An old man got my bus. I saw he was stooped and grey, and walked with a shuffle in his step. His hand shook a little as he grasped the railings on the backs of the seats
He saw someone he knew sitting near me, and he called greetings to him as he eased himself down across from me. They talked about not having much to do.
But the old man had something interesting to tell his friend. “Didja hear it on the radio?” he asked in a bright happy voice. His friend said he didn’t listen to the radio lately. The old man was glad to share the news:
“Gene Simmons is releasing some new KISS recordings!! He’s got, like, thousands of them stashed in his vault!!”
KISS was the first band I saw live; I was 12 back in 1975 and saw them just after* Rock and Roll all Night* became a bit hit. Not sure how I got permission to go to the show. My strongest memory is that it was very loud.
I’m turning 55 this year, not quite the stooped or grey but I have my old man moments. On the other hand, I’m not interested in KISS music these days.
I’ve posted this before: the classic rock station I listen to, which plays bands like KISS, runs ads for reverse mortgages, which are available to homeowners 62 or older.
Many years ago my cousin and I paid a compulsory visit to our grandpa in the nursing home and they had some kind of horrible piped in music (I think it might have been “Listen to the Mockingbird” at the moment we left). My cousin said, “When it’s our turn they’ll be piping in Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin.” A thought that amused us both.
Wait. I don’t have one. One of my best life choices–I looked at the one I built from a kit and said, “I’d never fire a gun I built.” I may be self-destructive, sometimes suicidal, but I have my standards.
For something to make y’all feel better, here’s A Millennial Looks at 'Don’t Fear the Reaper, I had a laugh at him trying to figure out BOC lyrics, but didn’t have the heart to scream, “IT’S ABOUT A SUICIDE PACTS, YOU MORONS!” They like to think they are fucked up, but they’ve never talked to a Boomer.
