--Tim Hatfield
Just this past week I was in a discussion regarding our need for hope. The turbulence of these past 125 years has upended us in ways that have been unimaginable. 125 years ago the engine of progress seemed unstoppable. When Freud published The Interpretation of Dreams in 1900, he believed we were entering a new era of understanding about the mind. Modernism in every field of endeavor brought promises of hope, discovery and scientific progress.
It wasn't long before the world's tectonic plates began trembling. Wars, pogroms, disease, revolutions, economic hardships, tyrants, famines, genocides and other kinds of devastation clawed our hearts and inflamed our fears. By the time the year of Covid hit, you might feel we were accustomed to surprises. But no, as we hunkered down, we really weren't ready yet again.
It is within this context that Tim Hatfield began taking a deeper dive into the Beatles song catalog, uncovering messages of hope that he could share with friends via email. Each day, a new song, with personal insights and impressions.
As he shared these, many of his friends shared them with other friends so that it became an ever-expanding circle. In the end, it became an eBook, with links to every song. Today is is now itself a book that you can hold in your hands, titled When We Find Ourselves in Times of Trouble: The Beatles (All their songs with encouraging words for challenging times)
Tim Hatfield is a lifelong Beatles fan. His book highlights all the songs of the Beatles, from their earliest demos to Abbey Road and 10 “Bonus Tracks.”
A unique feature of the book is that readers can point and click a QR code to listen to each song and read the back story for each. The book was inspired by the author’s love of rock and roll and special love of the Beatles’ music, but specifically by his desire to help people cope with the uncertainty and anxiety of the Covid pandemic.
What became clear during almost a year of notes to a large group of family and friends is that the music of the Beatles could be a potent gift to a person during any challenging time in their life -- a brief uplifting respite from stress and worry. Each song was accompanied by its back story, often some historical perspective with other artists, and a brief gentle reminder to persevere through a difficult time. The music of the Beatles can, indeed, be life-giving during a national crisis or any personally difficult time – our times of trouble.
One of the songs, "Flying," was a tribute to a mutual friend who has now passed. Though this link in the chain is missing, Tim and I are now connected.
HOW TO ORDER
Direct link to www.amazon.com
then search Tim Hatfield Beatles
Only $18.99.
HERE’S WHAT YOU GET
* Hear every Beatles song with a simple point and click on a QR code
* Read the back story for each song
* Hear covers and related songs by other artists
* Watch videos of special performances
* Learn about Beatles connections with Dylan, Little Richard, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, The Byrds, the Beach Boys, and others
About the Author
Tim Hatfield, Ph. D, is a lifelong Beatles fan. Educated in the Norwood, Ohio, Public Schools, Harvard, and the University of Minnesota, he retired from a career as a school counselor in Illinois and Massachusetts and spent 30 years as a counselor educator at Winona State University. He lives in Minnesota with his spouse Susan. They have four children and four grandchildren.
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