You May Be A Leonard Cohen Fan If …

[lizzytysh]

Hi Amrei ~

Your biggest competitor so far is B4real. Imagine that . PLEASE keep us posted on your progress .

HILARIOUS [it even sounds scripted] comment by the border guard, Rain . That's GOT to make it in to Allan's list.


~ Lizzy

[bridger15]

You might be a Leonard Cohen fan if you GET HELD AT THE CANADIAN BORDER, by the border guard, who says to you (This is the absolute truth) "I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm having trouble believing that you would drive all the way from Kentucky, just to see a Leonard Cohen exhibit. Would you mind pulling over?"

Rain, look at the bright side. At least the Canadian border guard did not respond, "Leonard who?"
You would be surprised at the number of Canadians who have never heard of him. Yes, hard to believe, but true.

Arlene

[Rain]

Rain, look at the bright side. At least the Canadian border guard did not respond, "Leonard who?"
You would be surprised at the number of Canadians who have never heard of him. Yes, hard to believe, but true.
Arlene[/quote]

Well, when we were coming BACK to the U.S. (different bridge, different location) the guard there had no idea who LC was. I thought "Uh oh, now we'll be held up because they'll think I made up some fictional artist who was having an alleged exhibiton!" My hubby and I started sweating at that point (which you don't want to do--appear to be nervous, I mean) because we thought we'd never see home again......every trip I take ends up being an adventure........ .

[Womanfromaroom]

I once heard somewhere - I think it was in the movie "Shadowlands"! - that we "read to know that we are not alone". Well, it seems we also post to know we are not alone... So, if any of my non-LC addicted friends (yes, there are still some of those in spite of my constant "conversion" attempts) think that I am "nerdy", who cares?! After all, there are MANY OF US!! (Just think about how quickly Sligo sold out...)

[bridger15]

Well, when we were coming BACK to the U.S. (different bridge, different location) the guard there had no idea who LC was. I thought "Uh oh, now we'll be held up because they'll think I made up some fictional artist who was having an alleged exhibiton!" My hubby and I started sweating at that point (which you don't want to do--appear to be nervous, I mean) because we thought we'd never see home again......every trip I take ends up being an adventure........ .

Rain. Your adventures are hilarious. I enjoyed all your posts, starting with your decision to drive from Kentucky to Montreal and everything that happened after that. Surely, grist for the Hollywood mill!

---Arlene

[Rain]

I once heard somewhere - I think it was in the movie "Shadowlands"! - that we "read to know that we are not alone". Well, it seems we also post to know we are not alone... So, if any of my non-LC addicted friends (yes, there are still some of those in spite of my constant "conversion" attempts) think that I am "nerdy", who cares?! After all, there are MANY OF US!! (Just think about how quickly Sligo sold out...)

Yes! We are many! But are you actually considered a NERD if you like Leonard Cohen?" If so...then so be it. The world is being overtaken by nerds and geeks, then..it's an epidemic

[Rain]

Surely, grist for the Hollywood mill!

---Arlene[/quote]

Yep, and if Hollywood DID do this story, they would do it in "The Beverly Hillbillies" style...as in us hayseeds traveling North to see Mr. Cohen's draw-in's (we heard he could draw real good...) Actually, when we got held at the border, what the guard probably meant was "I can't believe anybody from Kentucky knows who Leonard Cohen is..."
For an actual movie, (and maybe we should do a fan film),The Beverly Hillbillies angle might work; when my husband is clean-shaven, he's a dead-ringer for Max Baer (Jethro). And I'm thinking BIlly Bob Thornton could direct and star in this epic.....

I'll shut up now......

[bridger15]

The Beverly Hillbillies angle might work; when my husband is clean-shaven, he's a dead-ringer for Max Baer (Jethro). And I'm thinking BIlly Bob Thornton could direct and star in this epic.....

I'll shut up now......

How about you playing yourself? Just plait your hair in pigtails and paint a few large freckles on your face like they did in Hee Haw.

[Rain]

Apparently when you turn forty, the first thing to go is your memory...I failed to mention that I traveled across the border with THIS bumper sticker on my car! Wouldn't THIS give some credibility to my story to the border guard about attending the LC exhibit in Montreal??????????

[lizzytysh]

OH! What a perfect plate, Rain! Where did you have it made? I want one . Surely, you thought to point it out to the border guards! I know panic can make you go mind blank, though. I love your conjecture on what that border guard really meant with his question. I love the movie idea, Beverly Hillbillies style . Perfect, given the distance of your road trip and its point of origin. Your great photo in front of his house can be the marquee shot.

An idea for times such as these and that "WHO!?!" we all go through might be to keep a supply of homemade CDs of a variety of Leonard's songs [now to choose ], I guess beginning with "Hallelujah" for obvious reasons. Along with his name, write in http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com and http://www.speakingcohen.com on its face... and, upon encountering, hand one off to those "WHO!?!"'ers, with "This is him singing some of the songs he's written. You can find out more about him through those phenomenal websites." In fact, when I finally get some 'real' time, I may just make some for myself. I've gotten to where I abysmally start answering that query with "Did you see SHREK?" Well, not everyone has seen Shrek [I've only seen short bits of it, when I've been somewhere else], but with the myriad ways it's been used, that sure doesn't mean they haven't heard "Hallelujah," even in passing. Preferable to trying to sing a few bars or the chorus, which I've done on way more than one occasion. It does tend to elicit recognition, though ["Oh, yeah... that!?! HE wrote that??"], so why not give them something that will automatically take them further in than just momentary recognition of one song that he's written.

Now, back to that license plate...


~ Lizzy

[Rain]

It's not a license plate, it's a bumper sticker, and I got it off ebay, from the Ukraine no less, and yes, I totally forgot about it being on the back bumper as we were going through customs. The people in Montreal were most likely amused. I didn't move fast enough at one point, when the light turned green on Rue Sherbrooke, and the guy behind me honked, but when I looked in the rear-view mirror, he was smiling. Probably felt sorry for me --poor slow Kentuckian....

Anyway, when people ask me the "Who is he?" question, if they are young (teens and 20's) I ask if they've seen Watchmen. Invariably they have and I just say "...the sex scene...Hallelujah..." and they immediately know the song. If it's an older person, that's were I really have to dig through the Cohen files stored in my aging brain....it's harder to get them to understand who he is.

[Amrei]

@ rain


... oh, I need it! Please rain, where can I get this sticker????

Amrei

[lizzytysh]

The people in Montreal were most likely amused. I didn't move fast enough at one point, when the light turned green on Rue Sherbrooke, and the guy behind me honked, but when I looked in the rear-view mirror, he was smiling. Probably felt sorry for me --poor slow Kentuckian....

I'm thinking he thought, "Dear soul... I know you're under the influence and I understand [smiles], but it really is time to move on... "

I thought it was one of those personalized plates. A bumper sticker would be fine, too. The Ukraine, eh? Kewl!

I haven't seen Watchmen, much less the sex scene in it, so I have to rely on Shrek .

[B4real]

@ rain


... oh, I need it! Please rain, where can I get this sticker????

Amrei

me too!!

[LisaLCFan]

Oh, I love that sticker, too! Wonderful!