I turned 16 in 1968.
I was part of the generation and the scene
that accepted Tiny Tim. I don't think Tiny Tim
was a lot different from many here who would love
to be able to get up & play, maybe sing too, and
feel the love from an audience.
I read a careful essay about TT somewhere and
discovered the he took his persona seriously.
The delusion, the return to obscurity, the failed
marriages, almost literally dying onstage, all make
him a poignant figure.
When folks dis him I wonder, would that
person have the courage to go on stage,
being so very far out and knowing he was
inviting ridicule?
I'm not suggesting he's a great ambassador
for the ukulele, but he's a fair representative
of humanity. Could do worse, certainly.
