I was about 14 years old if I recall and in those days the Summer plans always involved the same... a trip to hockey camp in Canada with my beautiful mama. As some know I was an only child and didnt really have a father in the picture so my mother worked her ass off to try and make sure I had the things I wanted and that included the best hockey schools that money could buy. This particular Summer we were on the way to Haliburton Hockey Haven in the small Ontario town of Haliburton where I would be schooled by Cesare Maniago who was the goalie who played for our local Minnesota North Stars and who would also become a lifelong friend afterward. Anyway, one Summer afternoon we boarded a plane to Toronto with a layover in Buffalo. We settled into our seats and I had the window. Theres another story for a different time but my mother had a terrible accident when she was a rodeo trick rider and couldnt bend her leg more than about halfway meaning she always required an aisle seat. I settled into my chair with a paperback book that was written by some of the Russian hockey coaches and began to read before takeoff. At some point I glanced out the window and saw several large black hardshell cases being loaded into cargo... each of them stamped with the letters CCR My heart skipped a beat and I told my mom that I thought they belonged to Creedence Clearwater Revival. At that point I had to explain who that was but shortly after it happened... John Fogerty, Doug Clifford, Stu Cook and Tom Fogerty all boarded the plane and I nearly fainted. John took an aisle seat about four rows in front of us across the aisle and moments later the plane was in flight. My mother kept prodding me to go up and talk to him but there was no way. Finally she got up and made the walk (which seemed like an eternity) the few aisles ahead and tapped Mr. Fogerty on the shoulder and said... Excuse me... are you Clarence Credwater? At this point I slouched down in my chair and hid my face in that paperback all the while turning beet red. Mom returned to her seat and I made what Im sure was the perfect teenage face and just shook my head at her while I felt the kind of shame that only a 14 year old in the presence of his heroes can After we landed in Buffalo I watched as the band exited in front of us. When we emerged from the jet way they were all standing there smiling and waiting for me... John put his hand out to shake mine and said Your mother tells me you would like to meet Clarence Credwater and they all laughed while I turned red again. I had them sign the inside sleeve of that paperback and we chatted for a few minutes... or they chatted and I stammered if I recall. Sadly the paperback is long gone but the memory is very much intact and I shall spin some CCR on this day in honor of Mommie Oscar
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 22:43:28 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015