You Can Get Anything You Want
It was a perfect end to a lovely day. A non-traditional holiday, celebrated in a far away place with sandy beaches and warm sun.
I disconnected the phone from my family, congregating mostly all together in New Jersey, to walk out of the bedroom. And, what to my wondering eyes should I see, but WGBH's broadcast of the 50th Anniversary tour of Arlo Guthrie performing Alice's Restaurant.
"You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant
Excepting Alice
You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant
Walk right in it's around the back
Just a half a mile from the railroad track
You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant"
Ben was baffled, a little bit bored, but mostly amused by this sight. And by sight, I as much mean Arlo performing, as me singing along to every single word. Captivated.
You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant
Walk right in it's around the back
Just a half a mile from the railroad track
You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant"
Ben was baffled, a little bit bored, but mostly amused by this sight. And by sight, I as much mean Arlo performing, as me singing along to every single word. Captivated.
Since my brother gave me the album on a cassette tape back in the 1970s, I have loved Alice's Restaurant. Since I was a child, I remember my father playing the Folk Songs of Woody's Children on the kitchen radio.
Memories come in so many ways. Pictures, scents, sounds. This audible memory takes me back to my childhood every single Thanksgiving. I look forward to it like some people look forward to pie. It makes my heart smile.
And the narrative is as preposterous as it can be, which is why it never ever goes out of style. Every day, there is some real story that is so stupid that you are sure it can't be true. It defies every bit of logic and common sense, and you are positive it's a work of fiction. Pulled from the pages of a novel.
But that's just it. Truth is stranger than fiction. It's funnier than fiction. It's more heartbreaking than fiction. It's life.
To all of you, living life as outrageously as you can, I salute you. Happy Thanksgiving!
