Saturday, August 16, 2008

This is My Nightmare


I often dream of performing in a pseudo-psychedelic setting to an audience of admirers. I am always bringing down the pseudo house with my showstopping performance.

Today, I ran across my dream turning into my nightmare. And I actually remember this clip when it was first run on network television.

Here are Cher and Tina Turner, rocking out to a medley of Beatles tunes. With abandon, they are bumping, grinding, and dancing around with each other. It seems they are having a terrific time with this medley.

Except it is not a duet.

It is a trio.

With Kate Smith.

Remember “God Bless America?” Yes, that Kate Smith. Trying to sing Beatles songs along with Cher and Tina Turner.

This clip is over 5 minutes long, but you only need to watch about half of it to understand my current nightmare. Cher and Tina are groovin’ to the songs. Kate is totally, hilariously, outrageously out of place.

And because of that, she is being ignored.


When I dream dreams like this, I am similar to Cher. Or Tina. Or sometimes Tim Conway, wandering through the mess, snagging a canned laugh. But I’m always one of the successful ones, fully in charge, fully confident, fully at home in the world.

That’s in my dream. But in my life right now, I’m awkward, insecure, out of place.

In my life, I’m Kate Smith.

Trying to sing “Hey, Jude.”