Ok, we still love ya

Driving to work at a neighborhood restaurant that I sang at, I heard on the news that Elvis was dead. These words would have devastated me, when I was five, as I had vowed watching him on the big screen singing "Love Me Tender", that he was most certainly going to be my husband when I grew up. At age ten, all the gfs had to sit in the front aisle screaming in anticipation. We had heard, "Elvis is going to have his shirt off in Blue Hawaii"!!! Well, most of us didn't really care, but people were making it sound very exciting, so of course when he took off his shirt, we all had to scream. It was way good fun. But, on this day, after the shock, all I could think was "oh man, what Elvis songs do I know for tonight?"

At any rate, I loved music. As a tot, mom could get me to go to bed with the promise that I could watch LIberace on tv. I can still see him on that small b&w screen, relishing every note, every smile, every bit of beauty on that show. It was definitely my favorite thing on tv. And later, I could not get enough of Mario Lanza, Perry Como and, of course, Elvis. I even got my hair cut in a duck tail at age six. Hoola-hooping in a duck tail...cool daddyo.

But by the time the Beatles, Stones, Birds led into Cream, Country Joe and the Fish or Joni Mitchell, I had gotten way over Elvis. His movies were fun to go see at the drive-in where we'd giggle, should any of us happen to glance at the screen, but I'd long ago forgotten about marrying Elvis.

At twenty-one, new in town and desperate for a job and a place to live, I got work waiting tables. It was a nice place where people like Lou Rawls would come sing at night. I was on the day shift however, being one of the worst waitresses ever to waitress. (I know this is so because the day before I was fired, a customer told me so. "In all the places I have been, all around the world, you are without a doubt the worst waitress I have ever encountered.") I was! Indeed I was! I had terrible PMS at a time when nobody had any idea there was such a thing. I'd be fine for weeks and then...bam.

On one of those days Phil Donahue and Priscilla Presley had stopped in to do lunch. I really didn't watch much television at all, and I had no idea who Phil Donahue was, but one of the other waitresses (the one who should have done it) said "Mr D has requested that you be his waitress"

"It's not my station" I replied, (being the worlds worst waitress).

"Don't you know who he is?????" she asked incredulously.

"No"

So she went on to explain that he had a talk show...ok...I waited. And never knowing my place, when I realized it was Prissy Presley with him, I mentioned I had lived on the same block as she had when in Germany. She looked at me like I was a bit of bird droppings, which being such a politically active soul, didn't go over well for me. At any rate, I warned them that I was not a great waitress before I took their order...well, I didn't get much of a tip.

Funny how we go through stages in our lives. Today I'd make a great waitress. Menopause has taken the PMS, and having tended to a family for so long...well, not bad practice I guess. Anyway, it was a shock that night to hear he had gone. And a bigger shock to hear that it was from meds, and probably a much bigger shock to our nation when doctor's had to stop giving out so many fun prescriptions, since litigation and media blitz had begun. I'm older, of course, and now I can see how the powers that be play us. For instance, would I know it would have been Elvis 75th, if it were not for my lovely media? Why bother telling me anything about what the __ we are doing in Afghanistan, or what is happening in the world anywhere, when I can be reminded of things like Elvis each August 16 and January 8?

Still, one thing stays the same. I'd love to sit in front of the old b&w and watch that 15 minutes of Liberace. Happy Birthday Elvis. I hope you are all jammin. And you too, David (It's your birthday today too) , you could play with the best of them.