Doing the Pigeon

I spent part of my afternoon knowing I had to get into the studio, but so exhausted from the weekend that I needed extra motivation. While I was cooking dinner (oven fried chicken was really cooking itself) and trying to decide what I wanted to listen to, I started to sample a wide range of the stuff on my ipod, but that was boring, so I moved to the CD's in our VAST collection that I never listen to, then came you-tube. I spent an hour alone going from Rebirth Brass Band and Kermit Ruffins to Eric Clapton and Dr John, then came Bowie. I melt at the sound of his version of America, and Heroes. Then there were the suggestions and my list grew and grew until I finally said put the bloody thing on Shuffle and cue up the Pigeon and that got me thinking of the saga of Mikey and Old Ben.

When Mikey was two, his first real inseparable friend was this kid Ben. They met at CCD (Dianne and I were both teaching and Mikey and Ben were being watched by a volunteer mom) They hit it off big time. They got into so much mischief together too. Dianne started to watch my kids while I taught art after school in Bedford. Mikey and Ben decided to test her resolve by doing things like floating plastic boats in the toilet. Dianne had such an incredibly patient sense of humor. To this day we laugh. Somewhere along the way, Anna and Justin started to hang around this girl in Justin's class called Katie. She had a younger brother Ben who was Mikey's age. Mikey couldn't fathom two Bens so to differentiate for his own sanity, the new kid was dubbed New Ben and his first buddy was now called Old Ben. That was until OB moved to a farm in Brewster, then he was known as COW Ben. Mikey and Old Ben were like Burt and Ernie, Oscar and Felix, Fred and Barnie, etc...but as 2 yr olds do, they would replay that dance scene from Sesame Street and then dance around DOING the PIGEON. This would repeat over and over again. They never got tired of it. I probably just embarrassed the hell out of my son Mikey, but every time I see that video I laugh. It makes me really happy and not want to give up.

Mikey and Ben eventually parted ways. We often wonder what he is up to. They are so different Mikey tells me. I get the feeling they really are no different than when they were two, and in another life, Mikey and Ben will hook up and go hiking. Ben will be super prepared and Mikey, well, he will still be flying by the seat of his threadbare pants adding the spit and vinegar required for an epic journey. (Here's to Burt and Ernie!)

After 3 hours in my studio I managed to get a lot done, considering my eyelids were heavy with sleep. I am finally off to climb into bed and find that elusive thing called sleep!