“If you desire something that isn’t within your own control, disappointment will surely follow; meanwhile, you will be neglecting the very things that are within your control that are worthy of desire.” ~ Epictetus
This was a big day in Kentucky. First, BFF Erin Chandler got married! I’m so happy for her and husband Mark. It was a small backyard ceremony with bare minimum fuss. The party to celebrate them will be held when the world is no longer upside down from the Coronavirus. I almost crashed the wedding so I could be sure she had photos, but I decided I’d better not. If she wanted photos, she would have asked me, so out into the yard I went, shovel and rake in hands, where I stayed until just before the running of The Kentucky Derby. It’s surreal that it’s in September this year instead of the first weekend in May (thank you once again Coronavirus). But I got a surprise facetime call from my sister from another mister Kiya Heartwood down in Texas. We watched together and she cried when they played My Old Kentucky Home. It’s hard to ignore the original words of the song, even though they’ve changed them to be a little less racist – but if you know the truth, then it’s always going to be a deeply racist song – but for myself and Kiya and countless other native Kentuckians, it’s not at all pre-Civil War Kentucky that comes to mind when the song plays, but the song’s melody and chorus; “Weep no more my lady | oh, weep no more today | we will sing one song for the old Kentucky home | for the old Kentucky home far away.” In that moment, especially if you’re not in Kentucky when it’s played, your heart strings quiver and you’re reminded of nothing but the beauty of God’s Country, home cooking, family, friends, and abundant warmth (especially of you’ve had a nip of the state drink, Bourbon). I was so glad to spend the Derby with Kiya. We reminisced about making our video for Turnaround in 1988 on Derby Day. We were at Vasquez Rocks outside LA. It snowed. There was no internet (not like we have now), and even cable TV wasn’t wide spread. Someone on the film crew had a Sony Watchman with a super tiny 1″ screen. We stopped shooting and gathered round that minuscule device to watch the Run for the Roses. Kiya, of course, won the pool. It was a good memory and it’s an honor to still be able to share it with her, no matter the miles between us. I’m glad they held the Derby this year, but I sure hope it’s in May next year so I can have my Derby Party and invite the newlyweds Mark and Erin. Hopefully Kiya and Meg can come up from Texas, too. A little live music wouldn’t hurt a Derby party at all, would it?
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