Gratitude

The Crickets, led by Buddy Holly, had their first hit with “That’ll Be The Day” in 1957. Many more hits would follow  for Buddy Holly and the Crickets until his tragic death on February 3, 1959. He had just left a gig at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, when his plane crashed in the middle of a frozen cornfield. All three passengers – Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson – and the pilot were killed instantly. 

Last summer I visited the site of the crash which is only 45 minutes from where I grew up. There are no signs on the gravel roads leading to the cornfield and there is no dedicated parking. Once you get near, though, the presence of other visitors is soon evident.

The site lies at the end of a half mile walk along a dirt road with weeds and grass growing in the center. There is a small entrance at the start of the road that is festooned with horn rimmed glasses, flowers and other mementos.

The Entrance

As I walked past the entrance and down the half mile path to the crash site, I couldn’t help but notice something remarkable – crickets! Every person I encountered on the path I asked, “Can you believe it? Crickets!” The younger ones looked puzzled but the people my age nodded politely and kept walking back towards their car. Eventually, I stopped telling people about the crickets.

As I walked out of the cornfield and approached the entrance, a man about my age walked towards me in the opposite direction. I said to him, “I can’t believe the crickets!” He looked at me puzzled at first and then realized what I meant. He pointed at his ears and said, “I can’t hear high frequencies any more.”

As he walked by me, I stopped for a moment, pulled the hearing aids out of my ears and I could no longer hear the crickets. I put them back in and the crickets were audible again.

On that day, I was extra grateful for my hearing aids because they helped me hear the crickets singing for Buddy Holly.

Vital Statistics

Bike miles in 2021: 0

Aches & pains: subconjunctival hemorrhage

Current reading: Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe

Recent listening: Paul’s Boutique by Beastie Boys, Hidden Brain, Making Sense with Sam Harris, Women and Children First by Van Halen

Recent viewing: Young Wallander, Wallander, The Crown (season 4), Hinterland, Evil, Manhunt, The Professor and the Madmen, Star Wars (episodes 1-9), The Mandalorian (season 2), The Flight Attendant, The Undoing

Recent playing: n/a

Recent events: Election Day, Thanksgiving, mortgage refinance, shaved, Xmas vacation, fitted for hearing aids, bought Apple Watch Series 6

Recently accomplished: survived 2020, replaced living room couches, bought a new refrigerator (delivery pending), replaced CPAP machine, dryer duct inspection, roof replacement estimates, installed standing desk, gave away most of my books

Imperative To Do: finish unpacking boxes, transfer IRA to Vanguard, finish office re-organization, finish laundry room re-organization, finish the kitchen story, ride bike