Who-Story

[James Sigel <JSigel@WINSTON.COM>]

Here's a nice little story you might like...

     About 11 years ago, my nephew, Little Alex was about 1+ - 2 years old.  One day, I went to my brother's house.  He was a mechanic and promised to work on my car if I kept my eye on the kid.  No problem, says I.  However, my young nephew was a crazed little monkey and I couldn't keep him under control.  One minute he was swinging from the ceiling fan, the next he was hooting and screaming.  I was in above my head so I went to the garage to get my brother; I didn't know what to do.  But he did...

     He came into the house where the kid was going full tilt; jumping and howling and knocking stuff over.  My brother started digging through his video tape collection, pulled out a tape and loaded it into the VCR.  The monkey paid no notice until the tape began and the TV lit up with the image of Tommy Smothers interviewing The Who on the old Smothers Brothers show. My little nephew stopped as if switched off like a light, and parked his tiny ass on the couch where he didn't budge for the duration of "The Kids Are Alright" movie.  Neither did I for that matter.  I remember that kid staring at The Who unblinking for the entire film.  Once the tape ended it was back to his monkey-activity, but I never forgot that.

In case you're interested, "The Kids" film didn't warp the lad's mind.  He's an A-student and very bright.  He does however, get a destructive look in his eyes when I let him play my guitar.

A little sidenote:  It's simply fantastic to hear that a lot of younger people are getting into the Who.  Hell, they were considered "old farts" when I started listening to them in 1978.  But that doesn't matter.  When your friends all say, "how can like them?" or "why don't you listen to someone more recent?", you can always reply with something like this:  Why would I want to close my mind to good music?  Just because it's old?  Why would I want to miss all of that enjoyment?  Besides, there just isn't anybody today as good as The Who.  Actually, there wasn't anybody as good as The Who then either.  

Be good all...

Jim in Chicago

"...every sentence in my head, someone else has said.  At each end of my life is an open door."  JAE