From: crystal@glia.biostr.washington.edu (Crystal)
Subject: Re: Meeting Special People through Buffett's Music
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 01:58:22 GMT

In <1992Dec15.112856.6648@rdg.dec.com> tusia@decum.muh.dec.com (Dick Tusia) writes:

>Recently I have meet a very special person through the music
>of Buffett. I have been thinking a lot lately about Buffett's
>music and how it affects my life. I have come to the conclusion that
>his music has given me a much brighter and happier outlook on 
>life. 

>So I was just wondering how many other people feel that their lives
>have changed for the better because of Jim's music?

>Also how many other people have met real special people through
>Buffett's music?

>So here is a looking at my mysterious "blonde stranger". Hi kid !!

>Signed a Buffett Fan in Germany where I know there are at least 
>two of us :<},

>The Old Man


>"Sooner or later you have to face your fears"

Dick, I could have written this post verbatim!!!

My very special person is likewise a "blonde stranger" and the only blonde
that has ever held a special place in my life (now THAT's weird... ). 
While I didn't meet him *because* of Buffett's music, it is something that
we both share and have fun playing with (even though we live a great 
distance apart).  It is because of him that I became a parrothead - but I'm
getting ahead of myself here... 
 
A few years ago I was introduced to Jimmy's music by my now X-SO.  We would
sing a few of the songs and generally have a little fun parodying the lyrics
.  Then things soured.  He started using the lyrics to hurt me.  (Most noteabley "Smart Woman", a song which to this day I *still* have not heard since he
left me 2.5 years ago.  It is the only song I have programmed out of Hot
Water and dreaded hearing in concert unexpectedly.  Some day I hope to have
the courage to listen to it again...but not yet...)

Yes, sooner or later, you have to face your fears...but not yet...not yet...

Anyway, I started letting him know that I didn't like Buffett's music any more.
I didn't want to hear any of it.  I would leave the room when any of it
was on.  I took an active dislike.  He would sing "stuffing food in our jeans"
while on shopping trips...(which was embarrassing to the extreme if you knew
what he looked like... )  There was simply no way to discourage him from this
behavior.  So, when he left and took the music with him I was relieved...
 
Then I met this blonde stranger, but when he mentioned he was a parrothead, I
remained mum...What could I say? "Gee, I hate J.B."?  No...because at that
time in my life I was reevaluating who *I* was and just what my own likes
and dislikes were.  I honestly didn't *know* where I stood on the J.B. issue,
because I knew I had liked it once, until it became painful to listen to
because of memories. (I've been working out a lot of psychological trauma
in the last year and half - and Buffett has helped ENORMOUSLY!  If I get the
chance to see him at a book signing, I'M GONNA HUG THAT MAN!!! (assuming I
can get away with it! ;>)

Well, a couple of weeks later, I noticed while tidying up my CD's that 
"Off to see the Lizard" was in my collection.  All I could do was stare at
it.  It was left behind because it was not only one of my favorites way
back when, but, it was one that my X didn't care for.  So he left it with me.
That night I summoned a lot of courage to play that disk.  I was scared. I
knew it would hurt, but I had to know: Did I really hate Jimmy Buffett, or
could I dispell that evil cloud of sour memories?  Yes, again, sooner or
later, you have to face your fears...and I had been doiing a LOT of things
that were fear-based, simply because I was afraid of them...
 
I played that disk for 5 solid hours!  I cried a lot the first time through,
because of memories, but forced myself to keep listening, pretending that
there were NO memories associated with it, trying desperately to give the
music as honest an evaluation as I could. I listened closely to the lyrics
and realized that nearly every song had something I could identify with,
something I could call my own, something that made me think about who I 
was and where I was headed in life.  After 5 hours of intense "study" of
both the music and my own subconscious feelings, I knew that I really *did*
love Jimmy's music!!  Within a month I had most of the old collection back
(expensive to do all at once...*sigh*)

And, unknowingly, the next morning, my special friend used the phrase "Off
to see the Lizard" - being totally clueless of what I had done the night 
before.  It was so bizarre that I told him the whole story in great detail
(much more than what you folks are getting...poor fellow... :<).  
 
Anyway, he told me about this group and I requested it for the U.W. just
in time to buy a ticket for his summer tour up here!  It was my first 
concert ever, and I'm glad I went, and I'm even *more* glad to have faced my
fear and become the Parrothead that I was along...

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

So, I guess the answer to your question, Dick, is yes, J.B. has changed my
outlook on life and I'm a much happier person because of it...  :>

(Now, if only I can get up the courage to listen to Smart Woman, but that
one touches just too deep at the moment...maybe when I lose about 70 lbs??)


Crystal
  ;>

(If you think this sounds confusing, you should see it through my eyes!)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% I'm turning off Snoqualmie Falls, the tourists can go home./  *           % 
% Feel it time to travel; time to write a poem...           /  Bring Back * %
% Time to seek some therapy; I'm going walkabout           /*  The Magic!   %
% Answers are the easy part - Questions raise the doubt.  /          *      %
%                                                        / (Don't make life % 
%    -->>> Believe it and it will come true! <<<--      /       so tragic)  %
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

^^^ The song that has had the biggest influence on my life, BTW... :>