STRUCK BY LIGHTNING N LIGHTNIN'
Willys cynical thought for the day;
My mind works like lightning; one brilliant flash and it's gone!
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING N LIGHTNIN'
By WILLY SENKIWSKY 3/29/05 11:30 am
When I was a 'kid' I actually was struck by lightning. I was, probably, fifteen or sixteen years old; I was at 'the river' drinking with my friends. We were soon to run out of liquid refreshments so we all put our money together and being that I knew who to ask, an older guy, I was given the cash and set off, a long the railroad tracks, up to the Village. I remember drinking that day and I think I also swam in the river, what happened next probably sounds like fiction but it happened to me so I can assure you it's not!
I was walking the tracks, alone, when we got hit by a, sudden hard, rain shower, (it's one of the things NY is known for like raining one side of the street and sunshine the other) I wasn't about to go back to return later so I kept walking. No hat or umbrella; hey I have hair for that!
I remember waking up and the stench of burnt hair was even in my throat! I asked for a drink and somebody went to get me some wine! By this time the rain had ended, train passed, and everybody was looking at me like I was a ghost! I had to say, "I'm all right," about a thousand times. I guess the good thing about it was somebody else picked the money off the tracks and went to get the booze. We used to put pennies on the tracks (bubble gum still cost a penny) and have them run over; this day a train ran flattened a quarter, big money in those days, I probably still have it just don't know where. Being that Video-corders weren't out yet; my notoriety at surviving a lightning strike only lasted as long as the people who were there still lived in my Village! Probably a year or so...
I was also struck by Lightnin' Hopkins it wasn't a physical hit but the way he played, made up songs, etc., I actually saw Sam Hopkins Live in NYC, late 70's or early 80's. He had a cane and a young lady helped him to the stage. Once there the place belonged to him, no question about it! He played an hour set, took a break, then played till closing. He made up a song about some girls there, okay it was probably done before but his 'personalization' of it had the whole place giggling! For Christmas I got Lightnin' Hopkins "The Swarthmore Concert" which is Sam at his best, LIVE! When I saw him he was older but he got off joking with the audience like he does on CD as a younger man, it was recorded in 64. This being a college crowd he doesn't get as "bawdy" as he did, in the club, where I saw him, but Lightnin' was always Lightnin'!
On my site there is a "Tribute to Lightnin' Hopkins" page. It has "Black Cadillac Blues" that plays if you set your browser to play songs. This version doesn't have much of his beginning rap, I have the full version just need to update the site. Let's see; I'll do that tomorrow! Okay I have the 'el primo' version of "Black Cadillac Blues," from the 'Nothin' but the Blues' CD there now!
Okay y'all I got new place for my site! The link is here, now I definitely have music, and me singing "That's Just the Way That I Am," an original, there and pics too. Don't just stop at the front page scroll down and check it all out! Keep checking back I just updated it... The last page has "How to Know If you're a New Yorker," by me. A little humor on the serious side! Sign the guestbook too y'all!
http://www.total-knowledge.com/~willyblues/