I dedicate this fictional
story to Bob Dylan, as I’ve recently been blessed to discover
his poetic songwriting and his music!! What took me so
long?!
Blogging Friends…. I want to
change my Blogging name, my secret identity, my Online alias {call it whatever
you will} from ‘Raelyn’ to ‘Mary Lou’!! Which, I have given a LOT of thought….
Because, to quote Bruce Springsteen…. I’m a thinkin’ fool!! I have been
considering changing my alias since last November!! Here is what happened…. I
thought about it…. I quickly told myself ‘No, I’ve been Raelyn for six years
{at the time}’…. I forgot about it…. Only to recently consider changing my
alias from ‘Raelyn’ to ‘Mary Lou’ again several months later!! Oh, my gosh…. I
truly am a thinkin’ fool!! Well, in ‘Blue Eyes’, Bob Dylan kindly gave
me permission to change my alias from ‘Raelyn’ to ‘Mary Lou’!! Stay hard,
stay hungry, stay alive…. Mary Lou
“Blue Eyes”
What would your reaction be
if destiny, Life or fate granted you an opportunity to randomly meet a particular
well-known person? Such as Bob Dylan, for example? Would you be calm and
rational? No…. Would you experience a mild, heart-pounding, blood-rushing panic
attack? Most likely…. Would you respect his privacy and quietly walk on? No….
Where would the fun be in that?! What if you were granted the rare unplanned
chance to literally sit down for a while {yes, with Bob Dylan!!} and actually
have a normal, amicable, cordial, conversation?
Well, that was exactly what
happened to me one Wednesday around noon!!
As the loner type, I had been
driving my ‘old’ 1970’s baby blue-painted Ford pickup truck. I was obviously
all by myself. I had been in a pensive mood…. And I was struggling mightily
with Writer’s Block as an artist. My windows were rolled down. The radio blasted
rock ‘n roll music loudly. For it was a lovely, breezy, clear-skied 70-degree
Spring day in 2017. Bikers rode on loud, rumbling motorcycles. Dog owners
walked their canines large and small, mutt or purebred. Teenage kids strolled
toward school from lunch—as it was around 12 PM—backpacks in tow.
And then I saw him—sitting
all alone—outside of De-Café Coffee…. Bob Dylan!!
“Oh…. My…. Gosh….”
I thought aloud, “Is that…. That…. That…. Bob Dylan?!”
But I did not believe my
eyes.
“Nah!!” I said, “It cannot
be Bob Dylan!!”
Then, as if I were a spy, I
drove my ‘old’ 1970s baby blue-painted Ford pickup truck closer to him and I
sneakily, stealthily, secretly observed the versatile musician. Bob Dylan was
wearing his buttoned black leather jacket over a thick white T-shirt and dark
jeans. Although he had on what looked like an unmistakable, straight,
bleached-blond wig, I simply knew!! For, even a disguise—or multiple
aliases—cannot make him somebody else!! Because he is obviously still Bob
Dylan!! The poetic songwriter was drinking pure, dark, black coffee and reading
a book. Then he looked up. Through my pickup truck’s windows I could see his
blue eyes….
They were as pretty as the
cloudless Springtime skies!!
“I feel like a creepy
stalker!!” I thought aloud, “Just walk up to Dylan and say
‘hi’!!”
So I stepped foot out of my
‘old’ 1970’s baby blue-painted Ford pickup truck.
If I were allowed merely five
minutes with Dylan—five minutes—and I could tell him just one thing, I thought, It would be….
“I understand your song
lyrics!!” I said, as I could literally sense my heart-pounding,
hand-shaking, mind-racing nervousness, “All you need to do
is listen and feel!! It is not that difficult or
complicated!! Whenever I hear your songs, I listen
with my ears, with my heart and with my soul!! Maybe…. That
is what’s wrong with this world…. People just do not
feel enough!!”
Bob Dylan must have
appreciated what I just said, because his crystal blue eyes twinkled and he
smiled!!
“You understand my songs?”
Bob Dylan softly said, “Really. Not a whole lot of people
have said that to me!!”
Bob Dylan seemed emotionally
touched—and doubtful—that I would understand his song lyrics.
“I know!!” I said,
with a smile written on my face, “And that, I just do not
understand!! I read somewhere Online that your song lyrics are—quote,
unquote—‘seemingly personal, but often mysterious and nebulous’. What?!
