Standing

Ernie and I went to the Celebration of Life for Stokes (Greg Hill) today. Ernie was planning to walk down to it, but midmorning at work I realized I had forgotten something at home I needed for work, and had to come home. It was at lunchtime, so we drove over. I was really glad we went. All you can do sometimes is stand there to acknowledge somebody....and the fact that they are gone. I was trying to explain that feeling to Leo just now.

Familiar faces, a lot of gray hair highlighted with the pure black of Paul Faber's, the red of Kathy Harden's and the bright white of Terry Hawkins. A fair number of tattoos and black clothes scattered throughout the crowd. A lot of old bonds in that room.

I write more and more about the community of music...and there are so many overlapping communities. As time goes by you can feel bonds with people you didn't know in the past, and yet you recognize each other for shared feelings or shared experiences. Spending time last night with old Vertebrats friends, then today being part of this tribute to Stokes, old school Champaign and Mabel's were standing tall. A funny thing, the bonds of music and memory.