About 5 years ago, my 85 year old grandmother took up the electric bass.
Do you know how much I love typing that sentence?
Meme goes down to the senior center and plays with the Bedford Ramblers every week. They play country, western swing and old boogie woogie tunes. They pass the mic, take turns singing, and have a great time. All comers are welcome to sit in or sing a song. And Meme's boyfriend Mac is the fiddle player. They also have a standing gig every Tuesday night at a little BBQ joint in Fort Worth.
Now with a set up like that, surely you know where I was last Tuesday night...
This woman has been dancing and enjoying music for most of her life so it makes perfect sense that as age started to slow her down (a little) she took a seat and learned how to play.
I remember a story she told me once about being a young girl listening to Willie Nelson when he was playing with Bud Fletcher and the Texans. It was at a tiny place outside the town of West, Texas waaaay before he was famous. She told me she sat on the edge of the stage and thought he was kinda cute.
My mom remembers that when Elvis was big and lots of parents were scandalized by those gyrating hips, Meme paid a teen-aged neighbor to come over and teach her how to dance to it.
I know how to two-step, square dance, and polka because of her and, although I don't have an ounce of her skill on the dance floor, I've learned a lot more by watching Meme have a good time...
Moss don't grow on a rollin' stone.
I hope I'm doing something like this when I'm 85. In fact, I think I'll reserve the banjo, right now. I won't even consider learning it until I'm at least 75. But after that...look out!
