Hello, all,
Didn't know of the existence of the Joni Fest until about a week ago, when I
joined this list. Already feel I'm getting to know some of you, and I wish I
could be there. Maybe next year...
Yesterday was my partner, Robert's, birthday, so the week has been busy. But
also Labor Day is coming up, a day which has special meaning for me. In
early March, 1982, I was very sick; I was stammeringly told by my health
care provider that my specific symptoms seemed to imply that I had what was
beginning to be called the "gay plague" or GRID, among other things. I asked
him what the prognosis was; he hesitated and hedged, but finally said that
if the disease progressed as it usually seemed to be doing at that time, I
had maybe six months. I walked home in a daze. Once there, I flipped
through a calendar, and six months from that day happened to be Labor Day,
1982. (I no longer remember the exact date -- the 3rd, the 4th? -- maybe one
of you with an appropriate computer program, or a lot of calendars can tell
me, not that it matter much anymore). Needless to say, I wasn't dead by that
Labor Day, although I was still pretty sick. Nineteen more Labor Days later,
and I'm still here. I've been pretty sick some of the time, near death once,
and not that bad a lot of the time, including now. The link to Joni is, of
course, soothing and healing. There are others who calm, soothe and cheer me
up -- Cocteau twins, Everything But The Girl, k.d. lang, certain songs by
many other artists -- but Joni... well you guys know. For soothing/healing,
I especially like most of DJRD and NRH, but any and all or her albums give me
strength.
To all of you -- have a wonderful, fun, laughing, soothing JoniFest -- and
many Labor Days to come!
Siquomb,
"Big" Walt Breen in S.F.
