Worried Man Blues

“Worry? …Why do I let myself worry? Wonderin’ …What in the world did I do???” Do you recall this Patsy Cline riff from the 1961 hit ‘Crazy’? This heart-rending song, written by Willie Nelson, is recognized as the number one jukebox hit of all time. The song has been stuck in my cranium ever since I decided to write something about a commonly shared, distressing, and uniquely human frame of mind... worrying! We are likely the only creatures on earth that suffer from this malady. I believe that every thinking and caring person worries from time to time, and that worrying is only bad when it becomes an anxious obsession. Often, a little bit of worry can keep us out of a lot of hot water. The unforgettable humorist Erma Bombeck said that “Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.” And our beloved Mark Twain said, “I’ve had a lot of worries in my lifetime, most of which have never happened.” What are other terms we use for ‘worry’? ….anxiety, apprehension, dread, distress, fear, fret, upset, tension, stressed-out...there are a dozen others we could name. When at its worst, worry can be a debilitating disease process. It grabs hold of you and holds you in a mindless state of limbo, which can prevent you from making decisions or taking positive actions. And conversely, even at its best, worry can simply be a big time waster. I am also certain that ‘worry’ has become more pervasive in our society since the Covid pandemic struck. It seems that every day there is some new calamity being reported to keep us anxious and ‘tore-up’ as our mothers used to say. I think if you want a good night’s sleep, it’s best not to watch the 10:00 pm nightly news! We know that many people over-eat, over-drink, smoke, take prescription medications or even illicit drugs to try to alleviate their stress and worry. And being sold in every store are the new ‘Fidget Toys’... silicone push-pop bubble boards and spinners which are touted to reduce stress and anxiety in a safe, non-addictive way. Perhaps there is something to this other than a simply a current marketing fad, I’m not sure. But for certain this concept of fidgeting with your hands to help calm you has a long history. Papa Vanelli’s ‘Worry Beads’ Most folks in northeast Mississippi will remember the delightful raconteur and restaurateur, Demetrios Kapanekas, who gave himself the moniker ‘ Papa Vanelli.’ This man, a Greek transplant to America after WWII, deserves a story all to himself. Memories of his larger than life personality, and his famed restaurants (both in Ripley and more famously in later years, Vanelli’s in Tupelo) have brought to mind a special memory I have of ‘the Papa.’ Papa lived in Ripley and was a dear friend and patient of mine. I noticed him from time to time playing with a string of large beautiful amber beads, and nosy me, I had to ask about them. Papa said they were Greek ‘worry beads’ (in the Greek language ‘komboloi’) and they were very special to him because they were (according to Papa) made from petrified egg yolks that had been buried for over 100 years! He proudly fingered with the beads primarily while overseeing his wonderful North Gloster Street restaurant in Tupelo and visiting and schmoozing with all the customers. Running a busy restaurant is certainly a worrisome undertaking and he was a hard man to please! He never wanted anyone to leave his establishment hungry, unhappy or disappointed. At any rate, the human condition of worry and the Greek cultural use of worry beads have both been around for many thousands of years. (see photo of Worry Beads taken from Wikipedia) “There Are Really Only Two Things to Worry About” My patient and friend Terry Miller of Blue Mountain and I were talking one morning about “worries, cares, and woes” and he said, “Hey, you know there are only two things to ever worry about, don’t you, Doc?” To which I answered “No, but I’m sure you are going to enlighten me this morning with some wise philosophy, so go for it!” There are only two things to ever worry about... Whether you are healthy or whether you are sick, And if you are healthy, then you have no worries... But if you are sick, then you have two things to worry about, Whether you’ll get better, or whether you’ll get worse. But if you get better, then you have no worries... And if you get worse, you have just two things to worry about, Whether you will live or whether you will die. If you live, then you’ve got nothing to worry about... But if you die, then you have just two things to worry about, Whether you will go to heaven or whether you will go to hell. If you go to heaven, then you’ve got nothing to worry about... But if you go to hell, COME SEE DR. LAMPTON AT THE FRYE/MAGNOLIA CLINIC BUILDING LOCATED AT 111 MAGNOLIA STREET!!! WORRIED MAN BLUES---The amber beads carried by Papa Vanelli were exactly like the example in the middle row of this photo. WORRIED MAN BLUES--- The front of Papa Vanelli’s restaurant in Tupelo in the 1980s. WORRIED MAN BLUES--- One of Papa Vanelli’s famous Baklava. Southernisms: WORRIED MAN BLUES By Dwalia South, MD Gazette Contributing Editor WORRIED MAN BLUES--- Papa Vanelli, beloved restaurateur and storyteller, is pictured here with his children, who shared in the vibrant legacy of food, family, and Greek tradition. (SEE SOUTH, SOUTH you’ll have two things to worry about, Will the devil make you ‘original’ or ‘extra crispy’!!! That evening I checked with “Dr. Google” about the ‘two things to worry about.’ Sure enough, the proverb was found online titled “The Irishman’s Philosophy.” The body of the text was the same, except for the final line... ‘ But if you go to hell you will be so busy shaking hands with all your old friends you won’t have time to worry!’ A Few More Thoughts