‘Mysterious and nebulous’?! Whatever. It only took me about three
times to listen to ‘Tangled Up In Blue’ before I felt that that
song is autobiographical and personal!! Three times. Or maybe four!!
I thought, This is a song about Bob’s relationship and breakup with his
first wife, Sara. Then I Google-searched ‘Tangled Up In Blue’…. Sure
enough, I was right!!”
“Very good!!” said Bob
Dylan, with an impressed smile written on his face, “‘Tangled Up In Blue’ took
me ten years to live and two years to write.”
“I have heard that!!”
I said, “Well, I do not want to waste any more of your precious
time, so I’ll leave you with a deeply personal story…. The
only thing I knew how to do; Was to keep on keepin’ on like a bird that flew….
Mmmm…. That line {which you wrote before I was born} is speaking
to my heart and soul right now!! What a triumphant, resilient
line!!”
“Why is that particular
verse currently ‘speaking’ to you?” asked Bob Dylan in his
distinctive voice.
I observed that he used air
quotes {in a somewhat cynical fashion} for the word ‘speaking’.
“Somebody who I love
dearly and am in close proximity to has been suffering through
some Life-changing health problems, which, obviously affects everyone….
Including me, for I am currently serving as one of my
friend’s many, many, many part-time caretakers. And, quite honestly, The
only thing I know how to do; Is to keep on keepin’ on like a bird
that flew…. For doing so is all I have ever known!! Keep
on keepin’ on…. This has become my mantra, my motto, my battle
cry!! As a matter of fact.... If you—or anybody—were to ask
me right now how I am doing, I’d say, ‘I keep on keepin’ on’!!
And then I would think ….Like a bird that flew!! But…. I never
say, ‘I keep on keepin’ on’ in a sad, negative, feel-sorry-for-me
sort of way!! Although…. Sometimes, I must admit, I do not want to
keep on keepin’ on like a bird that flew….”
Did I seriously just share
something that personal…. With Bob Dylan?! I thought, as I was suddenly no longer feeling star-struck, I
never do that, not even with close friends!! Wow, Dylan must make me feel
comfortable and safe!!
“I’m very sorry to hear
about your friend’s health issues,” said Bob Dylan, “That is hard.
May she recover, heal and, ultimately, survive these health
issues!! The human body is extremely resilient!!”
“Oh, she keeps on keepin’
on,” I confidently said.
I winked and smirked at Bob
Dylan.
“‘….Like a bird that flew’!!
I finished, “She is going to be absolutely fine!! Thank-you…. For your sweet
‘Get Well’ wish {or was it a little prayer?} for my dear friend!!”
Bob Dylan quietly smiled as I
turned away and started to walk on. But then he stopped me.
“You’re not wasting my
time!!” said Bob Dylan, as he shook his head ‘no’, “I was just on a
motorcycle ride, but I stopped into De-Café Coffee for some ‘fuel’,
if you will….”
To which Bob Dylan smiled and
I laughed.
“….But now I’m just
reading,” he continued, “If I were writing a song or something, then
you’d be disrupting my Creative Powers!!”
Bob Dylan then put his book
down.
“I completely understand!!”
I said with a smile written on my face, “I am an artist, as well!!
Although I cannot create a song, I write prolific
fictional stories!!”
“What genre do you write
under?” asked Bob Dylan, “Children’s stories? Drama? Do you
write feel-good stories?”
“I have written all of the
above, actually!!” I exclaimed, “I do not confine my God-given gifts,
talents and abilities to only one genre!! Haven’t you done that
as a musician?”
I smiled.
“Throughout your career, you
have been a folk singer, a rocker, a blues singer, a
gospel singer, a country singer…. I mean, look who is
talking?!” I continued, “Me? I am a rebel rule-breaker!!
I just write whatever I’m in the mood to create!!”
“Ah, I’ve met another
fellow rebel rule-breaker!!” Bob Dylan excitedly said, as he gave me a
‘thumbs up’ of approval, “Keep writing!! Don’t ever stop!! Particularly
if it’s your calling!! And keep being a rebel!! I don’t break
the rules, because I don’t see any rules to break.
As far as I’m concerned, there aren’t any rules.”
Bob Dylan paused for a
nanosecond.
“May I give you some advice
from one artist to another?” he asked.
