In a message dated 10/25/00 1:02:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< She sat at the piano just once..it was "Chinese Cafe". She played about a
verse and then stopped and apologized for the poor quality of the sound,
saying that they really hadn't had time to make superior to what it
was...sounded great to me...but, then again, I am not a Genius/Goddess. She
left the stage again..and a LOT of people left. The faithful were able to
get down to the stage...and for about 20 minutes we chanted Jo-ni, Jo-ni.
She finally came out, being supported by Klein and one of the band guys.
They were holding her up under her arms... She shook them off, bounced
(mildly) off one of the speakers...strapped on her electric guitar and
proceeded to give the most amazing 30 minutes of just herself playing,
singing and walking around the stage. If I had died right then, I wouldn't
have cared. She ended with "Woodstock". I have the shivers just
remembering that from 17 years ago.
>>
russ, that is too funny! i have NO recollection of her sitting at the piano
and none whatsoever of her coming back for an encore. as i said, i remember
the concert ending abruptly (with woodstock) and her backing off stage
without so much as a goodnight. my memory of this is actually kind of vivid,
because the lights came up and the doors opened and everyone was looking
around like "its over?" but i have no doubt that your memory is the more
accurate, especially if you took notes! (that is so cute! us joni fans are
a cute bunch, aren't we?) still, its odd! the famous unreliability of
eyewitnesses made real!
and to clear up a few misperceptions... my wife is NOT a joni fan (she has
other qualities...like putting up with me!) i had to twist her arm to come
to this show, convinced if she just SAW a show she would be CONVERTED to my
little cult and maybe dye her hair blonde and take up the guitar...but joni
didn't play along and i have had to endure the 16 years since hearing ad
nauseum how AWFUL poor joni behaved. can you believe it? i am not even
allowed to play joni mitchell in the house! i have to ride around in my car
with joni blaring out the windows!!! (i only get cars with A list stereo
systems!) it used to be a running joke in our house that we would divorce
someday and joni would be named a co-respondent, which i always thought
sounded pretty cool...
and wally, telling me i look like john lennon is the nicest thing anyone has
said to me in a LONG time. but please, don't encourage me...i suffer from
enough delusions.
finally, thanks to you all for your good thoughts. it was wonderful to see
ashara, and she deserves a special award for taking time out of her busy day
to find time for me. it was a wonderful gift, having her pop in like she
did. she's an angel in disguise.
the truth is (and i am sorry it has taken me so long to tell all of you this)
but i have been bouyed by all of your many kindnesses and good wishes, spoken
or not, on so many occasions. i hear so often from frustrated people who
don't know what they can do. one of the many lessons in all this is that a
simple "i am thinking of you" means a great deal, and does more than you
would ever think.
here's a story i will share it with all of you. when this began, the day
after judy's first brain surgery, (she's had five now...) and shortly after
her surgeon broke the news that it was a terminal situation, i left judy's
bedside and went down to have a smoke and get a cuppa joe. i got half way
through the lobby and, well, i just kind of fell into a million billion
little pieces, right in front of everyone. it was terrible, because (believe
it or not) i really am not given to public displays of emotion. but i
couldn't help it. dr. black's words filtered in through the haze and i
realized that we were going to lose her and i thought of our beautiful
daughters and i started to sob. i had no kleenex and to my horror realized
that intense crying is a very messy business. so i sat down in a corner of
the lobby and covered my face and just choked and gasped and cried like a big
baby. i don't know how long this went on, but it seemed like forever. then
i finally caught my breath and "composed" myself and left.
the next day, i was passing through the lobby again and a man came up to me,
very warm and friendly and extended his hand. "how are you doing?" he asked.
i was confused. he acted like he knew me, but i could not place the face.
i slowly extended my hand and he took it in his. "i'm ok." i said. you
know how it is when you bump into someone you think you know, or should know?
my brain was scrambling to figure out who he was. "are things any better
today?" he asked. i wanted my hand back, but he held on. "no, not really."
i said. then, finally it seemed best to just come clean. "do i know you?"
i asked. still holding my hand he said "no, you don't. but i saw you
yesterday and you seemed so upset, and i wanted to come over to see if i
could help, but i wasn't sure if i should intrude. but i want you to know
that i said a prayer for you last night, and i will again tonight, and i hope
things get better soon." then he pulled me to him and HUGGED me! "god bless
you" he said.
i was absolutely overwhelmed. it was one of the most selfless, kindest
gestures, and it made such an impression on me. it chokes me up to this day!
and it taught me that those little things really do matter, and they are
important, and they do help - more than you might ever guess. and for all of
you, whether you have emailed me privately, or publically, or called me or
come to visit me, or just sent me your good thoughts, or even remembered me
and my family in your prayers, those things do matter and, at times, have
made all the difference for me. i will never forget! and i thank you.
things are not good here. judy is in bad shape, and declining noticably day
by day. i would like us all, very much, to have many, many more holidays
together, but if that can't be, i would so like us to have at least this
coming one. just one more, please. and i believe we will. we might. i try
to be hopeful and not fill myself with dread and i refuse to believe the
worst until they tell it to my face...but it doesn't look good. i hate to
fill up the list with this stuff. i know it's out of place. and we have all
been feeling sad already, over dear kenny. but it's easier for me to do it
this way than to respond to the several messages i've received off list and
on. to those of you who feel strongly about such things, i hope you can let
this one go by.
thanks again to everyone, and bless all your pointy little heads.
love and peace, ric
