Ahhh to Ewww

Nostalgia. Who doesn't like a bit of nostalgia in their day? This question is what moved me to watch the PBS special airing the "Elvis Live: The 25th Anniversery Concert Event". If you haven't seen this concert it really is quite amazing. His old band, back up singers and musical director has put together a real live concert where they have taken footage of Elvis in concert, in which they were all involved, and put Elvis on a huge screen doing the singing. Then through technology they removed the old audio recording of the musicians and back up singing off the track and instead they are all there live, on stage, playing the music and singing. So it's a "live" concert with the king of rock and roll himself singing his songs. Well everybody but Elvis himself is "live". Is this mega-confusing to explain or what? Do you all get it?


Anyway, the whole thing sent me tripping down memory lane. I grew up on Elvis. My Mom and Dad took us girls to a few of his movies. When I was about 8 (I think) I recieved this album for having a good report card. My Mom chose this particular album because it had the song "Teddy Bear" on it. She loved that song. And I think she thought it cute for an 8 year old. I loved this album! What 8 year old couldn't have fun in her bedroom rocking out to "Jailhouse Rock" or "Hound Dog" or singing into her hairbrush to "Love Me Tender", "Don't Be Cruel", or "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" with all the emotion that age group could muster about something she didn't have a clue about?

Yes, this album started me on the road to the "Elvis" love of my childhood. That is until "Donny" love of preteenhood entered the picture at around age 11. Then all bets were off, but that is a whole other post and has nothing to do with the point of this rambling disclosure.


Anyway, when I was in grade 7 I had a best friend whose family were Elvis fanatics. True blue Elvis fans. Put my "cheating" heart for Elvis to shame. I remember watching his televised concert at their house (the one where he wears the funky white jumpsuit) and my friend and her mom swooning and sighing while the dad was all techy recording it on those big reel to reel things they had back then. Who better to take me to the theatre to watch an Elvis concert on the big screen complete with crooked smile, heartfelt singing, tears and choreography huge and in your face?

If you're still with me, now here is the real reason for this post. Fast forward back to real time. As I was in the midst of the nostalgic moment, I noticed on my TV screen that Elvis in concert was bending down toward all the upraised hands reaching out to him. The "it" happened. The thing that made me sit up and go "Ewww, gross! I don't have that in my nostalgic memories." "It" being he took one them big old silk scarf things he was fond of wearing and wiped the sweat off his forehead and chest, yes his chest people, and gave it to one of the quivering hands reaching out to him. Squeels of delight and jumping up and down followed. On the part of the girls, or should I say women, not Elvis. I was stunned. Horrified. Grossed out. If that were me there, and I was the one he handed that to, I would have drawn my hand back in horror and let the scarf flutter unceremoniously down to the floor as I stared at it. Not even thinking for one moment one day in the future it probably would be worth a passel of money on EBay. Ewww.




Now here's what I'm wondering: Who of you would want a sweaty ole scarf as a souvenir? C'mon fess up. Does that gross anyone out but me? And really, if you own one of these "treasures" I want to know who you are. So I can ask you why? Please explain it to me. Because apparently, compared to those women, I have "sweaty stuff" issues.