A Perfect Moment

Continuing the practice of interspersing my own memories with tales of my ancestors -- this serves the purposes of both The Book of Me and Throwback Thursday:



With every passing year, my memory grows
ever more frail.  While I was teaching, I would regularly reach for a word that was
obviously nowhere near the tip of my tongue . . . and it would be gone.  Old
friends will say, "Remember when we . . . " or "It was so funny when . .
. " and I'll have no idea of what they're talking about.  I will say to
my Loved One, "Did I ask you whether you put the garbage out, or did I
just think it?" and half the time I've only thought it.  (The other half, I have said it but have no memory of it whatsoever.)





At the same time, some memories are so
wonderful that they persist forever, memories of an absolutely perfect
moment in your life.  This comes from about 1971 (of course I have no
exact memory of the year).  I was visiting the Berkshires -- my
boyfriend lived in New York City, and I in Boston, so we would meet in the
Berkshires at his  mother's house on some weekends.  We went to a farewell concert of the
Youngbloods at Tanglewood (I think it was Tanglewood).  But here's what
I remember precisely:  It was a glorious day, sunny and warm.  We were
relaxing on a blanket with our friends.  We had picked up sandwiches
from Take Out Alice (the Alice from Alice's Restaurant had by that point
closed her restaurant and opened up a takeout place) -- they were pot
roast sandwiches, on rolls that were dusted with flour on the top, and
horseradish -- I have never forgotten the taste of that sandwich, eaten
outdoors on a beautiful day.  And of course, we had the preferred drink
of the time -- Mateus Rose (we were so sophisticated).








 Me, then.






And when Jesse Colin Young began singing
"Sunlight," the moment became a perfect one that I would never forget. 
The boy I was with  (I know he was a man, but from this vantage
point, he was a boy) --  I was crazy about him, the delicious sandwiches
and (faux-)wine, the beautiful day and that song . . . it all combined to
create a moment that I will remember until I leave this earth.



Listen to it through your headphones, it's gorgeous.  What's one of your perfect moments?








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