ON THE REBOUND
February 9, 2018
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
February 9, 2018
While millions cheered the New Year, I found myself in a melancholy mood. Why? I had beaten the odds by living beyond my Biblical suggested life cycle but most of my friends, contemporaries and classmates had not, and since my beloved Cajun/French language has slowly vanished, I can no longer find friends to converse with bilingually. It’s hardly ever spoken in my own home since no one of the current generations would understand it, not even my children and certainly not my grandchildren.
Wc are still Cajuns, however and that DNA is carried in our genes. Here in my Cajunland siill live the hard working, God fearing, neighbors helping neighbors who work on the boats, rigs, industries and fields that bring oil, seafood and produce to our nation.
I have one lament about the current situation. It seems that our great nation that united to save humanity in World War II is now divided in two political factions that dislike each other, and some of our leaders are disrespectcd. 1 hope the New Year and new leadership bring needed change.
Also, the laws that forbade us from speaking French now encourages others to keep their languages and no longer requires English as our national language. How will they ever assimilate? I recently bought a gadget and the instructions were printed in 16 different languages. Absurd! Does anybody know what the Tower of Babel was?
I sometimes forget what I did two days ago, but I remember what I was doing every Christmas and New Year’s Eve and major holidays from 1947 to 1986. I was playing music on a bandstand somewhere in Louisiana, East Texas or South Mississippi. Here are some of those memorably occasions.
New Year’s Eve, 1985 fell on a Wednesday and Vin Bruce and the Acadians were playing four nights straight at the Stage Coach in Galliano. (Monday was a wedding dance). On Saturday the 29th, I left the bandstand for a call from my son Mike, who informed me that he and Tammy had made me a first time grandfather with the birth of Hal Michael Martin. I shared it with the audience and they cheered.
December 31, 1983 was a notable date because on November 4th “that guitar plunker”, as one of my opponents called me had recently been elected Assessor of Lafourche Parish. I served 16 years (30 prior) and retired December 31,2000.
Flashback to January 31, 1949. With Dudley Bernard, I was playing at the Merry Inn in Morgan City.
At intermission, in the restroom, I was tapped on the shoulder. “Nice music, Leroy,”
Mr. I. eroy Martin remembers where he was during the holidays from 1917 to 1986: playing music somewhere around the Southeast.
