Ronnie’s sister was an Elvis fan. Ronnie and I were Beatles fans. She hated the Beatles and their fans. So she wasn’t civil to us. Her self-esteem had been buoyed for years by possessing a scarf that a friend caught at an Elvis show in Las Vegas. She was convinced it had the very perspiration of Elvis. It seemed gross to Ronnie and I but she would pull it out and let us marvel at it with her on occasion.
We had plots to take the scarf and blow our noses in it. But she was big for a girl and mean. And we knew Ronnie’s parents wouldn’t handle it well.
I asked her how she knew it was really his. She said, “my friend was in the second row and never lies.” “Why didn’t she keep it herself?” She had no answer for that one. I think it was a hoax but she was convincing.
I wonder though how many women possess scarves with Elvis’ sweat on them?
I knew a woman once who knew Elvis for real. She was the best friend of his girlfriend when he died. She said he was a nice man who loved to sing hymns. It must have been rough being Elvis. People would constantly want your scarves, forks or stuff. And you would know you had germs like everyone else.
My favorite groups these days are Switchfoot and Muse. I don’t have any of their scarves or guitar pics. But I did meet one of them. He strung his guitar a little oddly, it seemed to me.
My real hero is a young woman named Emily. She cares for arthritic elderly women who have no family. She has out-lived them all. Emily has a full time job. But she met Sally (the older woman) at a clinic. She helped her fill out her paper work and they became friends. Another hero of mine is a young guy who lives in Texas. He is giving his life to end sexual slavery. He is giving up what most young couples would think essential.
I think they will have better memorabilia than Elvis scarves. But the Bible says they will be given crowns and rewards. We really are to live with a mind to lay up treasures in heaven. These friends are.
I am taking an inventory of my life as to whether I am really laying treasures up in heaven or just collecting them here.