Me?! I excitedly thought, Receive advice from Bob Dylan?!
“Sure, go ahead!!”
I calmly said.
“You have to be the
best at whatever you are called at,” said Bob Dylan, “Whatever
you do. You ought to be the best at it…. Highly skilled.
It's about confidence, not arrogance. You have to know
that you're the best whether anybody else tells you that
or not. And that you'll be around, in one way or another, longer
than anybody else. Somewhere inside of you, you have
to believe that.”
“Awww….” I said, “That is
very…. Fatherly…. It is very paternal advice!! Thank-you!!”
“Usually, when people recognize
me, things get uncomfortable,” said Bob Dylan, “There’s shrill
screaming, there’s weeping, there’s ‘OMG, I’m in the very
presence of a revolutionary bard, of a prophet, of the Messiah’!!
But you have never even asked for my autograph!!
You’re calm and rational around me!! Who are you? You’re
obviously not like all the others!!”
To which I smiled.
“I am not a ‘Dylanologist’,
I said, “I don’t even know what on Earth that is!!
I am just a girl who feels way too much!! I mean…. Does nobody
listen to your songs with their hearts?! I do!! Does nobody
understand that the human heart actually has ears to hear?!
I do!! Does nobody listen to your songs with their souls?!
I do!! No, I am not like them at all. Because if everybody
were to jump off of a bridge, I can’t swim…. It would be suicide!!
I’d sink like a stone I'd and drown!!”
To which Bob Dylan laughed.
“No, I am not like them
at all,” I continued, “Because I look at you and I see a
human being…. With faults, with shortcomings, with sins
just like everybody else. I look at you and I see a man….
With positives, with negatives, with character qualities,
with character defects. I look at you and I see a person….
Well…. You get the picture!! Right? Anyway, unlike those ‘Dylanologists’
and everybody else, I do not have you on a pedestal!!
‘Hero’—in my opinion—is an overused word amongst celebrities.
Agreed?”
“Yes, I do!!” said Bob
Dylan, “I think of a hero as someone who understands
the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.”
“I absolutely love
that!!” I continued, “A hero is somebody who understands the degree of
responsibility that comes with his freedom…. Very good!! Although I
do search for your positives…. Because, heedless to
contrary opinion, it is not that hard!! You know what? I do not
understand your harshest critics…. They don’t just hate
you for, say, particular political beliefs. No…. Your harshest critics
seemingly think the worst of you constantly. And I just don’t
understand that!! Although I do search for your positives….
At the same time, I also don’t hold you in high
admiration!! You’re a musician, a singer and a songwriter,
not Jesus Christ, for Heaven’s sake!!”
“Thank-you!!” said Bob
Dylan, “Wow…. I think I like you!! Sit down. What’s
your name?”
Did Bob Dylan just tell me to
sit down?! I excitedly thought, In a
chair across the table from him?! What can I say?! Yes, sir!!
So sit down, I did!!
“What is my name?” I
said, “Well…. I kind of have two names!! That is, if you do not
include all of my many, many, many different ‘aliases’
in the fictional characters which I create!! My name’s Debbie….”
To which Bob Dylan simply
smiled and nodded his head.
“....But as an artist,
my Readers all call me ‘Raelyn’,” I continued, “Although I want
to change it!! See, I’m not the same girl I was four
years ago when I started creating fictional stories!! I have matured,
I have changed, I have grown up!! I mean, I even disappeared—mostly—for
roughly one year and three months!! During which I only created five fictional stories, I did far too much introspective soul-searching….
And I’m one-hundred percent certain that I returned a completely
different artist!! No, I do not want to be ‘Raelyn’ anymore!!
Because…. I want to be ‘Mary Lou’!!”
“Why don’t you change
your name?” said Bob Dylan, “I went through several aliases before I
found mine!! For I was born Robert Zimmerman, but I’ll die
as Bob Dylan!!”
“I read about that, ‘Elston
Gunn’!!” I said, with a smile written on my face.
I winked at the name ‘Elston
Gunn’.
“Who is that guy?”
said Bob Dylan in a mysterious and witty tone of voice, “Elston Gunn….?
I haven’t heard from him in a long time!!”
To which I laughed.
“Is Elston Gunn dead?”
I said, “See, as an artist, I am a tragedian whose mind
can be incredibly dark at times!!”
I paused momentarily.
