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Abby to the Rescue, part 2

Abby to the Rescue, Part 2

By Bill Stork, DVM 

As for Otis and the Elevators, they would gig from Champaign, Illinois, to the University of Wisconsin Memorial Union Terrace. Well before the Internet and satellite radio, they had to do things the hard way. By invitation, Jim would strap on Bono’s guitar and jam with The Edge when U2 came to town. They opened for, and Jim hosted, a clean and sober Stevie Ray.

Their breakout involved a dilapidated appliance truck with their old gear and a west coast tour from Seattle to L.A. Otis and the Elevators recorded two acclaimed records (yes, 33.3 rpm, vinyl records). They came close, but never “made” it.

If there was to be a future and families, it was time to turn to book learning. On a spectacular spring day, Jim was golfing with his mother. The ninth green overlooked Lake of the Woods and the fairways were Ireland green. As she lined up an easy 10-foot putt, he puffed his chest and spoke the words any parent would live to hear:

“Mom, I’ve decided to quit the band, and go to medical school.”

In a made-for-Caddyshack moment, she froze like a Macy’s mannequin, and asked him to repeat.

His head cocked slightly, he inflected a statement with a question mark: "Mom, I’ve been accepted into medical school…?"

She inhaled, coiled and came out swinging. He ducked like a Golden Gloves boxer. The young bluesman was fleet, but mom was fuming like Yosemite Sam.

Once he was out of her strike zone, she let the putter fly and did not stop until she had emptied every club from her bag. Out of clubs, she unzipped the pocket, flung every last golf ball at him, and then kicked her bag.

Hands on her hips, she fumed, “You had a perfectly good career going with the rock and roll band, and you want to (excuse me) PISS it all away and be a damn DOCTOR?”

To be continued…

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