…is all I should be doing right now, but channel flipping brought up the PBS pledge-drive that was showing A Song’s Best Friend: John Denver Remembered. I know its probably corny, and I’m really not “old enough” to be a true John Denver fan but I am, I am. In fact, one of the most memorable (in a good way) first “dates”/get-to-know-you things involved John Denver.

This was back before online personals, after my first divorce, and working full-time and going to school at night full-time didn’t leave a lot of time to meet new people. So I had a personals ad through the local paper, one that involved voice mailboxes, etc. and one guy who responded to my blurb played guitar. We met at a small downtown coffee & tea shop to talk face to face, and we got on the subject of music. I had just gotten the Wildlife Concert CDs and was thoroughly enthralled with some of the songs I’d never heard before, and it turned out this guy, we’ll call him Mitch, like JD as well.

Now, I was entirely too naive and trusting in those days, and blindly followed him to his little house in the numbered streets. He took out his guitar and we sat on his couch singing John Denver songs from a lyrics book he had. It was very strange, esp. in that I wasn’t as self-conscious as I usually am about singing in front of people, and surreal that something so simple and innocent could happen on a Monday night. I remember it was Monday because my Mom and eldest brother had gone over to Louisianna that weekend because my grandfather was dying. I needed to be at work and school, as did my youngest brother (except for the work part), but it was agreed that we would drive over if the inevitable happened. I called Jason to say that I’d be over to pick him up that evening (he was staying with the neighnor), and we were leaving in the morning to go over for the funeral.

Mitch and I actually didn’t have a follow-up date. By the time I got back from the funeral and caught up on work and school and all that, we just never managed to hook back up. Occasionally he came into the office because he worked for one of our clients, but he didn’t seem to recognize me. Even still, the brief interlude we shared, Mitch, John and I, ranks right up there with the best first-dates ever. I don’t if that’s a good thing or not. One thing’s for sure, I still adore John Denver songs, and live music always seems to sooth me, so I suppose if anyone out there was ever in a mind of how to woo me, this is a big tip lol

I so needed this happy memory after the afternoon I had. Thank you PBS, I only wish I wasn’t so broke or I would make a pledge.