Usually my timing is pretty good on happenings in my life,
but it seemed that streak was over.
My second night in
There was going to be a musician at Ground Zero Blues Club,
so I figured I would get some dinner and then head over there.
The restaurant Madidi is an upscale eatery partly owned by
actor, Morgan Freeman.
Freeman is one of the few actors I truly admire and he was in
one of my favorite movies, The Shawshank Redemption.
There is a line in that movie that has become my mantra. “Get
busy living, or get busy dying.” It is a sentence that resonates with
me. I
catch myself saying it frequently.
So I figured I would patronize the restaurant as a small
thank you for his work that has not only entertained me, but change my
life.
I had no clue he was in town and when I heard his voice a few
tables over, I couldn’t believe it. I had my camera with me and asked
the
waitress if he would come over to my table.
He graciously did. I was stunned, but tried to play it as
cool as possible. He really is a nice man and was interested in my
trip. We
talked for a few minutes and took a picture and I let him get back to
his
dinner, thanking him profusely for his time.
After dinner I went to the Ground Zero, the blues club he
owns with business partner, Bill Luckett. There was a lone man with a
guitar
playing and I sat outside with some local kids talking.
We discussed the renovation of the area and how people are
coming to visit. The two men, who were in their early to mid 20s,
talked about
how the town is getting more activity, but they both still wanted to
leave.
I had one more stop to make before turning in and I hopped on
the bike and shot down
Red’s is an original juke joint, where as Ground Zero is a
club. A juke joint is usually a small, dingy box of a room with home
made
decorations, bottled beer and great music.
The
only one in the place tonight was Red himself, a middle-aged black man
with a
quick smile. He was watching baseball and only the light from the
television
and a small lamp behind the bar illuminated his place.
Red's Juke Joint.
We sat and talked about music and all the acts he has had in
his place.
“I’ve been doing this too damn long to remember,” Red said.
I was bummed I wasn’t going to be around Saturday because he
was having a little jam at his place with three bands and it sounded
fantastic.
But with all the people I met and the fun I had, I know that
I’ll be back soon.