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My Gen X Playlist: Blood and Roses – The Smithereens

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So, I’m a bleeder. If I cut myself, I’ll bleed for hours. I was filleting a fish on our recent camping/fishing trip and I sliced my finger. With all of the blood, you would have thought I cut a carotid artery.

I once participated in a sales presentation. While shaving that morning, I cut the mole above my upper lip. Man, you would have thought it was a crime scene with all the blood. I looked at the clock as I put a band aid on hoping that would make it stop. I had three hours before the presentation. Just maybe it would be enough time.

I kept looking in the rear view mirror as I drove in traffic. Has the bleeding stopped? What will I do if it didn’t? Am I screwed? I rolled into the parking structure and removed the band aid. The bleeding seemed to have subsided. Whew.

Prior to walking into the presentation, I stepped into the restroom for one last look. It appeared to scab up a bit. I tried to wipe some of the dried blood off. Big. Fucking. Mistake. The blood began to ooze. Damn.

Fortunately we sat around a conference table during the presentation. I was sitting at the end, my bloodied upper lip away from the rest of the group. Of course, as I was speaking, all I could think about was my bloody lip and wondering what everyone was thinking. I seemed to survive the ordeal, but it left a permanent scar. The experience was utterly ridiculous. I now shave with an electric razor on days when I have a presentation to avoid an encore performance. This happened almost 20 years ago but stays with me to this day. This blooper reel definitely found it’s place on my greatest hits album. Thank goodness I’m able to laugh at it now. Well, mostly, that is…

It was long ago
Seems like yesterday

I have my first client presentation since being off on sabbatical over a year. The opening lines to The Smithereens song Blood and Roses made me chuckle. I know I won’t be a bleeder on this one. No way I will endure that twice in a lifetime. Believe me, once was enough.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

It was long ago
Seems like yesterday
Saw you standing in the rain
Then I heard you say

I want to love but it comes out wrong
I want to live but I don't belong
I close my eyes and I see
Blood and roses

Love flowers in the springtime
October we were wed
In wintertime the roses died
The blood ran cold and then she said

I want to love but it comes out wrong
I want to live but I don't belong
I close my eyes and I see
Blood and roses

It was long ago
Seems like yesterday
Saw you standing in the rain
Then I heard you say

I need your love but it comes out wrong
I try to live but I don't belong
I close my eyes and I see
Blood and roses
Blood and roses
Blood and roses
Blood and roses

13 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist: Blood and Roses – The Smithereens”

  3. Yikes! I’m glad electric razors are safe! Well, if that ever happens again before a presentation, make out of it a good joke and add it to your presentation. People love storytelling.

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  5. Oof, I haven’t cut myself like that in a very long time, thankfully. I was saying to the past you as I was reading. *Don’t. Fucking. Touch It.* I finally found the good mix of blades and oil that works perfect for my skin but also thankfully, I don’t need to shave everyday as I don’t have a heavy growth or a place to go most days of the week.

    Hadn’t heard this one before… cool track.

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