Because
Yesterday we celebrated our 48th year of marriage. Seems like a long journey, when I think of it that way. We purchased greeting cards for each other, with verses that expressed our affection for the other. She purchased a Wendell Berry book of essays for me. We celebrated by enjoying the Friday evening fish fry seated by the patio bar area at Crossroads. The meal of cod and french fries was “fine dining” for us. We chose Crossroads Bar and Grill because in our deeper selves, we feel comfortable among the working class individuals that compose the community of Mundelein, where we have lived for the last number of years. Our roots are here and we have a sensation of well-being on account of the home, and the neighborhood, and the town in which we have lived.
So we ate the fish, listened to a mediocre, in our opinion, lounge-singer his voice a monotone. His voice was past its prime for the songs that he covered. Well and good. We are past our prime as well. Everyone ends up there, if they are lucky. We sat next to the wading pool with the fountains arcing into the water from the sides of the pool. We were enveloped with the primal melody of a waterfall.—a counterpoint to the rasping voice of the male performer on the other side of the patio. We enjoyed our meal, and I had a Linies Summershandy and she a margarita. I know that each of us thought how far we have come on the journey that has been ours to take, in the greater refrain of the cosmos.
As a unexpected treat at conclusion of our dinner, we were offered two shots of Fireball Whiskey, on the house. The shots we set aside, in reserve as our dessert. We exchanged a few words of conversation with our waitress, who we told us she was finishing up her college degree and had just one year left as a marketing major. We were happy for her.
Here is one of the songs covered by the man who performed for us by the patio last night at Crossroads. Because, by the Dave Clark Five. The singers voice may not have been the best, but his song choice was fine.
2 thoughts on “Because”
There are moments in our lives that not only anchor us to a point in time, but uplift our spirits. We need these moments more than ever these days. Thank you for sharing your evening with us. We could all use a brief respite, whether singer is mediocre or not.
Roots in the earth with songs and stories to share is one recipe for a good life.