Less time more CASH

left: portrait of S.B.

Someone I greatly admire was just in town for a show I've been preoccupied with (hence my absence from blogworld...). My friend, who'll I'll refer to here as SB, is a long time advocate for the Man In Black, met his family and worked in his home... I don't exaggerate when I say he is her MUSE in art and music.

Saturday evening I was standing in another friend's kitchen with a number of people from our community. It was Friday night and we were all ready to celebrate another show on the walls and a week's worth of days marked off the calendar. A new aquaintance was there wearing boots with Mr. Cash's face painted on them inspiring a story from one of our notable tale tellers, a handsome man from Jersey. He told a story about attending a concert at the Birchmere in N. Virginia. Mr. Cash was on the bill and as the tale teller got up to go to the loo he looked to his left and could see into Mr. Cash's dressing room. The Birchmere is an intimate hall and well worth checking out if you are in the region.

Our Jerseyboy (JB) tale telling friend noted as he passed Mr. Cash's dressing room that Johnny was leaning into a wall and a man had his knee into Mr. Cash's back tightening a "corset," or in JB's mind, a GIRDLE!!!... and he proceeded to say that Johnny's tone of voice "Hello, ya'll" was a direct affect of wearing "said" girdle!!!!!!!!!!

I watched as my friend from Jerseyfriend dug his hole deeper and deeper... waiting for the viper's to attack. Finally, our hostess, also a ELL HEELED girl from Tennessee, said "Well I think any long time fan of Mr. Cash would know that he was wearing a "back brace." And SB, who has flaming red hair leaned across the kitchen toward him (I was expecting blows) said "You know you'd be picking yourself off the floor if you told that story in a bar in Tennessee...." and JB' eyes were shining as he looked around and realized he was zigging when he ought to be zagging.

He sucked in a deep breath and said, Oh, well, I guess that's another way to look at it, I never thought of that.... and SB waived her arm at him and said "Now, retell it from the beginning the way it really was...." WE ROARED!!!!

Jerseyboy is THE Italian Stallion of our community of artists and artisans and I have never seen or heard him back down from one of his amazing TRUE stories.
And so he started again, beginning with the Doctor he saw in Mr. Cash's dressing room helping him fasten his backbrace....

Of course it would help to see and know the varying degrees of distinction that make up of the motley crew we know to be friends and neighbors but since I claim to protect the innocence and privacy of these same folks I won't dwell on their sexual orientation or political affiliations other to say that they ALL have respect and affection for the MAN IN BLACK!