The title of today's post is abridged from Jack Kerouac's On the Road. Here's the full passage:
"I shambled after, as I've been doing all my life, after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue center light pop and everybody goes 'Awww!'"
On this July 4th, America's birthday, let me share with you one of those roman candles. My friend Dawn Welch [pictured] is from Stroud, Oklahoma, where she lives with her husband Fred and their two teenage children. Dawn loves jazz and the American Songbook, which makes sense, since her restaurant, The Rock Cafe, sits proudly on Route 66. As an aside, the caracter "Sally" from Disney's Cars (2006) is based on Dawn after Pixar chief John Lasseter met her during his travels on the famed interstate.
A few years ago, one of those food channels you see on TV taped a pilot of Dawn and her family for a possible cooking reality show. Well, the show was picked up and dropped a short time later, but what was left behind is a loving video post-card from Middle America that illustrates the virtues of hard work, good cheer, family, food and music.
If you want to understand America and Americans (of any background), the following video will tell you all you need to know. I might add that the video is best watched sitting on a front porch, your feet up and a pitcher of lemonade by your side.
With Dawn's permission, here's her story...
