Graceland

I remember when Paul Simon’s Graceland album came out with its South African influenced music and urban delta lyrics. We were in Seminary at Claude Drouet’s house because he had the latest musical everything. He had the first Compact Disc player I ever saw having special ordered it months before it hit stores. Of course he didn’t have a Compact Disc for it at first because none had been made yet. He was excited over the Graceland album and it soon became a favorite of mine. We sat in his music room listening to it over and over. In some ways I suppose that it, along with a lot of the music I’ve been exposed to led to my unique views, philosophies and religion. We’re flying to Memphis today. Touching down in the land of the Delta Blues is what Sarah quoted as her update. I’m looking forward to the music. There are meetings that will keep me kidnapped and people that I must see but we will have time to play and I want to play with the sounds of the place. Then there really is Graceland. I’ve never been … never really thought about going …. but we’re going to be so close so like Paul Simon all of those years ago we’ll make the Pilgrimage to the memories of Elvis. Sarah’s already asked if there will be a lot of Elvis impersonators running around and that she wants her picture taken with everyone. Then there’s Sun Studios where Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carol Perkins and Johnny Cash all got started together! B. B. King too and then all of the smaller blues player who have staked out places on street corners and in bars. This is a funny trip. The reason we’re going is that a group I’ve been associated with for the past decade is winding up their efforts. It’s a sort of swan song gathering as a great national program comes to an end. I’ve been every blessed to be associated with these folks and have certainly learned much more than I would have without them. They allowed me to travel across the country more than once. If that wasn’t enough, they gave me half-a-million once to start a new health care program in Savannah. But All Things Must Pass as another great musical genius taught us and sometimes you are lucky enough to recognize things are coming to an end as they are occurring. This is one of those times. Over the past few years I’ve been part of lots of endings … a career, marriage, kids moving away to start their own lives, friendships and things that I believed in. Most of these were harsh and difficult, never providing the chance for swan songs because its hard to appreciate the moment when the rugs being jerked out from under you. But each passing brought new things … opportunities, deeper friendships, truer love and new things to believe. Instead of swan songs, a Carnival of Friends threw one hell of a party to deal with all of the losses at once and to celebrate my survival. Now Sarah is with me on this pilgrimage which is the end of yet one more chapter in my life. While this last page turns on what used to be, she and I will dance to the music on Beale Street as we make our way to the future … and to Graceland.