Doc Stevens

Tondeleo: As you know, I've been trying to get Doc and Marilyn to open up a bit more about the two weeks they spent in Hawaii last year, courtesy of a friend who wanted them to get a break, and catch a broader view of life than just the southeastern part of the United States.

I was out of the country when all this happened, and they had never mentioned it. Only by chance Doc mentioned it a few months ago and then wouldn't talk about it anymore. Marilyn was the same way. If pushed, they may talk about it a few minutes and then change the subject. Fortunately they do have a few photos that were taken of them on Marilyn's phone.

So tell us a bit more about your trip to Hawaii. Like, how was the hotel?

Marilyn: It was beee-YOUtiful, Tondy! We were up on the fourth floor and could see mountains and the beach and the water! I took pictures on my phone of the view looking off the balcony. 

Doc: It was all right. I got to play guitar a lot. I missed my panel truck. I don't usually go no where without it. But I couldn't bring it with me. Just a picture I brought in my guitar case.

As for the motel, first thing I do when I go into a motel room is if it's summer I turn on the AC full blast and if it's winter, I jack up the heat.

Tondeleo: And why is that, Doc?

Doc: 'Cause I ain't got AC at my place and my heat aint that good neither. If I can go to a motel room and get heat and AC and a good hot bath, that's all the vacation I need.

But guess what, Tondy? They didn't HAVE any heat or AC in the motel room! I looked all over for it and so did Marilyn and it wasn't there! I'm thinkin' what kind of cheap hellhole did Billy book us into? Marilyn called the front desk and found out something crazy. NO heat or AC!

Marilyn: You know why? Because the lady at the front desk said it doesn't get hot enough for AC and doesn't get cold enough for heat! She said it's about 72 degrees year round so we don't need heat or AC!

Doc: Well they hadn't met a poor man before. We don't care if we NEED heat or AC. We just use it cause we ain't got it at home and it's free with the room! If it's Summer and is 72 degrees, I'm still gonna use the AC! I'm paying for it - well, Billy did this time. I might have it down to 60 degrees just because I can!

If it was Winter, I'd set it to 80 or 85 degrees because nothin' says vacation like getting good and warm in the winter. I mean, I aint really had no real vacations, but I HAVE stayed in plenty of motels before.

Tondeleo: So, with no heat and no AC, were you comfortable?

Marilyn: It was wonderful, Tondy! I think it is what Heaven will be like, only shorter. 

Doc: Yeah, I was comfortable. It just took a while to get used to having the windows open like it was at home. Plus, they had them jealousy windows what wind out. that was different. Also, the screen door with bars on it, so you could have it open all night but no one could get in and rob you. But you gotta play and sing quieter 'cause everyone else got their door open, too.

But, I liked it, yeah.

Tondeleo: Back in the Summer, I found out that Doc and Marilyn had gone to Hawaii! Someone paid for them to go out there and take a break, meet some new people, play some places that they would never play on there own. 

I asked them why hadn't they told me about it and they were both embarrassed because they had never been there before. They had never flown in an airplane before. They had no idea where Hawaii actually was, even after they had been there. None of their friends knew anything about Hawaii. It made them feel like outcasts! I told them that I would count myself triple lucky to go to Hawaii, but they shook their heads, "no."

Marilyn: It really WAS weird, Tondy! NOBODY we know has ever been to Hawaii, so some of them laughed when we said we were going there. They made fun of us, like we thought we were better than them or something. Some didn't believe we were really going there, and said we were probably just going to South of the Border, SC and thought that it was the same thing as Hawaii...

Doc: Yeah, that's because a few years ago I went to South of the Border, and thought I was in Cuba. I didn't know any better. I saw that big Pedro and thought I was at the Cuban border. What else would it be? I ain't never been south of North Carolina til then.

I was workin' on my truck there at South of the Border - well, Cuba to me - and one of their security guards told me to quit. I told him I was a 'merican citizen and he said he didn't care if I was from the moon - which I am not - that I needed to stop working on my truck or he'd have me locked up. I stopped. Not because I was scared of him, because I wasn't, but I didn't want to go to no Cuba jail. Later someone told me it weren't really Cuba, it was just South Carolina. Hey, how was I supposed to know?

Marilyn: Since nobody believed us, when we talked about Hawaii and didn't know where it was, we just kept it to ourselves about Hawaii.

Tondeleo: So, tell me about your trip to Hawaii!

Doc: Well, first thing, it wasn't all filled with pretty girls in grass skirts and wearin' coconuts instead of shirts. I was figurin' that they'd be all over the airport, doin' hula dances and hangin' flowers around our necks. But no, that didn't happen.  I DID see Randy Travis at the airport. He was helpin' someone carry their suitcases.

I tried to get him to carry my guitar case, because it was heavy. I had the acoustic guitar in it and it was stuffed full of a lot of things I might need. Old Randy looked at me like I was crazy. I said, '"Yeah, go ahead and look at me like that, Mr. High and Mighty! You treat me like this after all your CD's that I copied!"

I carried my own guitar and let Randy Travis get back to carryin' suitcases. I brought my acoustic because I wasn't sure they'd have electricity out there yet... but they already do!

Marilyn: And it was beautiful, Tondy! It was the perfect temperature! Not too hot, not too cold! Just right! And everyone wears flipflops! 

It was funny to watch Doc because he doesn't have any flipflops and doesn't wear shorts. He stuck out like a bad belly button, walking around in camo and work boots!

Doc: I ain't gonna be a phony just because I'm not at home! Hawaiian shirts, shorts, flipflops! Some people can do that, but not me. I don't know how to be anyone but me.

Marilyn: But you DID find some flipflops on the beach and you wore them the rest of the time! And you DID cut off one of your pairs of jeans after a couple of days...

Doc: Yeah, well I figured the Good Lord wanted me to try out some flipflops, since my boots was wet and my socks were too - and He provided me with them flipflops there on the beach. What would YOU do?

Tondeleo: I'm sure I'd wear them, too, Doc. 

Marilyn: It was funny seein' him in flipflops and shorts! With his white, white legs! They hadn't seen the sun probably since he was a baby, Tondy!

Doc: Well... now you know why I don't wear shorts! My legs got all sunburned and hurt for three days! Why? All because I tried to fit in!

Marilyn: No, all because you didn't wear sunblock! Tondy, his legs looked like two skinny hams!

Doc: Long pants ARE sunblock! Why would I wear shorts and then put on sunblock? Makes no sense.

But we had a good time, Tondy.  We can talk about it later...