By George

My friend Dedra got up her courage and broke out of Swainsboro early this morning and showed up at the Breakfast Club for coffee. She has now kidnapped my sofa and is holding it hostage. She has also commandeered the television set and is watching the “Concert for George”. Apparently she is going to hide out here for a while.

I don’t mind. She and I are huge Beatle fans. She has seen Paul McCartney in concert and I saw George Harrison on his only American tour. I also literally bumped into Yoko Ono one time in Central Park. So the music is overflowing in the house and even Goddess is watching.

Several months ago I returned to Statesboro, Georgia and hooked up with Dedra, Mitch and Linda and Mark and Gyni. We all went to college together and have taken to getting back together as often as we can. Mitch still has formal ties with the Baptists so he arranged for there to be a reunion at the Baptist Student Union which we once orchestrated a hostile takeover.

I know what you’re thinking. Micheal went back to Baptist Land?

I know. I know but I love these guys so I went back. And it was fun! Other friends from the past showed up and we caught up with one another.

The Baptist currently in charge of Baptist Land did a nice thing and pulled out these ancient photo albums and had them lying on tables for us to inspect. And there we all were back in the day.

There is one of me sitting on a stool, smiling with my guitar in my lap, hair to my shoulders wearing faded jeans and a football jersey. It was taken during a talent show that we all had one night and I had just finished singing “When I’m 64” and had dedicated it to Dedra. It was one of those moments in life that had completely been forgotten but as we stood there staring at the picture those times came rushing to each of us.

Last night was full of loneliness. I didn’t want to go out and the house was empty so I dug through DVD’s and found the “Concert for George” and filled my home with songs that I love. It was loud and I either toasted or cried over my favorites. Though it was John Lennon who taught us “Whatever gets you through the night, it’s alright” it was George that got me through last night. And at one point the songs made me thing that love would come skipping across my house looking for me.

Then Dedra texted and asked what I was doing and when I told her she said that she wanted to see it. So she broke out of Swainsboro before dawn and is enjoying it like I did.

“Somewhere in her smile, she knows.” I think it’s a Mona Lisa smile these days that keeps me hoping. You can see it right? … waiting … bemused … but full of hidden secrets and anticipation.

“You know I believe and how.”

So today I believe again.