I am a big proponent of “Simpler Times”. I am the first to tell you that I am a little jaded when it comes to how I recall my childhood and what I consider to be a simpler time from both my own perspective as well as that of the people I know who are older than am I.
This is why I enjoy listening to “The Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keillor. If you are not familiar with who this person is, or have never heard of the program, then you are truly missing out on something wonderful.
Unfortunately I learned about the Prairie Home Companion (PHC) late in life, so I cannot tell you that I have been listening to it for years and years, but I can say that I have been listening to it for about two years, on and off and I can tell you that I love the feeling of the program. That you can get lost in the music and the stories that are told. Most importantly to me, is the fact that there is something in Garrison’s voice that is like visiting an old friend that you only get to see on occasion. Soft, with some humor, but you never question the fact that he really means what he tells you. The kind of voice that you might associate with your father or any other patriarchal figure in your family.
There was also a movie that was made several years ago about the PHC called, oddly enough, “A Prairie Home Companion.” If you have not seen this movie, then I cannot urge you enough to rent it and watch it. While there is a lot of the side story that is just there as filler, the rest gives you a feel for the show itself. Attached it a scene from the movie that I particularly liked.
But the radio program is where you really get to experience the feel of the people and the characters they portray. There is something “comfortable” about listening to this program that I just cannot explain to a person that might not have ever heard of the show before.
If you have a chance, then please take a moment to go to the web site by following this link, and go to their archives and listen to a show or two. I think you will enjoy them. Good music, good stories and in the end, when the program is over, it leaves you with that feeling of emptiness, like you have when you have had a bunch of friends over, and then the time comes for them to leave.