“Hey….” I said on a
whim, “If I change my name from ‘Raelyn’ to ‘Mary Lou’,
then maybe, just maybe, Raelyn is dead!! For I have killed her
off after all these years!! I can do that!! Poor
Raelyn…. She has seen me through a lot of Life, its changing
seasons, its ups and downs…. Saying ‘goodbye’ to Raelyn feels
kind of bittersweet!! But she is dead…. Raelyn does not exist
anymore…. Because she died in a motorcycle crash last year!!”
To which Bob Dylan first
grimaced, then he smiled, his blue eyes sparkling.
“That’s brilliant!!”
said Bob Dylan, “Elston Gunn is dead and you’ve killed off
Raelyn!! I like it!!”
“Speaking of names,
monikers and aliases,” I said, “I know that you’re a
very private man, which, I wholeheartedly respect!!”
“Thank-you!!” said Bob
Dylan, “I appreciate that!! A lot!! You have no idea how
much I appreciate it, actually!!”
“Well….” I said, “In an effort to protect your privacy—because
everybody knows the name Bob Dylan—I am going to give you yet
another alias!! How about…. ‘Blue Eyes’? Because…. You have a
pair of beautiful blue eyes!!”
“I like it!!” said Bob
Dylan, with a smile written on his face, “Blue Eyes. It kind of sounds
like a Native American name!! Yes, you may call me ‘Blue Eyes’….
But only if I can refer to you as ‘Mary Lou’!!”
“Alright!!” I said, with a
smile written on my face, “Blue Eyes…. It is a deal!! This way, nobody
will understand who I’m talking to if I do not say your real
name!! See? I can be secretive and mysterious like you,
as well!!”
To which Bob Dylan simply
smiled.
“Do you drink coffee,
Mary Lou?” asked Bob Dylan, “I’ll order you something!! But I think
that De-Café Coffee also sells fruit smoothies and hot
chocolate, as well!!”
“Oh, you don’t need to
do that, Blue Eyes!!” I said, “I have money with me!! I can pay
for my own drink!!”
“I know that!!” said
Bob Dylan, “But so can I!! What do you want me to order,
Mary Lou?”
“A medium-sized mocha,
please!!” I said, “Thank-you, Blue Eyes!!”
I smiled.
“Do you use your actual
real name while ordering, Blue Eyes?” I asked, “I am just
wondering!!
“Who says I use my well-known
name, Mary Lou?” replied Bob Dylan, in a mysterious tone of voice, “Now {thanks
to you} I can get away with saying that I’m Blue Eyes!!”
To which I laughed. And then
Bob Dylan disappeared in De-Café Coffee!!
Alright…. I thought, And while Bob Dylan is gone, I will awaken from this
wonderful, impossible-to-believe, lovely daydream!!
Just then, ‘Like A Rolling
Stone’ randomly appeared within my head…. To which I smiled!!
Then, Bob Dylan returned with
my mocha…. And a double chunk chocolate chip cookie!!
“Why is it that when
people talk about me they have to go crazy?” said Bob
Dylan, “What is the matter with them? Sure, I had a motorcycle
accident. Sure, I played with the Band. Yeah, I made a
record called John Wesley Harding. And sure, I sounded
different. So what? They want to know what can't
be known. They are searching…. They are seekers. For what?
Why are they doing this? They don't really know. It's sad.
It really is. May the Lord have mercy on them. They are lost
souls. They really don't know. It's sad…. It really
is. It's sad for me, and it's sad for them.”
Uh-oh!! I thought, Did something happen inside De-Café Coffee?
“But as I mentioned
earlier, you, Mary Lou, are not like all the others!!”
said Bob Dylan.
To which I smiled.
“Why do people go
crazy when they talk—or write—about you, Blue Eyes?” I said,
“I have the answer to that question!! It is because people
are searching, seeking, looking for a savior. Lowercase
‘s’. Now, I don’t want to preach any sermons…. I am not
sharing my Faith with you!! Well,
people are searching, seeking, looking for a savior—lowercase
‘s’—in all the wrong places!!”
I looked Heavenward.
“But there is only One
Savior…. Uppercase ‘S’!!” I said, “And, Blue Eyes? You are definitely
not Him!!”
“Thank-you, Mary
Lou!!” said Bob Dylan, “Finally, I have met somebody who understands!!”
