Sunday, May 29, 2011

Kindness and Keith

I know you're all so damn tired of hearing about Keith Richards.
Well. Too fucking bad. It's my blog. I write it for me. Come along if you want, click away if you don't.
Sorry. Didn't mean to be offensive there.

You know I've been listening to the audio version of Life for the past week and it's been so glorious. The first few chapters are read by Johnny Depp and I don't think I need to say anymore about that beyond the fact that not only is he Johnny Depp, but he's a good friend of Keith's and as such, has a fair inkling of what the man is saying in the pages. Lovely.

Then there's an actor/musician who reads named Joe Hurley. Joe has a terrific voice and he does justice to the words as well. And then suddenly, near the end of the book, Johnny comes back again. What? Okay. Love it.

And then after a few chapters, Johnny says, "And now for the maestro himself, Keith Richards," and there's Keith The Real, his cigarette and whiskey gummed voice ringing clear and he chuckles as he reads and you can hear the pages whisper as he turns them and sometimes he sounds a bit slurry but in a very sharp way if you know what I mean, and it's pure joy. Pure joy.

I've said it before and I'll say it again- I've never read an autobiography in my life with such good stories, written with such humbleness, such respect and honesty. He gives credit to everyone he's ever learned a lick from, everyone who ever influenced him at all from the greats to the unheard of. Yeah, he kicks Mick's ass, says he has a "tiny dodger," calls him "Brenda" but as he says, "He's my brother and if you say something bad about him, I'll slit your throat."
And he makes it quite clear that the greatest joy of his life has been writing and playing with that very man, that Brenda.

I'm almost through with the last CD. I swear to you- I'm about to cry. Now what? Will I go back and read the damn book again with my eyes?
Oh god. No. Of course not. That would be...obsessive.
Not now, anyway. In a year or two, maybe. Or maybe the whole Keith thing will fade for me. I don't know. I don't really think so and I'll tell you why- I think he's a fascinating human being. He's not only pushed the envelope, he's kicked it wide open and he's mailed himself naked across this world of ours and I see him soaring through space with whatever guitar of his is the favorite of the moment. I see him hit that first chord of Start Me Up, I hear that murky chuckle, I think of him with his kids and grandkids and dogs and wife around him, standing in the kitchen at 3 a.m., making himself some bangers and mash because he's hungry and that's what he loves to eat.

Keith.

I'll tell you something else: I think if he's your friend, whether you're Mick Jagger or Charlie Watts or Marianne Faithful or some guy he's met in a bar in Jamaica, he's your friend forever.

"I respond to kindness," he says.
Ah.
It shows.

So. Whatever. Keith, Keith, Keith.

Almost done. For now.

It's a beautiful hot day here in Lloyd. I survived town. I'm making potato salad. I've swept the house and put the clothes on the line and am watering blueberries and I'm listening to old Keith, and friends will be coming over and there's a watermelon on ice. I'll mix up the baked beans with brown sugar and onions and molasses and a little bit of ketchup and I'll bake them for awhile and man, that's good food. I've been a hermit for a few days now and it's been grand, just me and Keith but it's time to reach back out to humans who can converse with me, hug me, be hugged by me. The people I know who respond to kindness. As do most of us.

I hope you're having a good day. I hope that at the core of whatever it is you're doing, there is kindness. I mean honestly- isn't that just it? We should be kind to one another. It's so very little to ask and yet, kindness covers so much ground that it makes this life so much easier for all of us. So much better and richer and more comfortable.

I'm sure Keith would agree.

Amen and bless us all from the Church of the Batshit Crazy.

Love...Ms. Moon

24 comments:

  1. I'm fairly sure that's 'tiny todger' :)

    Glad you're having baked beans and fun!

    WV: blescomm!

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  2. Amen, amen, Mary, darling. Kindness is the #1 Virtue.

    And like you and your Keith, I just played 2 old Mark Harmon movies for myself for my birthday......as the young folks say.....whatever turns you on. Yeh, Baby!

    Love, Lo

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  3. Kindness-so important. (Off subject, but the beans sound delicious.)

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  4. OMG-I'm going out RIGHT NOW to find the audio!!! Johnny Depp! dreamboat from heaven? OMG. You totally made my Sunday.

    I decided between 'Just Kids' and Keith's book and went for Patti. Also great and wonderful.

    XXX Beth

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  5. You know, I couldn't get through the whole book, so I really enjoy and appreciate everything you write about him. Keep going!

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  6. Jo- Nope. I swear. Tiny dodger. Well, I could be wrong. I'll check the book when I get it back.

