SharivilleLife stories from Shari

It seems like only yesterday I was counting down the days until Elvis Presley was to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show, and now it’s 54  yrs later and I remember it as if it were yesterday, and I know  lots of my friends and family are thinking the same thing.  Elvis Presley, the “King of Rock and Roll”, would have been 75 today.  I personally cannot visualize him as 75, and maybe it was fate that spared us all that vision, including Elvis himself.  I really cannot imagine a 75 yr old Elvis.  Still it would have been better than the way it really did end.    But I still miss him.  I miss all these yrs of lost entertainment and memories we won’t have.  I miss never having been able to go see him in person again.  I think of the song “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” and yes, I am lonesome tonight, lonesome for one of those wonderful love songs he was so good at. I realize I can put on a CD, or tune into Channel 6013 Satellite music on dish Network, but it’s not the same , is it? Elvis was such a very real and important part of my growing up years. I feel so blessed to have ever had him in my life and memories. He contributed so much to my teenage and early 20′s yrs.

 With each of his many songs I can remember back to what was going on in my life at the time. I remember where I was and what that particular boyfriends name was.  One memorabilia occasion was while I was living in Charleston, South Carolina. The movie was “Jail House Rock”, and his name was Michael Herndon.  Wonder where he is now?  I also remember the exact place I was and what I was doing when the news came across the TV that “The King Of Rock And Roll was dead!!! ”  I was, I’m sure, along with many many other people in sheer shock and denial.  I think back to 1971 when I was fortunate enough to see Elvis in person. That was one of the two things my X husband, Bob did for me.  He took me to the Saraha Tahoe Casino in Lake Tahoe to see him in person and got me a front row table.  I not only got a kiss smack on the lips, but I got my arms all the way around Elvis’ neck.  When I did I could feel him tighten up, I think he thought I would try to pull him off stage.  I never would have.  During the show Elvis introduced  us to one of his friends, and there sitting a couple of tables away was Clint Eastwood, looking really good,  in fact he still does look better than ever. Elvis  did his wonderful gyrations on stage and caused some of us to nearly faint.  He sang ” I Just Want To Be Your Teddy Bear,” while tossing teddy bears out into the audience.  He sang his famous ”Trilogy”, “Poke Salad Annie ”, ”In The Ghetto”, and so many many of his gold record songs.  He tossed scarves out into the audience, accepted flowers from girls close to the stage, and just put on a show that was unbelievable and sustainable for my lifetime, because I was never to see him in person again.

My cousin Bobbie and I were both about 12 or 13 when he came on the scene.  Since we were both the same age we had Elvis in common.  Although I’m sure I was far more crazy about Elvis than anyone else in the world.  Bobbie and went to the Senator Theater in Chico when we were 14 to see Elvis’ first ever movie,” Love Me Tender,” and it was so wonderful. I remember the first scene we saw Elvis in was where he was way out in the field plowing with the mules, the whole theater went wild, at least that’s the way I remember it.  Subsequently through the yrs I have seen all 33 of his movies, have seen all his specials and concerts on TV.  My best friend Kathy Augustine and I have shared memories of Elvis all thru the yrs, she also got a kiss from Elvis when she saw him in Las Vegas.  We have spent the last 40 some yrs getting each other Elvis memorabilia and CDs. We have delighted in seeing who could get who the best of the best Elvis stuff.

Several yrs ago Jerry and I went to visit Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley.  It was one of the best places I have ever been.  There is so much there to see about MY IDOL.  There is a huge room there with all of Elvis’ gold and platinum records on display. For an Elvis fan it’s the most wonderful place to ever go.  It’s also where he is buried, in the “Memorial Garden.”  I remember how I felt looking at his grave, kind of the way I feel tonight.  I feel and felt  a great loss.  A loss that for one reason or another Elvis Presley never got to live out a full life, never got to expand his God given talent.  Maybe that was God’s plan and we were never to know a 75 yr old Elvis. But thinking about it today, I am lonesome and I do feel a great loss, after all these yrs.  But I do remember, just like it was yesterday.

By the way the second best thing, and most important one, my X husband did for me , was to give me my precious daughter, Angie.