Then Bob Dylan smiled.
“But I thought that
you weren’t going to preach any sermons, Mary Lou!!” Bob Dylan
teasingly said.
“Sorry, Blue Eyes!!” I
said, “But people have been searching, seeking, looking
for a savior—lowercase ‘s’—in all the wrong places forever….
I mean, why did everybody go crazy about Elvis Presley?
Was it because he had a deep, soothing, somewhat sexy-sounding,
God-like singing voice? No…. Was it because Elvis had dance moves
that were almost un-human? No…. Was it because Elvis had soulful,
angelic-looking—yet sad—blue eyes? No…. It is because
people are searching, seeking, looking for a savior!! Lowercase
‘s’. And, bless Elvis’ soul…. I’m not criticizing or judging
him…. I absolutely love Elvis…. But everybody knows how he
died. Which only proves my point. Elvis was not a savior {lowercase
‘s’}. Elvis, himself, even said so…. ‘I am not The King.
Jesus Christ is the King. I'm just an entertainer.’ Elvis was a human
being, a man, a person!! And I would not have him any
other way!!”
To which Bob Dylan’s blue
eyes lit up like Independence Day fireworks.
“You’re wise, you know
that, Mary Lou?” said Bob Dylan, “Introspective…. Profound…. Smart….
You’re an old soul!! By the way? I absolutely love Elvis, as
well!!”
“Alright, I am, officially
finished preaching my little mini-sermon!!” I said, with a smile
written on my face, “I promise!! How much caffeine did they put in
this mocha that you ordered me, Blue Eyes?! I am feeling
kind of high and wound up!! Well, obviously!!”
To which Bob Dylan laughed.
“You understand the lyrics
to ‘Tangled Up In Blue’, Mary Lou,” said Bob Dylan, “What about any
of my other songs?”
Bob Dylan then smiled and
winked, as his blue eyes looked mischievous.
“I’m almost afraid to ask,
Mary Lou, because you possess a sixth sense when it comes to my songs,
but….” continued Bob Dylan.
He paused momentarily.
“Do you understand any
of my other songs, Mary Lou?” finished Bob Dylan, “I’m just curious!!”
I smiled.
“Well, I cannot
mention ‘Like A Rolling Stone’, because—although, yes, I do,
in fact understand that song’s lyrics—Bruce Springsteen did all
the work for me!!” I said, “Repeatedly. See, Bruce analyzed
‘Like A Rolling Stone’ in interviews, and in his memoir, Born
To Run!! That was the very first of your songs I ever heard….
Thanks to Bruce!! I pulled ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ up on my Kindle
Fire!! In fact…. Bruce is completely to blame for why
I love you, Blue Eyes, why I’m your fanatic!!”
“Ah,” said Bob Dylan, “I love
Bruce like a brother. I care about him deeply.”
“That is so sweet,
Blue Eyes!!” I said, “Speaking of Bruce, he’s also completely
to blame for why I want to change my alias
from ‘Raelyn’ to ‘Mary Lou’!! Why? Because Bruce has a The
River outtake by that same name, and, well, Mary Lou {the
character} is me!! We are Kindred Spirits, me and Mary Lou!!
We’re the same!! Why? Because I tend to ‘crush on’ movie
characters, the actors who played them, celebrities….”
I smirked at Bob Dylan.
“And I also tend to
‘crush on’ well-known musicians who just so happen to write their own songs
and ride motorcycles, Blue Eyes!!” I said.
“Uh-oh, I’m in trouble!!”
Bob Dylan jokingly said, “You’re too
young for me, Mary Lou!!”
I laughed.
“So I am Bruce’s
character, Mary Lou!!” I finished, “I’m totally pathetic, huh, Blue
Eyes? I know I am!! And—just like with ‘Tangled Up In Blue’—Bruce
wrote ‘Mary Lou’ before I was ever a thought, dream
or glint in my parents’ eyes!! That, I think, is the best
part about it!!”
“I don’t think you’re pathetic
at all, by any measure, Mary Lou!!” said Bob Dylan, “You want
to rename your alias after a song character?! I like it!!
And I have a feeling that Bruce himself will approve, as
well!!”
“Me too!!” I said,
with a smile written on my face, “And speaking of Bruce…. Do you know
what drives this already crazy girl crazy, Blue Eyes? Even
though it happened before my time?”
