Well now that you know that I am a part of the Hobo family, let me tell you how it all started. Picture it….Dexter…1999……..
The two gals I sing with, Debi and Connie and I had a nursing home ministry in two different towns but on the same day each week. Perhaps I should tell first how we all met.
There was once a little music store in Dexter and the man that ran it was a school teacher as well. I do not recall just why we became friend. Oh wait!! Yes I do ! but it’s a secret…like Amway. snicker-doo. Anyway, on occasions he had meetings to attend he asked me if I would keep his store opened. He let me play any guitar I wanted in return so I always said yes. A little pocket change was good too. Never much but paid for the gas to get there and a soda and bag of chips and a pack of cigarets. AAAhhhhhhh those were the days.
Anyway, I was always glad when customers knew just what they wanted for I could not bluff my way into their trust. So I simple answered questions with ,”I don’t really know why the electric guitar sounds different than the non-electric. You will need to come back when the owner is here. He can tell you…I think. Ohhh….ok..bye…..”
You get the picture right? So one day I was playing a pretty guitar and a woman with two children came in. So I thought. A babyyyyyy….oh sooo cute!!! You gotta know there was a time a baby would melt this woman’s heart! Cute babies, ugly babies…human babies…baby spiders???…..yea, ok. Continueing on….. kittens, puppies….ponies….bunnies…..ok, I’ll stop!
So I nearly run right over to see this baby of about 4 months old. Commented to the mother how sweet the baby was just to find she was not the mother , but the grammie!!!Oh my!
After a while the mommy took the baby out side and grammie and I talked. She was looking to have her piano tuned. Was Steve around? No. I told her I would have him call her. She gave her number. Same first three digits as mine. I made a comment about her living in a town or two from me. No! She lived in same town and not only that , but about a mile up from me!!!! I had lived there a full year and never had met her. So after excited laughter and silliness, she invited me to go and “jam” with her. “What is that?” I asked. I really had no idea and it was something I had done for years , just never heard it called anything like that. So she told me …” Well, a group of us musicians get together and sing and play instruments. Would you like to get together?”
“Well,” I said. ” It sounds like fun, but can I ask you a question?”
“Yes. What?”
“Do you all drink…because I don’t anymore and don’t want to be around drunks.” There..I said it! As boldly and blunt as I dared.
Wide eyed and just as boldly she stated, ” I don’t drink either! I’m a Christian!!!”
“Well, then I would love to “jam” with you all.” I said as part of me was thinking…”Christian huh….oh what am I getting myself into…..”
Was that Connie? Just a guess because she lives in Dexter. On the other hand, it could have been Debbie and you were living in Abbot at the time.
You will soon find out. I did not realize that I failed to say LOL!