We walked along the river this morning from Ford Street to Elmwood and and back on the other side. I found a plastic protractor near UR and over on the west side a piece of paper with handwritten proverbs. “Even a fool is thought wise if he holds his tongue” caught my attention.
Some friends of ours have a yearly holiday gathering. It is centered around wine. Everyone brings a bottle and sets it on a table near the front door and the place is so crowded we hardly get to talk with the hosts. But it is a great opportunity to get together with people we only see a few times each year.
Maybe ten years ago some people brought their guitars and sang a few songs, folk songs like House of the Rising Sun and the Pogues Christmas song. It felt spontaneous and festive. As the years went by more guitars come out earlier. The first few songs grabbed everyone’s attention, I especially liked a former Chesterfield Kings’ version of “Dead Flowers,” but when a boisterous Johnny Cash tune drowned out the conversation we were having in the other room I groaned and said something about originality.
A small group was playing Cat Steven’s “Wild World” when we left and I was thinking about our generation. Outside we couldn’t hear the acoustic guitars, only the voices, and Peggi told me I should keep those kind of comments to myself. She is right. I sound like an old man. I plan to work on that. Besides, “Even a fool is thought wise if he holds his tongue.”
3 Comments
Nah, I tried that once (keeping my mouth shut). It didn’t stick…obviously!
I was reading some Ram Dass this week, and started using this mantra when I swim at the pool, “The Less I Know, The More I am Free.” It works!
Meanwhile, I would prefer you to voice all your opinions, except about “The Cat.” You know I love the Cat. Maybe it’s because I was six when my parents first played Tea for the Tiller Man over and over and over again. By that point in my life, — well, let me hold my tongue.
I’m with Louise. I loved that album. Before the Pistols when I became narrow-minded about music. Fortunately I survived that stage…