Ralph Stanley, bluegrass legend, dead at 89

RIP

I enjoyed his picking as I grew up . His appearances on different shows .. When I was little I was at a yard sale a few courts
Over from ours .. it had a string missing and it looked like somebody made keys out of wood .. They wanted $25.. I asked the kid to put it aside and I’d be right back. 10 or so minutes I was.. Mom told me not to forget I had catechism . Ok.. and ran out the door.. I had it.. I got there and the kid pulled the case out from under a blanket .. now I had to get banjo
Music.. I took it home and pulled my bed out from the wall and put it behind my head board. And ran out and met the kids that went to the catechism class with me..
I couldn’t take my mind off that bsnjo..
I went back to that duplex and asked if there was any sheet music. “Only what grandpa put on paper.. He had used some shopping bags big, medium.. small ones taped together.. I was looking for an actual book.. I told him.. he found one
I took it home and got to learn’g .. some basic notes .. gotta start somewhere!
Later that year my Uncle came home from California and I showed it to him.. He looked it over and over trying to find s’thing ..a few days later on the inside he found it had been made in Alabama in 1928.. it was 2years older than my dad ..
Uncle went through his banjo case and found a string to replace the one miss’g.
I was practicing and my little brother
Told me to cut that racket, he couldn’t hear the noise.. I returned home from school and mom stopped me in the utility
room.. Somehow .. the little scamp took it from it’s case that I cleaned up.. and smashed the face and the post.. I was so furious.. “he didn’t know better.. Dad didn’t tan his hide enough.. I wanted a piece of the action.. I didn’t get it though.. it was summer and dad thought I needed time away from the guilty party.
He took me to grandpa’s and we went fishing.. I just wasn’t enthused .. I got a string of them.. we cleaned and cooked them , ate him and tater patties. .. it was.
..ok.. we went home .. I had a plot.. I stole his laces outta his buster brown shoes.and cut em with the scissors.. . cut off the buttons of his bib overalls. I timed it for a little while before we were going s’where.. like grandma’s. Hey, I was young too, My aunt feeling sorry bought a cheap plastic toy banjo.. it was like an insult .. I didn’t say anything.. just left it ..
mom wanted me to write a thank you note.. Thank you, Boyd... that was all ..
I didn’t understand being grown, I was 8
Then... it festered silently .. I didn’t do no more mean stuff .. yeah I did,, there was a curious George monkey.. in the closet in s bag where I put it.. he wanted it... fine.. he can have it ! I did a new game.. called
Silence.. .I acted like he wasn’t there .. got home from school, changed, and read.. supper came, mom sent him with a note.. I went out and washed and ate .. Dad didn’t get in the middle .. he said it’d work itself out.. mom made a cake... not chocolate.. hmm .. fine.. I made a bologna sandwich and got a little bag of chips and cup of kool aid and went out on the porch .and sat in my chair.. ate The sandwich and sulked.. I got Timber’s leash and my jacket and we went for a very long walk.. Nobody bothered me, came near when Timber was at my side.. We went by a school.. it wasn’t mine .. Some kid told me to give him Timber.. I didn’t say anything.. Timber did .. his hair on his neck stood up and that wolf growl from his throat came up.. . They had a hound..
that dog peed on himself and ran off with his tail between his legs.. We got out of
There. It was getting late the sun was not as high.. Take us home Timber and we walked back how we came .. except on the other side of the big road.. we finally got home .. I surmised I was in some kind of trouble..maybe.. I had to get in and get a bath .. I wanted to use the hose but mom worried about mosquitos .. I got a piece of cake and ice cream.. and put chocolate syrup all over it.. I had scraped all that yucky white frosting off in the trash (I hated marshmallow) and then put that syrup on it.. ohhh so good ! Dad was at work.. I wondered what would happen when he got home.. Mom told me she told him I took Timber for a long walk..
She said he was concerned but not worried . Didn’t say anything about me getting my butt smacked .. and he didn’t.
Let me sweat it out.., I think that hurt worse than the spanking .. I got a paper plate and a bologna sandwich. No chips, too messy.. I went in my corner in the closet and used my little desk light and read.. maybe an hour.. and fell asleep.
Next day got up.. put my lamp on the desk and went out and got some breakfast .. usually toaster on the table
Well, no toast ! Bowl n spoon, sugar.. milk in fridge.. shreddded wheat. yeah !
So.. had breakfast, got the stool so I could reach the handles to turn the water on., plug in .. watch water, that’s enough
About2 inches.. hmm he’s watching cartoons already.. I’ll go back to my room and read.. “GET OUT HERE AND WATCH
TV WITH YOUR BROTHER !” Gee.. what
Ruffled her feathers ? I Maybe I did?...
I played the silent game another month..
They made an appointment for me to see a counselor .. What for? Somebody said I was in some kind of “Shock”. I played along with the game.. didn’t say
a daggum word .. went over to the couch and read the book I brought.. She said our session was finished . It was introductory they said so my dad’s health insurance was not billed. I figured enough time passed .. so I’d say a few things .. we had no mutual interests..
I went out on the porch and curried Timber’s cost. He seemed to like that
And lay on his side. The little mr. Destructo came out and wanted to brush Timber.. I gave him the brush and went back in to finished reading.. I surmised I
I wasn’t ready yet . . I’d do it little by little..

R.I.P.