Sadly - Time marches on (Blog 16 of 30)

I still remember August 16, 1977.  I was walking down the back alley with my mom and my brother when our neighbour, Janet, came running over and told us that Elvis was dead.

I was 8 years, but I knew who Elvis was.  My mom and dad played him lots.  I also remember, later that day, staring at the cover of one of his records (one called "Moody Blue" to be specific) and thinking, "Elvis is dead".  To an 8 year old, it seemed very weird, final and sad.

I had that same sort of feeling today when Katelyn wrote and told us that Stuart Mclean had died.  For those who don't know, Stuart was a CBC radio personality.  He started as a reporter and did "special interest stories" for a long time, but he became most well known for creating a show called "The Vinyl Café" on which he promoted Canadian musical acts and told stories about a fictional family from Toronto.

I could take or leave the radio show most of the time, but Stuart really intersected with out family with his annual Christmas show.  It became a bit of a tradition for us.  In fact, the first time the girls were in the Centre of the Arts in Regina was for one of his shows.

I was always impressed that, in a time of technology and short attention spans, he could walk out onto a stage with nothing but a music stand and a book of stories and hold people's attention for three hours at a time.  It was amazing.

Sadly, that is over now.  And that is one of the bad things about living in time.... you can't go backward and re-do things.

Now someone may point out, "Well, come on.  You really didn't know him" and, if you mean personally, then you are right.  But we knew him none-the-less.... and his loss has made me think about other things I wish I could back and experience again.

For example, the first concert Sara and I ever went to together (which is another story I will tell someday soon) was also in Regina - The Nylons.   I would give anything to go back to that concert or to see them again - but three of the original four are gone now.

Another group I would like to see..... "Doug and the Slugs".  Year ago, I really liked their music, so when I heard that they were going to be in Regina, I said to Sara that we should go.  She was less than enthusiastic so we stayed home.  Doug died a month later..... and I have brought up that lost opportunity 486789436790467 times in our marriage since then!  :)

Now - before you quit reading or think, "Boy - that was a downer today"..... here is then point:   Enjoy today!  Enjoy what you have.... enjoy who is around.... enjoy the small pleasures.... if you get to do something "once in a lifetime" soak that up too.

Sara is writing an article for a magazine (I will post it when it is published) which is about something much personal than musicians passing away and her last line is something like, "Don't expect that everything will always be the way it now.  Nothing stays the same.  Therefore, you better have a look around and see what you need to remember". 

That is good advice.

Thanks for the laughs and the good memories Stuart!

For those who would like to know more about Stuart Mclean you can click here.

Oddly enough, this morning, before all this happened, I was listening to Doug and the Slugs (for the first time in about 5 years).  Just for fun.... here they are performing live in 1987