“What, Mary Lou?” said Bob Dylan.
I had his complete undivided
attention.
“Why is it that people
compare particular musicians to other artists?” I said, “I do
not like it. Such as comparing Bruce to you, for instance. I
am not sure why…. But it just bothers me when people compare this
musician to that artist!! Bruce is Bruce. Wonderful, gifted,
talented, able Bruce!! You are you. And you’re great,
as well!! However. You, Blue Eyes, are wonderful, gifted, talented
and able in your own unique way!! So is Bruce!!”
“You mean you’re saying
you don’t like it that people referred to him as ‘the next Bob
Dylan’, Mary Lou?” he asked.
“No, I do not!!” I
said, “‘The next Bob Dylan’? What on Earth
did that mean? You know what I think? People were just trying
to quickly replace you with Bruce!! But, honestly? The world did
not need another you!! No…. The world needed a Bruce Springsteen!! We already have
you!! And I mean that in a positive way, Blue Eyes!! Never—ever—stop
being you!!”
I smiled.
“Because I kind of like
you, Blue Eyes!!” I continued, “Sure, you’re different. Yes, you are—in
my opinion—eccentric. Sure, you’re mysteriously intriguing.”
To which Bob Dylan looked at
me, his blue eyes appearing knowingly.
“Admit it, you are
intriguing because you’re mysterious!!” I said, with a smile written on
my face, “I don’t have to not be a ‘Dylanologist’ to feel
that!! But I wouldn't have you any other way!! I do mean that,
Blue Eyes!! You are a poetic songwriter!! So is Bruce!! I
think that the world needs more poetic songwriters!! Because I
personally love them!!”
“I have to agree
with you, Mary Lou!!” said Bob Dylan, “Although they do exist, this
world does, indeed, need more poetic songwriters!!”
“And, by the way, Blue Eyes?”
I finished, “I do not see ‘weird’ in people…. But, then
again, maybe it just takes one to know one!! Seriously…. How
much caffeine is in this mocha that I am drinking?!”
To which Bob Dylan just
smiled.
“You never answered my
question, Mary Lou!!” said Bob Dylan, “‘Tangled Up In Blue’…. You
understand that song’s lyrics. ‘Like A Rolling Stone’…. Do you—dare
I even ask—understand any of my other songs?”
“Well….” I said, “I tend
to understand musician’s songs better when I read its lyrics.
People say that that means I am visual. But with your
songs, Blue Eyes? I truly, honestly, seriously understand
them!! Alright…. ‘Forever Young’ has such a sweet Jewish blessing
or prayer feel to it….”
Bob Dylan’s blue eyes looked
up softly from his coffee that he was drinking when I said the word ‘Jewish’.
“I know, I know….” I said, “Technically
you aren’t Jewish, Blue Eyes. Not anymore!! I am sorry for
mentioning it!!”
I was suddenly feeling
awkward—as though I’d said something wrong—but Bob Dylan graciously came to my
rescue!!
“There’s absolutely no
need to apologize, Mary Lou!!” said Bob Dylan in a soft-spoken tone
of voice, “I was, after all, raised Jewish….”
“Well….” I said, “It feels obvious
to me that your Jewish upbringing came out in ‘Forever
Young’, Blue Eyes!!”
To which Bob Dylan did not
say anything. He just smiled.
“And then I quickly
had a feeling that ‘Forever Young’ must have been written
for your children, Blue Eyes!!” I continued, “Because it felt so much
like a Daddy’s prayer!!”
“Yes, I wrote ‘Forever Young’
for my oldest son!!” said Bob Dylan with a smile written on his face,
“You’re good, Mary Lou!!”
“Yeah, it is almost uncanny,
Blue Eyes!!” I said, “My sixth sense regarding understanding your
song lyrics!! Like I said earlier, I am just a girl who
feels way too much!!”
“Nonsense!!” said Bob
Dylan, “You can never—ever—‘feel too much’, Mary Lou!!”
“No?” I said, “Are you
sure about that, Blue Eyes? Because I am way too introspective
for my own good sometimes!!”
“Ah….” said Bob Dylan, “But
to feel is to experience the compassion, empathy, sorrow,
happiness, heartbreak and triumphant resilience of others!!
I may have only met you today…. But…. I think that you,
Mary Lou, possess those positives!! So how can anybody
ever ‘feel too much’?! There's physical blood in the soul!!”
