In response to the post on laughing (below) a friend wrote, "I don't think we ever really grow out of that fear [...of being laughed at]. But isn't it interesting that whilst it can be the most devastating, the sound of laughter is also the most uplifting and wonderful?" And of course she is right and indeed I am researching this idea now in a paper with the working title: The Fear of Flying, Falling and Laughing. Is that pompous or what? And I guess being pompous allows us to fend of the fear of being laughed at too - though not so seriously pompous that we deserve to be laughed at. Pomposity by degrees - which is why my kids still call me Professori and Professorus (which is a coded version of Nutty Professor) and how easily they can see the Emperor's New Clothes (thanks Hans for that story). Another friend sent me this quotation (she used it on her son) 'a joke is an epigram on the death of a feeling' (Nietzsche) oh. But the joke is on me, my mother sent me this picture today, its me in my old flat in London - though why I have a Greek fisherman's hat on I have no idea, but I lost it and would love another (and check out the left ear - hoots).This FiftyFive@FiftyFive idea has taken me through a number of roads, nostalgic byways and highways and it is becoming clear that fifty posts are not going to do it. But along the way I nearly missed this lot - I was a big Poco fan years back and loved playing stuff like this when I was younger than even in the picture above. Look at these guys, still doing it, maybe there is still time for me, mistakes and all - I love it and I love guitars, I could fill a house with them - and in fact the room I am sitting in now has five of them and there are two in the kitchen (its a madness):
