I have been blessed with so many, amazing, color filled friends in my life and Kid Bonney was a real Rainbow. I do not even remember how we met, I think it was in the Italian deli we ended up spending so many lunches in, talking about life and how we were living it. He spoke fluent italian and never broke out of character whenever we would meet there. In his earlier days Kid had taken a large group of gypsy actors, musicians on the road with a vaudeville act. They would play any theater or roadhouse that would have em. They sang, danced, told stories and just filled whatever hall they played with pure magic. Kid played a million parts and he played them all well but underneath it all he was a real cowboy.
I was in the peak of my Russian adventure so I had a lot of cowboy color to add to our stories. The day Kid called me and ask me if I would come to his house, something that never happen, I was a little surprised. I came in and his new wife showed me back to his bedroom where he was propped up in bed. "I am dying my friend, I have stage 4 cancer and they have given me a few weeks to live. I need a real big favor of you," He paused to take a drink. "Could you please help me plan my funeral?"
It's not often I am at a loss for words but I will say the silence was deafening. "What did you have in mind" was all I could come up with. I mean, guess I did help turn my dad's funeral into a birthday party maybe I could help in some way. "I am planning a celebration and inviting all the old cast of characters from my storied past." he said with a chuckle. "I want to make a recording just to let them all know how I felt about em. Can you help me do that and then make sure it get's played at the funeral?" "Sure buddy I can do that." We spent the next week working on it because I am sure you can imagine with all Kids production background this was going to be a real show stopper. The time we spent talking about life and death during that week was something I will always cherish forever. Kid Bonney died right on cue and the funeral came quickly.
Several hundred very colorful people filled the church. After the priest made a few announcements he looked down at me and nodded. I pushed the button of the recorder and prepared myself for what I thought was coming. Kid had left me some last minute instructions that no matter what happen I should not shut off the recorder once it started. So after several minutes of silence the priest got a little antsy and started the proceedings. Fifteen minutes in, the booming voice of Kid came over the loud speakers. "Tap,Tap, Tap, is this mic on? Can anybody hear me? If you do hear me, laugh as loud as you can, so I can hear you." The laughter that day filled my heart with joy I still carry with me today. He talked, sang and told stories for almost an hour. What a way to go.
Sometimes we plan everything out so perfectly and it does not work out and then sometimes God lets her plan show up and everything comes out like a vaudeville show.
We have lost a lot of good friends on this journey and if it had happened 12-15 years ago, there would be many of us who would not be here, to do, what it is we will do now, change the world. So let's have faith that no matter what, it will work out perfectly.
Thanks for all the support and emails from my post yesterday about losing it. "If I had a dollar for everytime I have lost it in the 14 years I have been here, I would not need the RV." I hear you sister, keep the faith.
Let's get this thing done and not lose anyone else along this color filled road called living in dinarland.
Cowboy
I am sure you know that the Kid and Wells Fargo never got along.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3KEFraQYo0