going to work we’d have to finish the conversation about Bali another time.  So she said, “Well, *you* could talk to me.  You talk to John all the time”.

*sigh*

Which is not exactly true, in any case.  It’s more like he’s been talking to me.  Ever since Sunshine mentioned that he’s been hanging around (which I sort of suspected, I thought I felt him around but I wasn’t sure and I guess she wanted to confirm that for me) he’s been popping into my thoughts.  Which is ok, it’s not really freaking me out or anything.

And you know what he wants to talk about, of all things?
Feminism.
Like, seriously.
Although it’s not yet clear to me whether he wants to *learn* about 3rd wave feminism, or if he just wants me to know that his own understanding of the subject has broadened since he was alive in the 70s.

I was listening to this old Beatles song called Run For Your Life — one of his — which is just this really toxic mix of sexism, jealously and a broad lack of self awareness.  He pops in shaking his head.  He’s like, “I don’t believe that.  I don’t think that way.  If I felt that way at the time, I certainly don’t feel that way now”.

And I’m like, “Oh, it’s ok.  I get it.  I get the 60s, I’ve seen James Bond movies”.  (‘Cause I don’t know.  What does one say to that?).

Last night before my nap I was looking through the track listing for Shaved Fish, which has this song called Woman is the Nigger of the World.  (Check out the lyrics, it’s really not what it sounds like).

http://www.john-lennon.com/songlyrics/songs/Woman_is_the_Nigger_of_the_World.htm

At which point I whispered out loud, “Ohhhh man, that song makes me cringe”.
And he says, “Why?”
I’m like, “I hate that word”.
And he says, “But that’s the point”.
And I say, “I know.  But.  I *really* hate that word”.  And then I think for a moment.
And I say, “It’s more than that.  Some people are black *and* women.  It’s different for them.  This song doesn’t consider what it’s like for them.  No one makes them “paint their face and dance”, like you say, some people don’t consider them at all.  You’re only talking about a certain kind of woman, of a certain status.  So it’s kind of classist, also”.
And he said, “Oh.  I hadn’t thought about it that way”.

And then he got quiet and I felt like he was *really* embarrassed, and I didn’t understand why.  I’d expected him to defend it, or something, but instead there was this embarrassed silence.  Like a total overreaction.

But then it dawned on me — oh!  He’s English.  The whole class thing is a huge hairy deal over there.  And he’d built this career on *being* working class, keeping what is still considered to be a low-class accent when most performers learn to talk like Londoners, writing that song Working Class Hero, wearing a shirt that said the same thing, etc.

Oops.  I guess that was kind of a slap in the face.

So then I started back pedaling.

“Well, it’s ok, don’t worry about it.  Everyone still loves you.  You took a lot of chances in your work, you can’t get it right all the time…”

So this morning I asked him, “Why the interest in feminism?  I thought you didn’t believe in ‘isms’ “.
And he said, “It’s not that.  I don’t believe in mindless dogma.  I think you should think for yourself. …I mean, *people* should”.

Also, I won’t be that surprised if I hear, “You know, you should listen to your white cat”.

John Lennon.  Still a really cool guy.

He likes to talk to people – anyone interested in talking to him should just ask.  He’s just as much into dialogue now as he ever was, and he makes time for people because he believes that every individual is important.

He is still working for world peace.