You seem to be "mellowing" as you get older, Garrison. That is the sensible thing to do. Enjoy the good part and forget about the bad. Look for good people and enjoy their company. But be aware that you will occasionally encounter some people who "do not have good intentions" and who are not looking on the bright side of things. Get away from them as fast as possible.
Glad that you mentioned the Gospels and the story about Jesus on the road to Emmaus. The Gospels are the best and most important part of the Bible, but it is surprising that there are some churches that don't really talk or preach a lot about Jesus and what he said. They talk about how great Jesus is and that he should be worshipped and glorified, but often not much about the things which he said. Many churches in our part of the country are obsessed with the End Times.
Thanks for the comments. Have a good day and a nice life.
You are an amazing guy. You are 4 months shy of 80 and you are still trekking around the country bringing smiles, and even laughs-out-louds to those who love you and your down-home show done here and there. We need good humor in this mad, mad world we live in. Still a cup of kindness poured into a stranger's hands is clearly an act of corporal mercy, done to a stranger. And you were rewarded by a soybean story replete with sheep.
Jesus saw plenty of sheep in his day and corralled a bunch of us. It won't be long till Easter's reminder happens to many of us, and we can all marvel and say, "He is risen." And so were we! All of us. Republicans, too. Long-haired and buzz-cuted. We are all of us saved.
But, let others tell that story and you keep telling tell your own tales of good humor: Laugh on, pour a cup and give your wife a hug wherein words need not be said. 80's are a piece of cake.
I really like your descriptions of serendipitous encounters with strangers. In this case, it was all because of pouring coffee for someone in a crummy motel lobby — something the pandemic discouraged. Let’s hope for a revival of these small gestures.
Just being alive, indeed. We talked in philosophyclass yesterday about the U-curve, that curious phenomenon whereby people past the halfway mark of life (which varies from culture to culture and country to country) get happier and happier as time goes by. Students are surprised to hear it, but those of us of a certain age know it's generally true.
But why? On further reflection, and in light of your wonderful little vignette, I think it's because age brings perspective and greater appreciation for just still being here. Most of us are too busy, most of the time prior to the bend in the U, to just soak up the sun and inhale the peat and listen to the sheep and read the poems. We'd be happier earlier, if we did that more often.
Those are my thoughts, as I prepare to pack for my stepmother's funeral. We differed about politics (mine are more like yours) but bonded over baseball and Mozart and St. Louis gooey butter cake. And Prairie Home Companion.
I've learned a lot from walking my dogs. I look up when they do, and I envy them their sensitive noses. I count myself fortunate to be alive and able to walk outdoors with them. Thanks Garrison.
This story reminds me of the time I "Walked across a farmer in 3 states!" No kidding. I was following my bucket list, to go on every road in California. I found a "new" (for me) dirt road in the far northeast corner of the state - the non-touristy part of Death Valley. The road was used mostly by heavy duty mining trucks. It was sort of like a dune buggy racing road - full of ruts, and "alternative routes" around the dust traps, etc. As a neophyte, I eventually winded up in a dust hole so deep that the dust got into the engine. My car looked more like a turtle in the mud than a Toyota. I felt lucky , once I found a vantage point, that I could see a house within walking distance.
The house was abandoned, but there was a tractor plowing a nearby field. The field was huge - I quickly reached the probably turn-around point. When the large, tractor, with an air-conditioned cab rolled up, I told the farmer about my car. "I can't stop plowing until afternoon break," he said, but you're welcome to ride with me. I climbed - ungracefully - into the cab. Soon we were off, sowing seed for his cotton field. "You'll be going into three counties, Inyo, in California, and Esmeralda and Nye counties in Nevada."
When he quit for lunch at three, we got on his ham radio to contact a gas station in Bishop. It took the tow truck an hour to reach us, more time to return, and three hours for their mechanics to get all the dust out of engine, brake lines, and wheels. In the meantime I had the pleasure of meeting a family that ran the diner next door - not just the waitress, but the curious kids who seldom met a "Big City lady!" I was immensely impressed about how friendly and welcoming everyone was!
I wouldn't recommend getting stuck on a back road in the mountains as a "must do" "Getting to Know You!" adventure. I felt really lucky that everything worked out so well.
I'm happy for you, Dear Host, that your meeting with a farmer was so pleasant, and relatively stress-free! It can be really informative, to hear "How The Other Half Lives", can't it?
my new dream girl is the manager of the perfect cafe you describe where even the food is meaningful! it's no joke and she's all too real. thanks for the daily!
Thanks for being. Getting out and rubbing elbows is seldom a bad experience. As for bad landings ,as they say ,anyone you can walk away from is a good one. I sense that you write a lot. Does getting on the road create the 'juice?'
One of my CCD teachers told us that it was a practice ~2 millennia ago to leave food and drink in temporary tombs in case a person who appeared to be dead, but was in a deep coma, was buried and might eventually regain consciousness. As recently as the 1800s it was known that apparently dead people were buried and later found to actually have been alive. The resulting horror stories resulted in a common phobia of being buried alive. Even now, every few years there is news of a "body" in a morgue starting to move and being found to be still alive.
I think you hit all the highlights of what a great day can be. Living in Utah where sheep are a plenty I never mind waiting a bit as they are moved along our roads surrounded by alfalfa fields, beautiful mountains, clear skies, and another day to be thankful
Life is good and that's no joke.
One of the best short reads. Thank you. Thank you. I sometimes ignore this column as it is not always drilling down on current troubles. My loss.
You seem to be "mellowing" as you get older, Garrison. That is the sensible thing to do. Enjoy the good part and forget about the bad. Look for good people and enjoy their company. But be aware that you will occasionally encounter some people who "do not have good intentions" and who are not looking on the bright side of things. Get away from them as fast as possible.
