Thanks! I appreciate that! It was somewhere between 1980 and about 1987 or 1988 I believe. That whole segment of time is so sketchy to me. I was able to rebuild most of my memory over the years, but there are segments that never came back. Little things that people say will trigger mechanisms that unlock another drawer now and then. When Poppa mentioned the music, it triggered this memory.
I'm sorry, I lost this conversation and couldn't recall what thread it was in because we wandered so far afield. Which is a perfectly legitimate and well-earned privilege that (IMO) comes with being born while Buddy Holly was still alive.
I'l call Art on Friday; he does a show on traditional American folk and country music for public radio on Wednesday mornings, so I leave him be the last couple of days prior to Wednesdays. He tends to get focused. And I'm on the road much of the day Thursday.
Before I ask him, I wonder if there is anything you could add that might jog his memory. Any memory of the man's physical characteristics; red hair... beard... glasses? If not, that's fine.
As far as you recall, was he living at the time in the Cameron/Rice Lake/Cumberland area? Sounds as though that was the case.
Even with what you've told me, I think it's likely Art will know, and if he doesn't, he'll know who to ask. He knows every longtime bluegrass musician in Wisconsin.
Every time it happens, I thank God that I'm still alive, and was able to rebuild my life. Way too often people take life for granted, and don't understand the importance of wringing every bit out of each day that they can, because we can never travel this path again. Live today like there is no tomorrow, because it's not guaranteed for any of us. Sorry if it sounds like a lecture. That's not the intent.
Oh, no, that doesn't come across as a lecture at all. I've read far too many of your posts to draw such an inference. Lecturing just isn't in your repertoire. You're just reminiscing, and sharing insights from your experiences.
I totally agree, and I've had a few life lessons that taught me the same thing. Couple of times I thought my life was on cruise control, and it changed abruptly. In 1985, I was happily married to a wonderful woman, we had a great little starter home and 2 wonderful cats.... making plans for law school, working for a consulting engineers' firm for the summer... June 28th, 10:30 AM, my leg was crushed by a backhoe.
Long story short.... in the hospital almost 2 months, somehow managed to keep the leg. Hundreds of hours of rehab over the next year or two; a year before I could walk again, several more before I would walk more than a few minutes at a time. Lost my career, my marriage, my home, even the cats eventually. Homeless for a while, crippled all the time...
Built up another life over the years, one that didn't include law school, my first wife, or my starter cats. Had a great career (2 or 3 of 'em, really), had some incredible relationships.... met and married the most completely amazing human being I've ever known.... won't get into details, because I don't want to sound like I'm boasting, but it very much worked out OK, because sometimes life just does that.
But the takeaway from that was that at any given moment, when you feel life is good, or decent, or wonderful, or even just tolerable... no matter how happy you feel, something may be 5 seconds away from you that you have no way of knowing about, that will leave you looking back at that moment for decades as the last moment in your life that you were truly happy. A backhoe, a fall down the stairs, a car runnning a red ight, a motorcycle accident, a stroke.... a million things. So don't waste. A. Moment.
Ever.
Point is, I totally get where you're coming from, and absolutely understand what you're saying.
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