Thunder Road

Hey, guys, go on in.

I'll be right there, thank you for coming.

We would like to thank everyone for coming out

to celebrate the life of Brenda Amelia Arnaud.

Brenda was well-loved.

She spent her life as as accountant and a dance instructor.

Jim, we love you; we're here for you.

- Oh! Yeah, thanks. - You're gonna get through it.

She lived to the age of 54.

Thanks a lot. Oh, thank you.

She left us too soon.

She was survived by three children,

Shane, Morgan, and James.

James is with us here today,

and he's like to say a few words.

James, would you please join us, please?

Oh yeah. Yeah, thanks.

Sorry.

Do you have everything you need? You're prepared?

Oh yeah, no, I'm fine. Thank you so much.

Hey, everybody.

Thank you for coming.

Brenda was a free spirit.

She was a wonderful mother.

She had three children.

My brother and my sister couldn't make it today

but I've spoken to them on the phone.

She had 7 grandkids

who loved her very much.

She was a certified public account,

and she ran the dance academy

here in town until about

2009? Next to the old drug store.

My mother

didn't believe in any of this!

Not that that's a bad thing, she

never judged anybody

and, loved everybody, and

cared for everybody, and

never put herself first, it seems like

hearing some-

sorry yeah, thank you so much for comin'

Kevin, Matt, we got people here, Judy

Thank you, it means a lot, thank you

My mother was an extremely charitable woman

she donated to my school once when I was a kid

There was this girl in my grade named Caitlin

and she had Down's Syndrome

or she had something

she was

she, no, she was a

she was horrible-she was a bitch, this girl

and I know you're not supposed to say that

about a little girl, bless her heart, but

she used to bite kids a lot

and she'd just come out at you

and, I, the nightmares I used to have

She actually bit a teacher and

Anyway

My mom donated, like, a thousand dollars

to the school, because

She wasn't allowed to play on the play structures

it was too dangerous

but my Mom wanted her to -

so they built her a little playhouse and

my Mom donated like a thousand dollars and

she didn't like the idea of her being left out

and she did it all anonymously!

She didn't tell anybody about it or anything

and I don't have that in me.

Whatever that is, but uh, it was her, and-

I opened the door for somebody this morning and I

got angry that they didn't say thanks

Sorry.

I had some stuff, uh, I had some stuff written down.

You're fine.

When you're a kid and you think about stuff, you

learn about America and the founding-

Thomas Jefferson and all that.

But when you're a kid, you think about it and say

"Yeah, you know, these guys they did all this."

It doesn't mean anything to you.

And then you grow up, and

you realize, these guys were incredible

and they were just people

like us, who lived, and loved-

had a kid!

And then you think about your mom

and your dad

and the stories they used to tell you

when you were growing up, of them, being young.

And before I called her Mom she was Brenda.

Sorry.

I don't know if I can keep going.

Keep going, you've got this.

Yeah?

You can do this, go on.

That's cool.

Yeah, no, I'm fine.

She was just so wonderful and

I gave her hell growing up

we gave each other hell

and... it gets to you when you grow up

and I'm one of the good guys now!

But I was just mean to her

I'd lie to her

I didn't mean to be

John Wayne.

I tell my daughter sometimes,

"Hey, never say anything mean to me."

Not for my sake, obviously, you know, I can take it

I'm a grown man.

But you would just hate for her to have to look back and

I was just stupid.

I was just so stupid.

I have, um-

I am a dyslexic.

I never even think about it really,

when I was in high school I had to listen to all of these books on tape

it looks like the words are all jumbled up when you're reading

I can do it, I'm just not that fast

but when I went to school at LSU

Go Tigers.

We found out they weren't gonna have anything like that for my textbooks

and so my Mom bought a little tape recorder-

and so she

and so she'd read all the things that I had to read so I could do well in school

that's all she wanted.

Screwed that up.

And I'd say "hey thanks Mom, for doing that"

"that means a lot, sending it to me in the mail", but

she must have been up so late

and it gets to you when you grow up

it eats you alive.

I'm so sorry, I'm so

I had it planned, I wasn't-I

Go ahead, you're fine.

Anywho!

My mom was a big fan of Bruce Springsteen

she loved Bruce Springsteen

and "Bruce Springsteen" meant leaving your small town and going to do something with your life

and she said that she wouldn't have left

if she hadn’t heard him-she loved him so much.

I'm so sorry.

She used to sing Thunder Road to me when I was going to sleep

and I'm not a singer, or a dancer-

or you know, anything my daughter is the creative one, but

people said it'd be a good idea if I brought it in, so

so I brought it in and, uh

Yeah, so I'm gonna sing it.

Okay...

I had it working this morning, I promise.

Come on just fucking work.

Come on, please, just-sorry.

It's not gonna work, uh

yeah! Could you do that? That'd be great

It's, uh, it's just Track 4 thank you so much.

Uh, it's a beautiful song, How do you explain it?

It's a song this guy, telling this girl to leave their small town forever

to change their lives-

Should we just call the manufacturer?

Change their lives forever for the better

and my Mom really loved it-

It's not gonna work? No, he's saying it's not gonna work.

I'm sorry, uh well

Typical! I uh-

I don't even know if it's gonna work without the song to be honest with you

but I did a lot of planning for it and I love my Mom

and so I'm just gonna do it, and I don't know what else to do, so-

It starts out and there's a harmonica

and this girl walks out on her porch

and she's listening to Roy Orbison

and back in the day

Roy Orbison used to sing songs for sad and lonely people

so they wouldn't be sad and lonely anymore.

It's a beautiful song. You can find it.

Actually they whole thing is on YouTube I have it on my phone

I could have just done that now that I think about it.

I'm just gonna do it.

Uh, I'm gonna be sick.

Sorry.

Crystal, go sit back down with Mommy.

Crystal, please go sit back down with Mommy, honey.

Crystal, go sit, uh

I'm sorry, I didn't even get half-I'm sorry

It's ok honey.

It's ok, honey, it's alright Daddy is just dancing.

Daddy's just dancing

Oh, Mona, I didn't mean to make you cry!

I'm sorry!

Your mascara is all over the- You look awful.

Do you want to take some time outside?

Do I have to leave?

No, no, do you want to take your seat?

Oh, yeah, yeah, I can got sit, yeah that's fine, I can sit down

Sorry, I thought you were

Yeah, that's fine-Actually, uh

could I say, could I-let me just say "goodbye" real quick?

Of course, of course!

Fuck, what do you do? Uh...