Thanksgiving

By Subway Serenade

In March of this year my friend and neighbor was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and was moved to a nursing home. Since that time I have laid my guitar aside in order to assist his wife with visiting her husband and running errands. Today I realized that for the first time in eighteen years of performing in the subway, I will probably not be performing my Holiday Show.

Normally today I would be performing at Rector Street, just around the corner from the American Stock Exchange. Of the forty five stations I've performed in it is my favorite. It is there in 1989 I wrote my theme song "The Subway Serenade," and in 1994 I wrote "The Gift," which I consider my masterpiece. Today folks would begin leaving for the holiday at one in the afternoon looking forward to a five day weekend. For me it would have been the kick off to a 4 hour a day marathon without a day off, clear through to New Years Eve.

My friend, John isn't expected to survive the holiday season. He and his wife, Rosalie have been married for 69 years. He nursed her through severe depression early on. She nursed him through his Quintuple Bypass twenty years ago and he took care of her as she slowly lost her ability to walk. Now John is in the home and his wife, with great difficulty, gets out the door to spend two hours a day at his side, even though he barely remembers her.

So as this Season opens, my guitar will rest in the corner so that my friends can spend their last Thanksgiving together. I celebrate their Love.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Subway

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