The Sock Connection

Not to get all theological with you, but it's my belief that our friends and kinfolk up in Heaven can look down here and see what's going on, and check in on us.  

For all I know, that's true.  One thing that is certain about heaven is that no one on earth knows what it's like up there, though.

But I go with my theory because many times here on this mortal coil, I have been helped by angels unseen.  "Don't connect that red wire with the green one!" they importune.  "Don't try to pass that truck on the right during a heavy thunderstorm in the dark!" they entreat.  "That's enough garlic!" they plead.  

Mr Keillor

My father has been a resident of Heaven since 1997 and he just recently had my mom move up there with him.  He's been busy these 17 years, advising me on many topics.  And every Saturday night, we commune for two hours with the radio show "A Prairie Home Companion," whose host is Garrison Keillor.  Keillor is a fascinating polymath, a man who knows a lot about most every important thing and can do most every worthwhile task, e.g. writing prose and poetry, radio and commercial announcing (listen here as he makes seven words for Honda sound like a book's worth), singing, and acting.  I don't know if he can dance...

Dad liked him from the start, which was 40 years ago this past weekend.  "APHC" began on the Fourth of July, 1974, at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, before an audience that numbered in the dozen (after a few walkouts.)  The show is based on Mr Keillor's devotion to another Saturday night radio staple, the Grand Ole Opry out of Nashville, which also presents country singers, comedians and live commercials for Martha White Biscuits and Goo-Goo Clusters.  In the case of the Opry, the commercials are for real products; Mr Keillor's "sponsors" are made up entities such as Powdermilk Biscuits and Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery.

You can get to know him a little better by watching this recent interview/book plugging appearance with Craig Ferguson, and also catch this edition of his weekly "News From Lake Wobegon" on the radio show. 

My left foot

Notice that at all times, Mr Keillor is wearing red socks.  (As did Studs Terkel, as does former British Ambassador to the US Sir Christopher Meyer, as did Truman Capote. Yes, as do 25 ballplayers in Boston, but I pretend they don't matter.) And that's why I like to wear red socks, so that Dad and I can keep making that connection.   I figure he looks down and sees things are still all right.