Retirement

Sometimes you just get so old and worn out you have to retire.  You just can't work anymore.

So I got this t-shirt at a Grateful Dead concert circa 1992.  We were actually leaving the concert and I had to borrow money from three friends just to get it as I had no cash left.  It has, over the years, been one of my favorites and one that elicited the most comments.

The front is, of course, a play on the song St. Stephen by the Grateful Dead, which happens to feature my name.

The lyrics of the song, at least the relevant portions, are as follows (from The Annotated Grateful Dead project by David Dodd:

Saint Stephen with a rose
In and out of the garden he goes
Country garland in the wind and the rain
Wherever he goes the people all complain

There has been a fair amount of discussion (as there is with all GD songs) as to the meaning of the lyrics.  In this case, some have suggested that the complaining was by people to St Stephen (who was martyred as described in the New Testament book of Acts).  However, it takes on new meaning when you think of the Acts of Calvin.  Here is the back of the shirt with the re-interpreted song lyric.

Unfortunately this shirt can no longer work.  It is full of holes and the fabric is getting so weak that pulling it over my head the other day caused a tear.  I hate to get rid of it because of the history and the personal connection, but there it is.  Immortalized on my blog.  At least until Google deletes it.

Now I think I might have to recreate.  A new t-shirt, with the same design.

All of which reminds me, I have another really cool Dead shirt upstairs somewhere.  I'll have to dig it out and let you take a look at that one as well.