Part of my (frankly quite miserable) childhood was spent living in an (equally miserable) mining town in northern Manitoba. Surrounded by the dregs of society, no culture, no beauty, mosquitos the size of sparrows and clouds of blackflies during the short summer, waist-high snowfalls and cruel sub-zero temps all through the long dark winter… and to top it all off, nothing but bloody country & western music on the radio. I was 9 years old! I wanted to listen to the Beatles and, okay I admit it, the Monkees. To say I hated this time of my life, and all that went with it, would be quite accurate. Except…

Later on when I was 18, and back living in Winnipeg by this time (ran away from home at 15), I got a job at a coffin factory. You know, as you do. I’d just finished putting myself through highschool and really had no idea what else to do with myself, but had rent to pay and this job came up. At first I thought I’d been sent straight back to mining town misery as the women who worked at the factory had the local country music station playing all day long. But then I found myself actually liking some of the music I heard and thus began my education in the difference between Country and Country & Western music. But then I also founded myself actually liking some of the C&W tunes from my youth, which included good ol’ George Jones who died this week.

As the always insightful Nag on the Lake put it on Twitter the other day… “When I learned that George Jones lived to be 81 I felt less compelled to adopt healthy habits”.

An example to us all. And I LOVE this song. Listen to the lyrics – they are terrific.

RIP George. And thanks for the helping with the memories.