My Brush With Dizzy

[BlancheNoE]

In the year 1983 when I was 18 years old, I was fortunate to get to see Dizzy Gillespie play in a small auditorium on the campus of South East Missouri University. He played from the soul brilliantly, as he always did, and the back up musicians were phenomenal as well. I loved the way he seemed to go out of his way to feature the other musicians and I will never forget the way the audience members were singing along, not with their voices but with slight undulations of their bodies and blissful expressions on their faces.
During an intermission, I stood at the end of a long line for the bathroom thinking to myself
' just my luck,..I'm going to miss the start of the next session '. It was finally my turn and I did my business as quickly as possible, waved my hands under the water and fled for the auditorium while wiping my hands on my shirt. When I opened the door to the hallway I saw that it was deserted and again cursed my luck. Just then, I heard a door behind me open and when I turned to look, there was Dizzy exiting the men's room.
I approached him and said something like : " Mr. Gillespie it is such an honor to meet you. " He smiled his angelic smile and I went on, " Would you mind blowing your cheeks out so that I can kiss you on your cheek?" I asked, " Well," he said, " the last time I did that for a lady she bit me." He chuckled and I chuckled nervously and put out my hand which he took warmly in his own to shake.
" Well," I said, "I think you are amazing and thank you for what you're doing, thank you for being you".
He smiled to thank me and I turned to walk away not wanting to hold him up and as I began walking
I heard him say " I could kiss YOU on YOUR cheek ". I walked back to him with the biggest shit eating grin on my face and leaned towards him offering my cheek. How a kiss could be so warm yet so electric I can't explain. When I think about it, I can still feel the warmth and electricity of those magic blowers on my face. Happy Birthday, Dizzy. You will live forever.
OH,...I almost forgot. As of yesterday I'm on the transplant list. It is estimated I'll have a new liver within 2 to 6 months.

[SydTheSkeptic]

:LOVE how you stuck that little tidbit in at the end.

Amy, that is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SydTheSkeptic]

Yay!~!!

[Chig]

Wait... your getting cheek transplants? I heard of cheek implants, but usually you have to drop trow to get those. Wait.. just where did Dizzy kiss you?... Oh you say liver... nevermind.

[photo2010]

Sometimes goodness attracts goodness. So happy for you Amy! :-)

[lima]

This is Excellent News!!! I am very happy for you!

[flophousepoodle]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Geoff]

Congratulations, Amy!

I worked with a Latvian woman for a while in the 1990s. She was highly educated so her slight lapses in English were extra charming. Once she closed a letter to me with "I kiss you on both chicks". For a little while that is how I ended my letters too.

[Kat.Ballou]

:) smiling over here for you

[Marie]

*virtual forehead kiss*grin*

[BlancheNoE]

@ Syd- Have I told you lately that I love you?
@ Chig- Hey, you promised me you wouldn't go public with that. Do I have to make video about YOUR implant? Hmmmm?
@ Kevin- Thank you Kevin,...for everything. I'm going to keep hoping and wishing that some breakthroughs are made pertaining to *your* condition. I feel lots of magic right now and I want to share it with you.
@ Lima- Thank you so much, Lima. I give much credit to you and everyone else out there who have been rooting for me.
@ Geoff- I KNOW !!!,..can you beLIEVE I was feeling sorry for myself at the back of the line and then got to meet Dizzie?!? *smile*
@ Kat- I love you so much. Your thumbnail fills me with sweet yumminess,...especially after you've dipped it in vanilla cream. I should probably stop licking your fingers. People like Chig will start to talk.
@ Marie- I'll match your kiss on the forehead and raise you a kiss on each of your cheeks and a warm hug. Thank you.