Comments on: On the Way Down by Gabriel L. Nathan http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/ Backhand Stories is a creative writing blog that supports new writing and the writing community by publishing new short story fiction, creative writing, short non-fiction stories and essays by new and unpublished writers Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:01:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jessica Hanselman http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/comment-page-1/#comment-44370 Jessica Hanselman Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:32:01 +0000 http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/#comment-44370 I work in behavioral health myself and this is one of the best stories I have read in a long time. There is a humor that has to be found in the inescapable fatality of mental illness, particularly the degenerative types that really aren't going to get anything than worse. This story was so human and humanizing and I am grateful to have encountered it today. I work in behavioral health myself and this is one of the best stories I have read in a long time. There is a humor that has to be found in the inescapable fatality of mental illness, particularly the degenerative types that really aren’t going to get anything than worse. This story was so human and humanizing and I am grateful to have encountered it today.

]]> By: Sally K. Green http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/comment-page-1/#comment-27112 Sally K. Green Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:01:20 +0000 http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/#comment-27112 A year later -- an mp3. http://www.sallykgreen.com/blue-eyed-sally.html A year later — an mp3.

http://www.sallykgreen.com/blue-eyed-sally.html

]]> By: Sally K. Green http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/comment-page-1/#comment-17738 Sally K. Green Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:21:45 +0000 http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/#comment-17738 For some reason I was singing "Pretty Little Blue-eyed Sally" this morning. I decided to Goggle to find the lyrics and this great story came up. Although a bit disappointed not to find the lyrics I was happy to find that other people knew and loved that song as well. I'm not old enough to have been alive when the song was popular but when I was in junior high school in the San Fernando Valley back in the early 60s my then boy friend saw the 78 record in a second hand store and bought it for me, since my name is Sally. For some reason the old 78 survived my many cleaning-outs and moves. Now 40 plus years later, even though I no longer have a record player to hear it on I can hear it so clearly. It goes: "Pretty little blue-eyed Sally, better times are comin' wait and see. Every hilly-billy in the valley will hear those church bells ringin', that county choir singin'. We'll be happy blue-eyed Sally in that rustic shack for two. Down on that old ??? trail there'll be things doing, if ??? with you and blue-eyed Sally I love you. Blue-eyed Honey, I've saved money for a rainy day, so in any weather we could be together. Now's the time, make up your mind to wear a weddin' ring and maybe we can start to raise a garden in the spring." I'm sure there is more. I think I need contact the Sound Fixer in San Francisco and ask if he can get this old song from 78 to mp3. I hope this clears up some questions about Pretty Little Blue-eyed Sally --- I sure had fun thinking about. For some reason I was singing “Pretty Little Blue-eyed Sally” this morning. I decided to Goggle to find the lyrics and this great story came up. Although a bit disappointed not to find the lyrics I was happy to find that other people knew and loved that song as well.

I’m not old enough to have been alive when the song was popular but when I was in junior high school in the San Fernando Valley back in the early 60s my then boy friend saw the 78 record in a second hand store and bought it for me, since my name is Sally. For some reason the old 78 survived my many cleaning-outs and moves. Now 40 plus years later, even though I no longer have a record player to hear it on I can hear it so clearly.

It goes: “Pretty little blue-eyed Sally, better times are comin’ wait and see. Every hilly-billy in the valley will hear those church bells ringin’, that county choir singin’. We’ll be happy blue-eyed Sally in that rustic shack for two. Down on that old ??? trail there’ll be things doing, if ??? with you and blue-eyed Sally I love you.

Blue-eyed Honey, I’ve saved money for a rainy day, so in any weather we could be together. Now’s the time, make up your mind to wear a weddin’ ring and maybe we can start to raise a garden in the spring.”

I’m sure there is more. I think I need contact the Sound Fixer in San Francisco and ask if he can get this old song from 78 to mp3.

I hope this clears up some questions about Pretty Little Blue-eyed Sally — I sure had fun thinking about.