Glad that you mentioned the Gospels and the story about Jesus on the road to Emmaus. The Gospels are the best and most important part of the Bible, but it is surprising that there are some churches that don't really talk or preach a lot about Jesus and what he said. They talk about how great Jesus is and that he should be worshipped and glorified, but often not much about the things which he said. Many churches in our part of the country are obsessed with the End Times.
Thanks for the comments. Have a good day and a nice life.
You are an amazing guy. You are 4 months shy of 80 and you are still trekking around the country bringing smiles, and even laughs-out-louds to those who love you and your down-home show done here and there. We need good humor in this mad, mad world we live in. Still a cup of kindness poured into a stranger's hands is clearly an act of corporal mercy, done to a stranger. And you were rewarded by a soybean story replete with sheep.
Jesus saw plenty of sheep in his day and corralled a bunch of us. It won't be long till Easter's reminder happens to many of us, and we can all marvel and say, "He is risen." And so were we! All of us. Republicans, too. Long-haired and buzz-cuted. We are all of us saved.
But, let others tell that story and you keep telling tell your own tales of good humor: Laugh on, pour a cup and give your wife a hug wherein words need not be said. 80's are a piece of cake.
I really like your descriptions of serendipitous encounters with strangers. In this case, it was all because of pouring coffee for someone in a crummy motel lobby — something the pandemic discouraged. Let’s hope for a revival of these small gestures.
Just being alive, indeed. We talked in philosophyclass yesterday about the U-curve, that curious phenomenon whereby people past the halfway mark of life (which varies from culture to culture and country to country) get happier and happier as time goes by. Students are surprised to hear it, but those of us of a certain age know it's generally true.
But why? On further reflection, and in light of your wonderful little vignette, I think it's because age brings perspective and greater appreciation for just still being here. Most of us are too busy, most of the time prior to the bend in the U, to just soak up the sun and inhale the peat and listen to the sheep and read the poems. We'd be happier earlier, if we did that more often.
Those are my thoughts, as I prepare to pack for my stepmother's funeral. We differed about politics (mine are more like yours) but bonded over baseball and Mozart and St. Louis gooey butter cake. And Prairie Home Companion.
Wow, I loved that. I was fortunate enough to be raised on a peanut farm in Oklahoma. I get it.
Just returned from Hawaii in time to drive to Worthington, Mn and enjoy your show.
In Hawaii, I ended up at a ER , and the Doc asked me where I was from....
I told him St Cloud, Mn. He asked if that was where Garrison Keillor was from,
and I said "sort of". The Doc said "I miss him".
Thought you this would warm your heart during your 80th birthday year!
Thanks man
I've learned a lot from walking my dogs. I look up when they do, and I envy them their sensitive noses. I count myself fortunate to be alive and able to walk outdoors with them. Thanks Garrison.
In a word….beautiful. Thank you for sharing your experiences with the rest of us.
This story reminds me of the time I "Walked across a farmer in 3 states!" No kidding. I was following my bucket list, to go on every road in California. I found a "new" (for me) dirt road in the far northeast corner of the state - the non-touristy part of Death Valley. The road was used mostly by heavy duty mining trucks. It was sort of like a dune buggy racing road - full of ruts, and "alternative routes" around the dust traps, etc. As a neophyte, I eventually winded up in a dust hole so deep that the dust got into the engine. My car looked more like a turtle in the mud than a Toyota. I felt lucky , once I found a vantage point, that I could see a house within walking distance.
The house was abandoned, but there was a tractor plowing a nearby field. The field was huge - I quickly reached the probably turn-around point. When the large, tractor, with an air-conditioned cab rolled up, I told the farmer about my car. "I can't stop plowing until afternoon break," he said, but you're welcome to ride with me. I climbed - ungracefully - into the cab. Soon we were off, sowing seed for his cotton field. "You'll be going into three counties, Inyo, in California, and Esmeralda and Nye counties in Nevada."
When he quit for lunch at three, we got on his ham radio to contact a gas station in Bishop. It took the tow truck an hour to reach us, more time to return, and three hours for their mechanics to get all the dust out of engine, brake lines, and wheels. In the meantime I had the pleasure of meeting a family that ran the diner next door - not just the waitress, but the curious kids who seldom met a "Big City lady!" I was immensely impressed about how friendly and welcoming everyone was!
I wouldn't recommend getting stuck on a back road in the mountains as a "must do" "Getting to Know You!" adventure. I felt really lucky that everything worked out so well.
I'm happy for you, Dear Host, that your meeting with a farmer was so pleasant, and relatively stress-free! It can be really informative, to hear "How The Other Half Lives", can't it?
my new dream girl is the manager of the perfect cafe you describe where even the food is meaningful! it's no joke and she's all too real. thanks for the daily!
Thanks for being. Getting out and rubbing elbows is seldom a bad experience. As for bad landings ,as they say ,anyone you can walk away from is a good one. I sense that you write a lot. Does getting on the road create the 'juice?'
One of my CCD teachers told us that it was a practice ~2 millennia ago to leave food and drink in temporary tombs in case a person who appeared to be dead, but was in a deep coma, was buried and might eventually regain consciousness. As recently as the 1800s it was known that apparently dead people were buried and later found to actually have been alive. The resulting horror stories resulted in a common phobia of being buried alive. Even now, every few years there is news of a "body" in a morgue starting to move and being found to be still alive.
I think you hit all the highlights of what a great day can be. Living in Utah where sheep are a plenty I never mind waiting a bit as they are moved along our roads surrounded by alfalfa fields, beautiful mountains, clear skies, and another day to be thankful