    Lo- Happy birthday, dear one! Happy, happy birthday!
    Be kind to yourself.

    Nicol- They are cooking now.

    Beth- I read Just Kids too. It could not hold a candle to Life. I'm serious. GET THE AUDIO!

    Elizabeth- I know. It's okay. One man's treasure....
    And yes, he did snort a tiny bit of his dad's ashes. "Father to son."
    And the rest are spread around a tree he planted for his dad.

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  7. I'm with you on the Keith love. And as far as that todger comment: he writes that Anita "had no fun with *the* tiny todger" not "*his* tiny todger"--a fine point, but one that changes the focus from Mick's parts to Mick himself. A lot of online news quoted that one wrongly. And clearly I have given it a lot of thought...

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  9. First off I like the new header and the lovely shade of blue...

    Isn't it a real treat when you are absorbed into a good book whether by turning pages or audio?

    Watermelon on ice...mmmm It is so cool here (crazy!) that I only wish it was hot. I don't know what is going on with Mother Nature and her thermostat because we should be at least in the 80's! Summer for you and a long Spring for us.

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  10. x-ray iris- It was a tiny todger. I got that wrong. And he did mean Mick's dick. I mean, the quote goes like this:
    He added: 'I know he's got an enormous pair of balls - but it doesn't quite fill the gap.'

    Ellen- I am already exhausted from the heat. I swear. Lord.

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  11. You kill me, Moon. Just came home from watching the latest "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. Depp and Keith. (Yes, Keith is in the new one. Briefly.)

    Just made potato salad and starting crock pot baked beans in the morning.

    Then I read this blog. And I laughed. Parallel Lives, in their own weird way.

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  12. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBH9L6l2kg0&feature=related

    You may have already seen this Andrew Marr interview with Keith Richards, but just in case, here it is.

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  13. Omgrrril- Ha! Always, huh?

    Andrew- Oh! What a treasure trove! Thank-you!

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  14. Mick is overblown....in many ways.

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  15. Ah... Well, now you've really made me want to read the book!
    I respond to kindness too. There's too much meanness in the world.

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  16. Syd- Well, I respect him as well as Keith. He's worked hard and he has a voice and he can sure move that ass. Even now.

    Angie- I don't know if you'd like it. I think that for me, it's all about the fact that this man has survived what most of us never could- and that's without the drug addiction. I never really cared much at all about him until he got older. Now I adore him. I say go watch that link that Andrew gave- if it interests you, read the book!

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  17. Oh I know what he meant--I just think that the use of a definite article rather than a pronoun is slight, but telling (and very funny), in the ability to equivocate shades of interpretation. What can I say, I've clocked a lot of editing hours. [slopes off to the bar to morosely feel misunderstood by any but the worst grammar nerds]

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  18. X-Ray Iris- Oh. That makes me tremble a bit because I KNOW I need an editor! Here I am, sloping off to the bar morosely, knowing all of my mistakes.

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  19. Here's the thing about an overpriced publishing degree--it makes me wish I'd just sat under a tree writing. Oh, editing. I'm real conflicted about it these days. I'll bet if anything you'd need little beyond proofreading... Me? Oh how scared I have become. All tight-lipped and pursey-mouthed. How I admire KR for sayin' what he feels, devil take the hindmost. And you--blogging four years. Offering it! Impressed & a wee bit jealous--I'm so close and yet so far. Prolly also having a blood sugar drop hence the ramblin'. Sorry to drag out the comments on this thing so far. [slopes off to try to rustle up a pb & j]

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  20. What is it with baked damn beans and potato salad on Memorial Day? We had that, too.

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  21. Ms. Mary Moon, I am now reading Keef's book (finally!) and loving every single word. I think you would also really like Rodney Crowell's new memoir "Chinaberry Sidewalks." It's no Rolling Stones odyssey, but there's a lot of Texas hell-raisin' in it and there's also poetry and compassion and music and the deep beauty of life in general. It made me cry - in a good way.

    Love you, lady!

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  22. You mention Keith as much as you like. One day when I meet you I will tell you my Keith stories.

    The food sounds wonderful and I agree, kindness costs nothing xx

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  23. Ms. Bastard-Beloved- It's American Cuisine, baby! Yum, fucking YUM!

    Kati- Okay. I'll buy it. If you recommend it, I know I'll love it. When you finish the Keith book and want more, get with me. I'll lend you the discs. Love you, too.

    Christina- I want your Keith stories NOW! I had a strong feeling you might have some. Love you, baby.

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