“That is sweet, Blue
Eyes!!” I said, “Thank-you!!”
“And I meant every single
word, Mary Lou!!” said Bob Dylan, “Wholeheartedly!! Because I try not
to say anything I don't mean.”
“I know that, Blue
Eyes!!” I said with a smile written on my face.
“Now that we are on the subject
of your songs, Blue Eyes, can we talk about ‘Rainy Day Women
#12 & 35’?!” I randomly said.
“Maybe,” said Bob
Dylan in a mysterious tone of voice, “Maybe not!! That depends,
Mary Lou!!”
“On what, Blue Eyes?”
I asked.
“Do you actually
understand the lyrics to ‘Rainy Day Women’, Mary Lou?” asked Bob Dylan.
“Noooo….” I said.
Then a light bulb illuminated
within my head.
“Wait a minute!!” I
said, “I know what you are doing!! Yes, I have figured it out!!
You are not just asking me if I understand your song
lyrics!! No!! You are challenging me, Blue Eyes!!”
To which Bob Dylan simply
smiled knowingly. But then he paid me another compliment!!
“Ah....” said Bob Dylan, “You’re too smart for me,
you know that, Mary Lou?”
“Alright!!” I said, “Back to
‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35’!! No, I do not understand the
lyrics to that song, Blue Eyes!! Does anybody? But I do
have unanswered queries about it!! Question number one…. Who are
‘they’ and why do you keep getting stoned by them? Question number
two…. Is ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35’ about getting stoned…. As in the
Biblical definition…. Like what happened to Stephen? Question number
three…. Is ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35’ about being all alone in this
world? Question number four…. Is ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35’ really
about getting high? Confession…. I—amongst everybody else—have fallen
for that ‘trap’!!”
To which Bob Dylan did not
answer my questions. He simply looked at me and there was a sense of mystery in
his blue eyes.
“Do not answer those
questions!!” I said, “Any of them!! Because I seriously do not want
to know the answers!! Why? Because not everything in this
world needs to be explained!! I personally love the fact
that I don’t understand ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35’!! Because,
honestly? That is one of the best parts about it!! ‘Rainy Day
Women #12 & 35’ makes me laugh!! I absolutely love the
animation in your voice when you sang it…. Whether ‘Rainy Day
Women #12 & 35’ is about something as ‘free-spirited’ as getting
high, or something as dark as getting stoned, ‘Rainy Day
Women #12 & 35’ always lifts my spirits!! Thank-you for that,
Blue Eyes!!”
“You’re welcome, Mary Lou….” was all Bob Dylan could say.
“‘Tangled Up In Blue’…. ‘Like
A Rolling Stone’…. ‘Forever Young…. ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35’….” I said, “Four
songs. Which are all very different from each other, both lyrically
and musically. But do you want to know one thing that those four
songs have in common, Blue Eyes?”
“Tell me, Mary Lou!!”
said Bob Dylan.
“They were all written
before I was born, Blue Eyes!!” I said.
“Are you trying to make
me feel old, Mary Lou?” Bob Dylan teasingly said.
“No, I would never do that!!” I said, with a sincere
smile written on my face, “You sound like a dear friend of mine {who also
happens to be in her seventies} she teases me a lot about making
her feel ‘old’, {because of the generation gap between us, I suppose}!!
You know what? About seventy-five percent of my dearest closest
friends are in their seventies!! You would fit right in.... As my friend, Blue Eyes!!”
“Wow….” said Bob
Dylan, “That is unique and unusual for somebody your age,
Mary Lou!!”
“Yeah, I do not fit in
with people—like me—who who are in their thirties,” I said, “I never
have!!”
I quickly changed the
subject.
“Alright, back to your
songs!!” I said, “You know what, Blue Eyes? Although I do
enjoy your songs that were not written and recorded in the sixties
or seventies…. I like ‘Duquesne Whistle’…. And I also absolutely love
the music video!! I like ‘Make You Feel My Love’…. Because I am such
a softie for sweet romantic songs!! But there is something…. Special….
About songs that were written before I was ever a thought, dream
or glint in my parents’ eyes…. I just love them!! And I am not
sure why!!”
“You mean like with your
newfound alias’ namesake, Mary Lou?” said Bob Dylan.
