“I found the world to be woefully lacking in safe places, so I became one.” ~ J. Warren Welch
65
Sister from another mister, Kiya Heartwood, turned 65 years old today. I keep this photo of us on the wall to remind me that I am not a natural blonde (and don’t try it again) and that we’ve had some great photographers capture us over the years. Unfortunately, I don’t remember this photographer’s name (Kiya might), but he was experimenting with plastic cameras before it was hip, and I loved his work. The production company found them too arty for publicity shots. That was a major red flag and harbinger of things to come. Anyway, the photographer took us to the derelict rail yard near Union Station in downtown Nashville. This was long before Union Station was converted into a hotel and the area was revitalized. Back then, Kiya was a vegetarian trying her best to stave off diabetes that ran in her family, and I was battling a severe case of mono that caused me to drop weight down to nothing and sleep 14-16 hours a day. Plus, Larry Evans was going through cosmetology school, and I let him bleach my hair. I was 21 or 22 in the photo, so Kiya would have been 26 or 27. It’s hard to believe just how long ago this photo was taken because it feels like 10-12 years, not nearly four decades. Having the good fortune to age is a luxury not afforded to everyone, and while I miss my waistline, firm bottom, and glowing skin, I am beyond grateful that we’re both still living and in pretty good health. That means there’s always the chance to make some new music one day. I’d better get in some practice time.
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