Monday, July 24, 2006
May All Your Dreams Die Peacefully
An old dream bit the big one today, one I didn't realize I had. Like anyone who sings in the shower or in the car along with the radio, I always assumed I could sing passably and wouldn't it be great if, one day, I had my own rock band. I'd fantasize about names for my band (Jif and the Choosy Mothers was my favorite). It's all part of my rock-n-roll fantasy to be a jukebox hero.
Well, today at camp, I was supervising a group of campers in their dorm when one of them hauls out his electric guitar, a small amp and a book called "The Greatest Rock Guitar Fake Book," from which he has learned the power chords to "Crazy Train," "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and the like. Well, he starts playing "Smoke on the Water" (duh-duh-DAH, duh-duh-da-DAH) and I walk past the room and stop. I urge a couple of the kids to sing along and they won't and the player says, "C'mon, I've got the words right here in the book." When no one jumps up, I take that as an an invitation and walk over and pick up the book.
To put it mildly, I sucked. I was beyond bad. It even shocked me how bad I was. The room cleared quicker than a fire drill before I even got through the first verse. To sing in the shower is one thing, but to actually sing with someone playing along is another matter. Old dreams die hard, but it was a peaceful death. In my next lifetime, however, I hope it will be different.
Funny moment today in writers workshop: Students did interviews of their partners as an ice-breaker. We had an odd # students, so I interviewed a kid from D.C. who goes to St. Albans. One of the questions I put on the board asked, "Something that would surprise people about me is ______________." The kid thought a long time and answered that he was on a swim team. Whoopee.
The last question was "What's the coolest thing you've seen?" He answered, "Andrews Air Force Base."
Me: "Really! Do you have relatives in the service or did you take a tour?"
"No," he said, "I've been there with my grandma."
Me: "Your grandmother. Cool. What does she do at the base?"
"Nothing. I had to go there to get on Air Force One with her to go to New York."
Me: "Wait a minute...Air Force One? Why was she on Air Force One?"
"She used to be secretary of state under President Clinton."
Pause.
Me: "Your grandmother is Madeleine Albright?"
"Yep, we see her all the time."
Yep. Apparently the kid had been on the plane with Granny Albright and met and had his picture taken with Bill Clinton in the Oval Office. The kid's brother also was there at the time and got to climb through a trap door that exists under the president's desk. Two thoughts: 1) I hope the brother was wearing protective gear when he went under there and 2) even in its inappropriateness, this was probably one of the more appropriate things to have gone on under that desk.
According to the kid, Granny is mighty pissed off about the Israeli conflict. She told him she worked hard to get things straightened out over there during her time, he said, and the Bush administration has pissed it all away (my phrasing).
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Granny Albright? Show the woman some respect, please!
And your singing? I think it's kinda cute.
He might have mentioned Granny Albright as something most people might be surprised to know about him.