1) This week's song was featured in the movie Smokey and the Bandit, the surprise box office hit of 1977. Have you seen it? Smokey and the Bandit is a favorite around here. I've seen it many times.
2) Though not well received by critics, Smokey and the Bandit had one very famous fan: Alfred Hitchcock. The classic film director enjoyed re-watching the movie on video at home, often while having dinner. Do you ever watch TV with your meal? More often than not, I'm on my own at dinner time (Tim gets home later) so I almost always watch TV or read while I eat.
3) Jerry Reed not only wrote and performed the movie's theme, he appeared in the movie as truck driver Cledus "Snowman" Snow. Have you ever driven, or ridden in, a big rig? No, but I think it would be fun.
4) He sings, "We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there." Have you recently felt rushed? Not really. Since I've been off work recovering from surgery time hasn't meant a whole lot to me. That ends next Friday when I return to work.
5) Director Hal Needham asked Jerry Reed for a song that explained the plot of the movie. He wrote this overnight and always considered it a happy accident. Can you think of a time when something turned out better than you expected? I am drawing a blank at the moment.
6) Reed was born in Atlanta and, coincidentally, he mentions Atlanta in the lyrics. Has your hometown been immortalized in song? I don't know about immortalized, but a local guy has this song about our claim to fame as the birthplace of the banana split on YouTube.
7) Jerry met Priscilla Mitchell at Capitol Records, where Jerry was a session musician and Priscilla was backup singer. Though she was only 18 when they wed, it seems their union was a happy one and they were together until his death almost 50 years later. If a newly engaged 18-year-old asked you for advice, what would you say? Wait a while.
8) In 1977, when "Eastbound and Down" was on the radio, nostalgia for the 1950s topped the TV ratings. The two most popular shows that year were Laverne & Shirley and Happy Days. If you magically transported back to the 1950s, what do you think you'd like about it? What do you think you'd miss about your life in 2026? I'd like the fact that most families would still be intact and enjoy doing things together, extended family would likely still live nearby, and people could have differences of opinion and not hate each other. What would I miss from 2026? Maybe the modern technology. Maybe.
9) Random question: Were you ever afraid of monsters in your closet or under your bed? Not as long as my hands or feet didn't hang over the edge of the bed and I had covers over me. As a leftover of those days I still have to have at least a sheet over me to sleep no matter how hot it may be.
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Yes, the 50's seemed to be the real "Happy Days" for family life in America. I was blessed to be born in 1950 and grow up in that era. I know things weren't perfect. Here in the south segregation was still a major issue until the mid 1960's, but even then there was a lot of "issues" over integration into our schools, etc., so it took a while for people to accept it. I don't think northern states had so many issues with that as there were in the south. It truly affected a lot of "how things were". Not so much for us as children...we were very accepting and didn't understand it all. But the true southern adults made it difficult. So I am glad that part of history is over. I would miss some of the modern technology...especially having a computer as opposed to a manual typewriter or even an electric one that you couldn't just delete and cut and paste, etc. And cell phones are certainly handy, but somehow we got along just fine without them back then. Nowadays I can't even go to the bathroom without taking my cell phone with me. LOL. And I definitely wouldn't want to go back to no air conditioning. We didn't have AC until I was a teenager, and even then it was just one wall unit in the living room that really didn't cool the whole house...in Florida. We didn't have AC in our cars or schools or churches or anywhere!!! Not sure how we survived, but we did and we are stronger for it.
ReplyDeleteHey, I am glad you are getting better and ready to go back to work after next week. God has been very kind to you!!! I'd say that turned out better than you expected, right? Have a blessed and wonderful weekend.
Your six weeks off to recover has gone by so fast! Maybe not for you, but it doesn't seem like it's been that long already! I'm just glad for how well you are doing, Stacy! I guess I need to look up the Smokey & the Bandit movie. Everyone has mentioned how fun it is. Wishing you a restful weekend!! xo
ReplyDeleteThe time seems like it has flown to me, as well. I didn't do half of what I thought I would. I can't believe you never saw Smokey and the Bandit! We rarely miss it when it's on. We also like Convoy, though it isn't really a comedy. Have you ever seen Canonball Run? That's another Burt Reynolds' movie with a big cast of well known actors and it's funny.
DeleteHow Stacy, I can’t believe you have to go back to work already. Time goes by way to fast. I leave to Israel on Monday. I hope my time there doesn’t fly by too quickly.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are doing better. Take care of that belly button. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy when one of the Sat. 9 song choices is somebody's favorite. I try to mix up decades and genres and just keep my fingers crossed. I wouldn't be so sure that things were all that peaceful in the 1950s. I suspect many times adults didn't disagree with one another (out loud) because they were afraid. Between McCarthyism and segregation, it could be an intimidating time for many Americans. PS I remember my first week back after surgery. Make sure when you get home you can NAP. And here's a tip from my favorite yoga instructor – when you take a break during the day, elevate your feet. Try to raise them as high as your knees. (Putting them on a chair would be good.) After you've been taking it easy for a while, being on your feet for any extended period can leave your legs feeling heavy, as though all your blood has pooled in your ankles!
ReplyDeleteInteresting song …
ReplyDeleteGlad your recuperation has gone well.
ReplyDeleteI hope you can take a bit of the pressent rest with you into work...
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!