]]> By: Gaye Eppley http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/comment-page-1/#comment-13526 Gaye Eppley Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:24:59 +0000 http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/#comment-13526 Gabriel, I found myself searching for the lyrics to a song my 80 year old parents recently taught to my twin granddaughters who are 5. The song is called “Pretty Little Blue Eyed Sally”, and my mom and dad have an old player piano with paper rolls that play a song while yoy pump away on the pedals. The song I most remember from my own childhood is “Pretty Little Blue Eyed Sally”, which my parents would sing at the top of their lungs whenever they had a party with alchohol involved... in their younger days (my childhood). My sister and I used to sing it too. We're now in our early 50's. When my grandkids came from a visit with my parents singing “Pretty Little Blue Eyed Sally”, it took me back 45 years! I wanted to know the rest of the words, and cannot find it anywhere on the web. your blog is the only reference to this song I found. And I wanted to tell you that Edwina/Sally is not visualizing herself as pretty or little! The song exists, if only on my parents player piano roll and nowhere else in this dimension! Here are the lyrics sung by my parents, my sister and myself, and now my grand daughters: "Pretty little Blue Eyed Sally, better days are coming wait and see. Every hilly billy in the valley... will hear those church bells ringin', that country choir a-singin'. We'll be happy, blue eyed Sally, in a rustic shack for two... Pretty Little Blue Eyed Sally... I... Love... Youuuuuu!" Gabriel, I found myself searching for the lyrics to a song my 80 year old parents recently taught to my twin granddaughters who are 5. The song is called “Pretty Little Blue Eyed Sally”, and my mom and dad have an old player piano with paper rolls that play a song while yoy pump away on the pedals. The song I most remember from my own childhood is “Pretty Little Blue Eyed Sally”, which my parents would sing at the top of their lungs whenever they had a party with alchohol involved… in their younger days (my childhood). My sister and I used to sing it too. We’re now in our early 50′s. When my grandkids came from a visit with my parents singing “Pretty Little Blue Eyed Sally”, it took me back 45 years! I wanted to know the rest of the words, and cannot find it anywhere on the web. your blog is the only reference to this song I found. And I wanted to tell you that Edwina/Sally is not visualizing herself as pretty or little! The song exists, if only on my parents player piano roll and nowhere else in this dimension! Here are the lyrics sung by my parents, my sister and myself, and now my grand daughters: “Pretty little Blue Eyed Sally, better days are coming wait and see. Every hilly billy in the valley… will hear those church bells ringin’, that country choir a-singin’. We’ll be happy, blue eyed Sally, in a rustic shack for two… Pretty Little Blue Eyed Sally… I… Love… Youuuuuu!”

]]> By: Alex http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/comment-page-1/#comment-829 Alex Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:23:51 +0000 http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/#comment-829 Gabe, I forgot how much I enjoy reading your writings. This is a great piece. I am going to share it with Jason who, as you know, is in this type of field. We had the conversation yesterday after leaving the Vet's office about death (a couple was distraught they were putting their dog down) and how when he is working anaesthesia and has to run to a random hospital room to code a person and they don't make it, he doesn't feel what he just felt about the dog and his owners. I reminded him that when he worked in the pediatric ICU and got to understand and learn about his patients, build a relationship, he did feel those things. I hope you come downtown sometime soon! -Alex Gabe,

I forgot how much I enjoy reading your writings. This is a great piece. I am going to share it with Jason who, as you know, is in this type of field. We had the conversation yesterday after leaving the Vet’s office about death (a couple was distraught they were putting their dog down) and how when he is working anaesthesia and has to run to a random hospital room to code a person and they don’t make it, he doesn’t feel what he just felt about the dog and his owners. I reminded him that when he worked in the pediatric ICU and got to understand and learn about his patients, build a relationship, he did feel those things.

I hope you come downtown sometime soon!

-Alex

]]> By: Josh S. http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/comment-page-1/#comment-799 Josh S. Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:31:31 +0000 http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/#comment-799 As a soon-to-be-dad with a history of dementia in my family (and having made the decision to name the kid after my recently deceased grandmother), this essay caught me at a time when I've been thinking through many of these issues. Nathan captured perfectly the mix of dread and amusement that I felt interacting with my grandmother, and his willingness to put himself out there "warts and all" is refreshing. What a thoughtful and honest work. As a soon-to-be-dad with a history of dementia in my family (and having made the decision to name the kid after my recently deceased grandmother), this essay caught me at a time when I’ve been thinking through many of these issues. Nathan captured perfectly the mix of dread and amusement that I felt interacting with my grandmother, and his willingness to put himself out there “warts and all” is refreshing. What a thoughtful and honest work.

]]> By: Liz Chang http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/comment-page-1/#comment-788 Liz Chang Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:28:42 +0000 http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/#comment-788 Ranging from surprisingly wry to self-deprecating to hauntingly observational, Gabriel L. Nathan's voice contains, at its core, an intense compassion for the human aspect of every situation. He writes deliberately, taking his characters by the hand and revealing them as they would want to be seen, allowing them to show the reader their truest selves. Ranging from surprisingly wry to self-deprecating to hauntingly observational, Gabriel L. Nathan’s voice contains, at its core, an intense compassion for the human aspect of every situation. He writes deliberately, taking his characters by the hand and revealing them as they would want to be seen, allowing them to show the reader their truest selves.

]]> By: Tim http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/comment-page-1/#comment-777 Tim Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:44:09 +0000 http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/#comment-777 As an EMT I can relate to the narrative in so many aspects of my day to day work. The writer has a God given talent in putting into words what so many of us feel.. but do not quite know how to express. As an EMT I can relate to the narrative in so many aspects of my day to day work. The writer has a God given talent in putting into words what so many of us feel.. but do not quite know how to express.

]]> By: Florrie http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/comment-page-1/#comment-774 Florrie Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:42:27 +0000 http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/#comment-774 What a wonderful, thought-provoking piece. Thank you for sharing it. What a wonderful, thought-provoking piece. Thank you for sharing it.

]]> By: Rebecca http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/comment-page-1/#comment-772 Rebecca Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:18:23 +0000 http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/on-the-way-down-by-gabriel-l-nathan/#comment-772 What a fine, well-written, touching narrative. I enjoyed it very much. What a fine, well-written, touching narrative. I enjoyed it very much.

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