UFO

  There was a coffeehouse in Columbia back in the late 60's called "The UFO".  It was mainly for those folks who opposed the war in Vietnam and were working for peace.  It closed in 1970 due to some backlash from the conservative community.  I never got to go to it, because I was still in high school, but I would have liked to have experienced it.  This story is not about that place.

 Many people who have seen UFOs have been called "crazy" by those who don't believe.  I suppose some can be explained, but many cannot.  I have seen three such incidents.

 The first was in 1964.  I looked up during the day and saw a silver object floating across the sky.  It was at a great altitude.  Higher than the usual plane would be.  I told my mother what I had seen, and she suggested that I write someone at the University of South Carolina to ask them about it.  I was only 10 at the time.  I got a letter back from a retired rear admiral in the Navy who told me that it was a weather balloon.  Anytime they couldn't explain something, they usually said it was a weather balloon.  Maybe it was, but I know what I saw.

 The second time was driving back to college on I-26 near Greenville.  It was at night.  I saw a very fast light streak across the sky just above the horizon.  All of a sudden, the light stopped on a dime and turned around to fly the other way.  It then raced out into the distance.  I never saw it again.  A plane could not have done that maneuver, and neither could a weather balloon.  There was no explanation for what I saw.

 The third time was even more bizarre.  I was driving home from seeing a Crosby, Stills and Nash concert in 1997.  I had just turned onto Two Notch Road, when a bright light illuminated the darkness.  I looked up and saw a triangle of red, yellow and blue lights hovering over my car.  As I proceeded down the street, the triangle followed me for a few blocks and then disappeared.  It couldn't have been more than 50 feet above my car.  If you have ever played the game Simon, the lights looked kind of like that.  Now, I have to say that there was a cloud of marijuana smoke in the air inside the concert venue, and you might say that I could have been under the influence of that smoke, when I saw this object, but having had experience with marijuana in the past, I don't think I was high.  I wasn't drunk either.  

 These events happened before there were drones.  They were UFOs.  Except for the possible weather balloon, they didn't appear to be manufactured by humans.  I believe that we are not alone in the universe.  The vastness of space could support other life forms.  In the immortal words of Sheldon Cooper:  "I'm not crazy.  My mother had me tested".  No truer words describe me.

Marcel

  I always wanted to be a Theatre teacher, but it wasn't in the cards.  I learned a lot from my several drama teachers.  Each had their own style, but they all had one thing in common:  their love for the stage.  Actors are a special breed, especially good ones.  I would like to say that I was one of the good ones.  If that sounds egotistical, then you are probably right.  People have told me all along that I was a good actor.  Sometimes, they said I was great.  There is a saying in the Theatre that you are only as good as your last part.  That is so true.  You might be great, but there is always someone wanting to kick you off of that pedestal.  I have my memories.

 One person who was truly great was Marcel Marceau.  He was the best actor as a mime.  Bip the Clown was his main character.  He could create a scene by just using his body and no words.  He was a genius in that field.  I went to see him perform at The Township in Columbia back in the 1980s.  The auditorium wasn't full, but he played to those of us there.  It was a magical night.  His use of classical music in his mime was so beautiful.  

 Mime is taught in most acting classes, and it is extremely hard to perfect.  To create a square box or pulling a rope with just using your imagination is very difficult.  To control the muscles in your arms and legs is a challenge.  Marceau made it look easy.  It was like watching a master artist at work.  It was a joy to behold.  

Clower

  Our church's Singles group went on a mission's trip to Smyrna, TN in 1982.  Smyrna was just outside Nashville.  We had a free afternoon and evening, so we went into Nashville to look around.  One of the places we went to was Opryland.  I wasn't a huge fan of Country Music, and it played all through the park, but I started tapping my feet to some of it.  

 We went into the Grand Ole Opry auditorium there and saw two acts.  The first was Tom T. Hall.  He sang a few songs.  I wasn't familiar with them, but he was a star.  The second was Jerry Clower.  I had heard of him as a comedian, but I didn't know he was THAT funny!!

 He came on stage and told a couple of funny stories.  One was about a guy who had gotten up into a tree with a wild animal.  I just couldn't stop laughing.  Then, he told a story about a guy on a bicycle who wore suspenders that got stuck on the outside mirror of a car.  I was literally rolling on the floor laughing.  My sides were hurting.  Some comedians make you laugh by something they say.  Clower was so descriptive in his stories, that you could visualize what he was talking about.  He had the audience in the palm of his hand.  

 After the show, we went on the rides and let our hair hang down.  A little strange for a church group or not.  It was a great day!  

George

  My parents and I took a trip to Anniston, Alabama for a wedding, after I graduated high school.  I found a store selling records, and I bought a George Carlin comedy record called "Take-Offs and Put-Ons".  It was very funny.  I had seen him on TV and really liked his humor.  My mother liked the record, too.  Although, I can't say the same for my father.  His sense of humor wasn't as off the wall as my mother and me.  During my days in college and on, I bought every Carlin album.  Yes, some of the language was pretty dirty, but most of it was still funny.

 When I moved to Ft. Worth, there were a lot of acts and theatre that came to that city.  One of them was George Carlin.  I was very excited, because I always wanted to see him in person.  I bought a ticket close to the stage.  He opened his act with some classic bits from his albums.  About 35 minutes into his performance, he excused himself and went offstage.  A few minutes later, a man came out and made an announcement that George couldn't continue.  Some said it was heart-related, while others thought it was drug-related.  I was bummed out, and they wouldn't give our money back.  I don't know the real reason he stopped performing, but it probably was a combination of both heart and drugs.  He was doing a lot of cocaine back then.

 About 30 years later, it was announced that he would be doing a show in Columbia.  By then, he had done several HBO specials along with more records.  It was 2007 at the Township Auditorium.  He had aged a lot, but he was clean of any drugs or alcohol.  Some of his act was very funny, but some was not.  He was having problems standing, so he had a stool for most of the show.  He died about nine months after that show of a heart attack.  He had really bad heart problems.  I have seen a lot of comedians perform.  George was the best.  He had a lot of demons throughout his life, as many of us do.  He overcame them, even though they took a toll on his body.  He was a survivor.

Carpenters

  I had just graduated from college and was trying to save some money to get a car to go to Ft. Worth, but an act was coming to Columbia that I couldn't pass up.  The Carpenters.  I had been a fan ever since "Close to You" affected my life in 1970.  Their music spoke to me, as I was secretly in love with a girl a few years younger than me.  I couldn't tell her how I felt, so the music did it for me.  I also loved Karen Carpenter's voice.  

 My friend Jimmy's brother-in-law invited us to go.  Our seats were on the floor about six rows back from the stage.  It was a magical night.  Karen sang and played the drums.  Richard played the piano.  One bonus was their other drummer.  He was Cubby O'Brien who was on the original Mickey Mouse Club TV show.  They even had some local schoolchildren come on stage for the song "Sing".  We sang all of their songs from the audience with them.  

 Another friend named Sonny was able to get one of Karen's drumsticks and the cup she drank from after the show.  He sealed them in a plastic bag.  I wonder if he still has them.  They would be worth a lot of money now.  

 It is hard to believe that Karen died less than 10 years after that show.  She was a natural talent.  It is too bad that she felt she was never good enough.  Perfectionism will do that to you.  I know from experience.  People will tell you how great you are, but you know the truth.  At least, you think you do.  Creativity can be a positive force, or it can kill you.  That was Karen Carpenter.