Thinking of Van....and Elvis.....

I can't help but think of my favorite Elvis fan, Van, on today, the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death.  I remember vividly where I was when I heard he had died (Elvis...not Van).  I  was too young (?) to remember the assassinations in earlier years....but I remember where I was when I heard Elvis died, when Lennon died and then, in a different category, when the Challenger exploded and when 9/11 happened.  I'm sort of surprised by that odd collection of memories....but that's what I have......

So.....thirty years ago I was 15 years old and I was working at an antique shop on weekends.  The owners went to Minnesota during the summer so it really became "my shop" during that time.  I rearranged, I polished, I set up tableaus....man I loved it.  So one day, a woman and her daughter pulled up to the shop.  I walked over from the house and said hello and the woman said to me, "did you hear that Elvis died?  My daughter is SO upset."  Of course her daughter immediately erupted, "oh MOTHER" in embarrassment but I understood.  I don't know why I remember it so vividly....I wasn't particularly a huge Elvis fan.....but I do.

Tonight...before Owen fell asleep VERY early on the couch I was watching some various Elvis shows.  Owen asked who it was and if everybody loved him (because of all the screams on the footage).  I told him that yes, a lot of people loved him and that his name was Elvis Presley but that a lot of people just called him Elvis.  He thought about it and then commented that they could also just call him Presley.  I agreed.  Then he said the thought he looked kind of like a girl because of his eyelashes....  I told him I knew what he meant.  I kept watching and he fell asleep.