A Tearful Day

[Tennessee Whiskey]

OK, I'm pretty well known as one of the jokesters here and I enjoy it, however, today I'm serious. today turned out to be quite a special day. If any of you in any part of the world knows anything about country music, today we laid one of the greatest artist to rest in Nashville, Mr. George Jones. If you ever drank in a honky tonk, had your heart broke, or been down on your luck, you've lived a George Jones song. The service was broadcast live from the Opry House and I had family there and friends perform. I brought a six pack of long necks home and finished the celebration of George's life sitting at my bar, neons on, and drinking a beer. It was just fitting. Had to go for my yearly eye exam afterwards. Got in Doc's office and noticed his VietNam campaign plaque was buried down behind the tissue box. I looked at all the accolades and plaques hanging about and this one was now almost hidden. When he came in we went about our normal banter and then I told him he needed to get that plaque front and center. He said that in today's society he didnt want anyone to feel bad about him. I said look Doc you are bout ready to retire, most of you're patients were born '60 or before a we damn well appreciate your service. A tear came to his eye. We kept talking and he asked of my latest hobby. I told him of MEM and Cabin Fever and so on. He then asked if I used any type of extra optical magnification. I said well I was gonna ask if you could get me a good Optivisor.. He dug around behind his desk and pulled out a vintage Optivisor with attached loupe. He said like this? Well Yeah. Then he says I'm gonna give this one to you. I brought it home from Nam, we didn't have microscopes. Then I had tears in my eyes. Funny how things happen.

Y'alls Redneck
Eric

[Dave Otto]

Great story Eric; and a well deserved gift to you.

Thanks  for sharing it with us.

Dave

[Don1966]

Yea Eric, we all going to miss him, he was the president of country music. He was one of the greatest country singer of all time.  I am a country music fan and go way back. Like Barbara Mendrell sang, " I was country when country wasn't cool."
And that's from an old Cajun Coonass. 
By the way that was a great story and a sad one.

Don

[Alan Haisley]

Thanks for sharing, Eric. Sometimes a little tear says enough.
Alan

[dsquire]

Yea Eric, we all going to miss him, he was the president of country music. He was one of the greatest country singer of all time.  I am a country music fan and go way back. Like Barbara Mendrell sang, " I was country when country wasn't cool."
And that's from an old Cajun Coonass. 
By the way that was a great story and a sad one.

Don

Eric

I agree with everything Don said, just substitute "Canadian Country Boy" for "Cajun Coonass".

He will be missed and remembered by the many songs he left behind. Thank goodness for vinyl, tape and digital media we can continue to listen to him.

Thanks for taking the time to tell us the story of Doc and the eye exam. I'm sure that you ended up making his day. Sometimes it just takes a couple of words at the right time.

Cheers 

Don

[Maryak]

Great story Eric; and a well deserved gift to you.

Thanks  for sharing it with us.

Dave

Yes,

Thanks Eric.

Best Regards
Bob

[tel]

ONYA Ec - looks like you might be yuman after all!

[zeeprogrammer]

Great story Eric.
And thank you for honoring that serviceman.

[b.lindsey]

Great story Eric, and I add my thanks to the others for sharing it with us. George Jones and a few of his contemporaries did a lot to bring country music into the mainstream. In their day it was not an easy life nor as lucrative as it is today for many with far less talent.  He will be missed but fortunately his music lives on.

Bill

[Bearcar1]

Yes, but did the doctor's plaque get positioned up on the wall before you left? GJ was a great one for certain, he was on every juke in every joint I frequented in my younger days. Today's twang and stomp performers don't even come close to that style of music and is a big reason I stopped listening to country music as a whole. 




BC1
Jim

[Tennessee Whiskey]

Well no Jim he didn't jump up and move it right then and may not. I won't know until the next exam and even then he might go ahead and retire before I go back. At least he knows I'm proud of his service in a war that our government lied to the people and most importantly the ones fighting it about. And I for the most part agree bout the country music. The stuff that today is almost country is really just Southern rock, the rest of it is at best AM radio. Now, I'm just an old dude from the 60's, 70's, and 80's. I've listened to Wille when he had a flat top haircut. I dug Conway, George, Loretta, Waylon, and the whole outlaw country movement of the 70's. Got divorced and got into the Strait, Stone, Conlee, and Vern in the 80's. guess the irony of it all is that now I have become friends with quite a few of " real countries" old
songwriters and they bitch about the music like you and I are doing. They keep bitching and singing and I keep cooking Q and dranking. 

Yo Redneck,
Eric

[Bearcar1]

An' don' fergit that daddy got laid off from the mill after mama ran off with the dog and the truck died on the railroad tracks in the pouring rain ..... twang..... stomp. 




BC1
Jim

[Tennessee Whiskey]

We don't ever and are damn proud it happened. And you forgot that little sister was in PRISON

[Bearcar1]

We don't ever and are damn proud it happened. And you forgot that little sister was in PRISON

My bad. I forgot. However, there is good news, she is currently up for parole and will not be needing visitation rights to see her 21y.o. baby. He is serving a life sentence for getting drunk and armed robbery. He is being housed in the next cell block over. Mama tried.


BC1
Jim

[Tennessee Whiskey]

Well Jim, nice chat. But, it's the first Friday nite of the month and I'm gonna go ahead a take my bath a day early and go into town and cash all them Government checks y'alls favorite boy from Chicago give us po old downtrodden rednecks.

Luv you'ns all
Eric