19 Comments

Six p.m. Saturday evening. I hear the old piano from down the avenue, I smell the onions, I look around for you!

So good to hear from you Mr. K. at your old designated time.

We are arriving at the shortest, bleakest day of the year here in Connecticut. But to hear from you and all the wonderful cast of folks really makes my day and shines a light.

I'm off to the Philippines in 12 days. Chasing the equitorial sun to "a land that time forgot and the decades cannot improve..."

Every country has a Lake Wobegon and every heart has a desire.

(You will) Stay "forever young."

Expand full comment

In 5 days in CT (Hartford, anyway) your day will be 62 seconds shorter. Might not be bleaker. (Philippines, never so!)

We on SE NC coast have a hard, warm storm all day tomorrow. It may make everyone's outdoor Christmas lights twinkle harder. But for those who use dozens of yard inflatables, it will look like the train station wounded scene in GWTW. Not bleak but ghastly.

Thanks for the onions memory!

Expand full comment

From one Connecticut-er to another. Thank you.

Expand full comment

The land of my birth and my youth. May you find peace and love.

Expand full comment

I never get tired of that voice

Expand full comment

Always such a pleasure to listen to you/your words.

Expand full comment

Always a delight to listen to Garrison Keillor!

Expand full comment
founding

Garrison: We always express our pleasure at good/great customer service. And why not? rr

Expand full comment

Great hearing from you, Garrison!!

You are such a good writer!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the world.

Expand full comment

"Balloon juice" -- how apt a descriptor for so many today! Is it your invention?

Thanks, Garrison, lovely piece.

Expand full comment

I worked in healthcare for years and my personal motto was that patients won’t remember you for your expertise but your kindness.

Expand full comment

You rightly have a cadre´of your many own readers and viewers who see your own goodness of "complimentation."

On occasion, we should try it on those we may disagree on, for if we look deeply and carefully, there are some critical matters on which we do agree.

Start there with a cohesive complimentation. You never know what may emerge....much like a well-wrapped gift.

Expand full comment

At Duke Hospital when my husband was very ill, the staff in the cafeterias were consistently warm and kind to me every meal, every day. They helped me a lot.

Expand full comment

Each time I come to a longer episode while I'm pretending to be busy, I ponder "getting to it later." But oh wellism triumphs. I click on it then and there, and end up getting a delightful earful, instead of forgetting to get to it later. My sadly short attention span for much poetry is a hidden shame of mine, especially now that this fast-talking tv meteorologist is mostly retired. I have the time to allow your gentle persuasion to nudge me back toward exploration of things other than physical science and domestic/international crises a-plenty. Even with a bad knee, you've managed to kick this lazy guy in the ass...thanks, GK!

Expand full comment

Maybe not far from old, but far from boring.

Expand full comment

It was kind of you to issue this publice praise for the hospital and its employees. It seems that people are so quick to comment on what is wrong or bad with something or soemone, but few go out of there way to compliment people and places on the good job they are doing. Praise and compliments cost nothing but are at the same time so invaluable and uplifting.

Expand full comment

Well done old friend

Expand full comment

Beautiful.

Expand full comment

No one is nicer than a New Yorker. Rumors to the contrary have been started by Midwesterners who are ashamed by the goodness of immigrants.

Expand full comment