Shit on My New Shoes Blues

I was listening to a Molly Tuttle cover of Neil Young's "Helpless". My eyes were closed and the body rushes from the hairs standing up on the back of my neck made me tear up a tad. In the midst of this silent revelry, memories of my days at Towson College and the basement of West Hall flooded in.

There was no specific connection by just listening to a song that caused me to remember an otherwise forgettable college mixer. It was just another random moment of pure unadulterated happiness from my past. Not sure why, but I think of this moment quite often and quite often it makes me shed a tear or two.  And now, as I try to write about it this Monday morning, I am again shedding a tear with no explanation. 

The moment that has visited me so many times over the past 50 plus years was at the time, just another mixer on the campus with nothing special going on except drinking beer in plastic cups. Two friends of mine performed that night. They only had one song, but that is all they needed to cement this night into my memory. 

Toole played guitar and Bean sang the lyrics. It was a simple Blues tune performed by two friends who were obviously very nervous. Toole looked like he was going to pass out and Bean almost whispered the first few lines. The song was called "Shit on My New Shoes Blues". It was hilarious and it brought down the house. 

That this moment from my past continues to crop up on the re-run channel in my mind used to puzzle me. As I said, it was just mixer with drunken college students. I went to many of them back then. I think I have finally figured out why I keep dragging out this pin prick of  a time gone by, while other more personal headline moments languish on the dusty back shelves of my brain pan.

In the 50 plus years since that party in the basement of West Hall, Life has had its way with me. Over all, I have been a very lucky man when considering what can go wrong in a life. I have dodged many bullets. But like everyone I think, I have not made it to age 71 without accumulating some scars. 

This memory is not one of them.

Keep it 'tween the ditches ..........................................

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Today's musical choice is a two-fer.  Neil Young's,  "Helpless", first released on CSN&Y's 1970 Deja Vue album. Then, please enjoy Molly Tuttle's cover of the same song.