I was so excited when I head that vaccines had been created for Covid-19. I was able to get my first shot today and wrote this song to celebrate. I hope you enjoy it 🙂

There you are thanks to scientists and Dolly Parton 

Here I am hoping that immunity is starting 

Will you help me stay protected from this disease 

I don’t want to be infected so I’m so pleased 

I got vaccinated

Got that shot right in my arm

But I’m going to do my part to make sure others don’t come to harm 

I got vaccinated 

And I hope that you will too

It’s the right thing to do 

And I’m so glad that I got vaccinated.

I originally wrote this song in 2000 while completing high school in Steinbach, Manitoba. I have performed it several times since then, most notably with David Graham and his upright bass.

Sugar is Free
On a grey December night I was walking down the street
There was snow on the ground and it was chillin’ my feet
The wind was frigid as I heard it moan
Stabbin’ at and chillin’ me to the bone
I thought that I could use a little something hot
To warm me up and hit the spot
I look down the street and my jaw does drop
To see an open sign at a coffee shop.

Business must have been slow; not another soul in sight,
But the waitress who was waiting there for me all night
In her soft creamy hand she held a coffee pot
I knew that everything I needed was just what she got.
I asked for coffee with sugar and cream
Something bitter something sweet and something nicely in-between
And a smile came to her lips as I inquired of the fee,
She said, “The coffee’ll cost you; but the sugar is free.”

We took our drinks, sat down together
Talked about the world, and ourselves, and the weather.
After my second cup and some good conversation
I could feel my heart racing and feel the stimulation.
And then I realized I wasn’t cold anymore
In fact, I felt hotter than I ever felt before.
And then I realized it started happening to me
When she said
“The coffee’ll cost you but the sugar is free.”

Now if I’m caught in the cold or stuck in a storm
I’ve got a hot little thought that’ll keep me warm
And it goes without saying that thought would have to be
When she said, “The coffee’ll cost you… but the sugar is free.”

Black and White
James Bergman 
3/21/2017
Back in 1937 when we got that black and white TV
We stayed up all night in its crackling light
Wondering what it is we were going to see.

And then again in 1941 when that new Technicolor came around
The pictures on the screen were like what we had seen
But the our mind wasn’t blind to the colors that we finally found.

We realized what we’d been missing when it finally came to light
That we might see the world in color, but we think in black and white.

We might have heard it said when we were younger that certain people didn’t belong
And we might have believed because the facts we received 
Were biased or racist or wrong.

But then when were shook or woke we could look at the truth as it finally arrives
That the real sin isn’t letting love win
It’s letting hate dictate our lives.

And the new ideas we’re left with make us realize what isn’t right
When we see the world in color, but we think in black and white.

Because black and white doesn’t do the world justice
Black and white ain’t the way it ought to be
And black and white might have once been alright
But it just isn’t good enough for me.

Now I’m not trying to make is seem that I’m someone who always knows the right way
I’ve got my own thoughts and a couple blind spots
But I’m hoping that I’m open to what others might say

And if I’m wrong, please help me along so that I can finally begin
To appreciate and see the beautiful diversity
Of this wonderful world we’re in.

But I know we can get there together, and I’m wishing with all of my might
That we might see the world in color instead of simply thinking in black and white.

PopTech is the coolest thing you have never heard of. Or at least, it was the coolest that I had never heard of until, somehow, I received a scholarship from the Bush Foundation, allowing me to attend and find out for myself what it was all about. I was not disappointed.

I will not attempt to summarize this experience, because the amazing Jennifer Gilhoi has done so in a way that is comprehensive yet artfully succinct. This summary can be found here.

The Poptech Community extends an unforgettable welcome. Everyone sits down for shared meals and is encouraged to connect with new people. That environment provides a place for everyone to feel appreciated and able to contribute.. And maybe that is why I was able to share a piece that I had written on stage. Thank you again to everyone who made this event possible.

This last month has been really tough on everybody. Educators are trying to figure out how to serve our kids and their families. Parents and families are trying to take care of their kids while working from home. And our students are trying to make sense of this new world they suddenly find themselves in.

Usually we are there to help our students. But having to keep our distance and not being able to say “goodbye” in person has been difficult for all of us. I asked teachers and staff at Early Childhood Special Education in Fargo what they would want to say to our kids and their families. Their responses became the lyrics to this song. Enjoy! And feel free to share!

Thanks to everyone who participated and Haley for making an incredible video!

Since the day we last saw you, it’s been far too long
We wish we would have had the chance to say goodbye before you were gone.
If we would’ve known things were going to happen this way
There’s so much that we would have taken the time to say.

We love you and we miss you and your bright smiling faces
We hope you’re happy and safe no matter where your place is.
And we appreciate your families and everything they do
And we just wanted to say we’re all in this together with you.

Chorus

You can do hard things you’ve got it in you
It may take some time for you to begin to
See that you can do this and then
We’re so excited for when this all ends and
we can see you again.

Because we care about you!
We hope you’re healthy and you’re eating
And being kind to your family and appreciating reading.
Because these are the things we miss when we can’t be around
But we know you can do your best at staying safe and sound.

And now that might not sound easy but we know we can do it
And when it finally happens you’ll say you always knew it.
Do whatever you need to help you stay strong
Because all of us knew all along…

https://youtu.be/1VQL580xY5o

This song was inspired by the people who are spreading love in our communities, when we need it the most. Thank you to all of you.

Staying inside after a long North Dakota winter is hard. The weather gets nice (above 20 degrees) and we want to get outside with the people close to us. But with the current pandemic, staying inside and keeping your distance is one of the best things you can do for your community. People who have compromised immune systems may not be able to fight the virus the way most of us can. It is up to all of us to keep our distance, slow the spread, and flatten the curve.

Be #NDsmart.