I noticed that he used mental
‘italics’ with the name ‘Mary Lou’.
“What do you mean,
Blue Eyes?” I asked.
“Bruce’s song, ‘Mary Lou’ was
written and recorded before your time!!” said Bob Dylan, “Remember? You said
so earlier, Mary Lou!!”
“Oh my goodness, Blue
Eyes!!” I said, “You have a really sharp memory!! Unlike me!! I
am very impressed!! And envious!!”
“It’s not like I have
a great memory,” Bob Dylan humbly said, “I remember what I want
to remember. And what I want to forget, I forget.”
Bob Dylan paused for a
nanosecond.
“I’ll always remember you,
Mary Lou!!” said Bob Dylan, with an enormous smile written on his face, “Because you’re one-of-a-kind,
you’re unforgettable!!”
“Ah, thanks, Blue
Eyes!!” I said, “Now, if you ever decide to paint a picture of
me—as I know that you’re an artist in every single sense of
the word—make sure I’m prettier and skinnier.... Alright?”
“Maybe I’ll write a song
about you, Mary Lou!!” Bob Dylan mysteriously said, as his blue eyes looked
somewhat pensive.
“That is even better!!”
I said, with a smile written on my face, “Can you write your harmonica into
it, Blue Eyes?! Please?”
To which Bob Dylan smiled.
Then, out of curiosity—and seemingly in no hurry at all—he glanced at his
wristwatch.
“What time is it, Blue
Eyes?” I asked.
“2:00,” answered Bob
Dylan.
“My, time flies when
you are having fun!!” I said, “Doesn’t it? Have we seriously been
talking to each other for twain hours, Blue Eyes?!”
“Yes, time certainly does
fly when you’re having fun!!” said Bob Dylan, “Indeed, we have
been talking to each other for twain hours!! But it’s been a good
conversation, Mary Lou!!”
“Do you need to go,
Blue Eyes?” I asked.
“No….” answered Bob Dylan, “I’m
not in a hurry to be someplace or anything, Mary Lou!!”
“Well…. I…. I….” I sadly
stammered, “I hate to say this, but I should go. So, I will leave you with this, Blue Eyes…. I do not only
understand your song lyrics. But from one weird individual to another,
one artist to another, one….”
I smiled.
“….Oddball to another,”
I continued, “I understand you, Blue Eyes!! I do mean that…. Wholeheartedly!!
Because—like you—I also try not to say anything I don't
mean.”
“Farewell, Mary Lou,”
said Bob Dylan.
Why is saying ‘goodbye’ to
Bob Dylan so hard?! I thought, Is it because I
just made a friend who I sincerely understand and who gets me in return? Is it
because we will most likely never chance-meet each other ever again?
As I walked on, I could see Bob Dylan’s blue eyes misting up a
little bit….
Hey Mary Lou:
ReplyDeleteI felt my eyes misting up too.
I'd like to understand Rainy Day - it was in Forrest Gump the movie.
All the complex emotions you have when you meet a star or a celebrity or a crush
and then work out they're human after all.
Also it's a great introduction to Bob Dylan.
Love the way you pulled and teased it out like a hairstyle.
Adelaide....
DeleteI just left a reply to your reply on ‘Love That Max’ about Fidget Spinners!! And here you are here!! Hey, Friend!! ;)
‘I felt my eyes misting up too.’ Awww…. ;)
‘I'd like to understand Rainy Day - it was in Forrest Gump the movie.’ I don’t want to understand its lyrics!! All I know is that I can be in an irritable, agitated, cranky mood, and ‘Rainy Day Women’ will make me happy!! True story!! It literally did that for me!! ;-D
‘All the complex emotions you have when you meet a star or a celebrity or a crush and then work out they're human after all.’ Exactly!! I humanized Bob Dylan!! Which, I have a feeling that he would appreciate!! ;)
‘Love the way you pulled and teased it out like a hairstyle.’ Thanks!! ‘Blue Eyes’ was a long story…. Befittingly like many—if not most—of Dylan’s songs!! Go figure!! Ha!! ;-D
‘Blue Eyes’ was a challenging fictional story to write. Why? Because I wanted to ‘paint’ a positive, yet accurate ‘picture’ of Dylan…. And I don’t know him personally!! Dylan is not one of my dear friends who just so happens to be in their seventies!! Wouldn’t that be fun, though?! ;)