He spoke to
us in that deep, rich voice, highlighted by his full-throated, hardcore version
of a New England accent.
At council
meetings, when President Sideris would announce that it was time to turn the
meeting over to the manager, we became accustomed to hearing that unmistakable
voice answering from the far end of the table:
“Ah, thank
you, M-i-s-t-a-h President…”
On some of
those occasions, he would address his comments to all of the m-e-m-b-i-z of
the council.
On other occasions, he
would thank individual c-o-u-n-c-i-l-l-i-z for all their h-a-a-h-d
work and let them know that he was with them a hundred p-i-s-s-e-n-t.
He was never shy about expressing his gratitude to anyone who contributed to the betterment of his beloved community of W-a-h-t-a-t-o-w-n – even those with whom he may have privately or openly disagreed.
He told us that his favorite song
was Forever Young.
The song has
an interesting history and is appreciated by listeners in profoundly different
ways.
Written by
Bob Dylan as a lullaby for his infant son, Jesse, it is Rod Stewart’s heavily
rewritten version that is most widely known. Some hear it as a beautifully
nostalgic melody. Others hear it as a poem or even a prayer set to music, offering
guidance and hopefulness for future generations.
If you try
imagining the song, sung in Mike Driscoll’s voice, I think you might hear, as I
did, the poetry and the prayer rising up angelically through the melody.
Maybe this
photo will make your interpretation of the lyrics a bit easier.
May the good Lord be with you
Down every road you roam
And may sunshine and happiness
Surround you when you're far from home
And may you grow to be proud
Dignified and true
And do unto others
As you'd have done to you
Be courageous and be brave
And in my heart you'll always stay
Forever young, forever young
Forever young, forever young
May good fortune be with you
May your guiding light be strong
Build a stairway to Heaven
With a prince or a vagabond
And may you never love in vain
And in my heart you will remain
Forever young, forever young
Forever young, forever young
Forever young, forever young
Yeah
And when you finally fly away
I'll be hoping that I served you well
For all the wisdom of a lifetime
No one can ever tell
But whatever road you choose
I'm right behind you, win or lose
Forever young, forever young
Forever young, forever young
Forever young, forever young
For-forever young, forever young
This February 11 is
Super Bowl Sunday. It is also the first anniversary of the passing of the man
who for 29 years was the fiscal voice of Watertown. On this day, when all of our
taverns and many of our living rooms will be filled to capacity, perhaps we
should all pause, raise a glass (filled with the beverage of your choice), and
sing Mike’s song.
In her eulogy, Mike’s daughter, Allison, summed up what many of us over the years had come to learn when she told us:
“Our dad was hard-working, honest, stubborn,
loyal to a fault, and relentlessly positive.
I might also add that his claim to fame was his tight-fisted custodianship of taxpayer dollars, which he viewed as a sacred obligation, and which many of us saw as a respectful loyalty to all of us who pay the bills.
As changes to Watertown happen faster and more furiously, perhaps the character and values of the former “Mr. Manager” are worth remembering and worth celebrating.
On February
11, I will drink to that.
How about
you?
Bruce Coltin, The Battle For Watertown
