We are defined by the time we grew up. I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard 'If you had grown up in the depression.........", from my parents. Obviously, the depression defined their youth.
For me, one of the defining characters outside of sports was the brilliant comedian, Richard Pryor. Back in the day, when I still had an 'acidic' tongue, I could do just about any Pryor bit, chapter and verse.
There are still a few of my buddies who will reply when anyone says, How about......(insert any subject), and one of us will say, How 'bout Miss Rudolph, followed by another buddy saying, "How 'bout your mama.
For those of you who don't know Pryor, that means nothing. For those of you who know that famous 'Mudbone' bit, you are rolling.
Some find Pryor offensive. The language was rough. He dropped the 'N' bomb all the time. To this day, if you look it up on "YouTube", the bit he did on Saturday Night Live with Chevy Chase is still one of the all time greats.
If you were a fan, you have a favorite bit. If you have a favorite Richard Pryor bit, feel free to share. My all time favorite is the one where is talking about the difference between black and white church. To quote Pryor, 'at black church, you get a show for your money'. He goes into a preacher bit...quoting from the book of Wonder....(Stevie, that is)
(in preacher voice) A boy was born, in hardtime Mississippi. Surrounded by four walls that were not pretty. His parents (that's two peoples) give him love and attention, keepin' him strong, movin' in the right direction. Give him just enough, I said just enough, for the city....then they shift on you say...
You know, I first met God, in 1929. I never will forget this. You see, I was walkin' down the street. I don't believe you heard me. I said, I was walkin' down the street. I was not runnin', I was walllllllllkkkkkkkkiiiiiinnnnggggg. Eatin' a tuna fish sandwich. And I heard this voice call out to me, and I knew it was the voice of God. For it came from without a dark alley way....as only the voice of God could come. But I did not venture down that dark alley way. For it might not have been the voice of God....but two or three N!&&E*s with a baseball bat. God only knows...and he wasn't talkin' and I wasn't walkin'.
Take care.
