Holt of Lightning

Ah, the stick-mounted fancycam. Only a wheelchair will get more people out of your way. But when you're schlepping one through delicate territory, you gotta be careful where you step. Toxic waste dumps, debris fields ... cafegymnatoriums. Yes, a lot of 'togs would rather pick their way through a sewer pipe spill than navigate the shoals of a kindergarten assembly. Me, I'm not quite so cantankerous - yet. For now, I still like crashing elementary school gatherings, if only to see how much I make out of the smallest of news items. In the above case, I had help from a Grammy winner. David Holt is a living compendium of American folk music, a master of the banjo and slave to the steel guitar. His recent performance at Madison Elementary School not only electrified the young student body but also the crusty cameraman at the back of the room. I was so impressed that as soon as his last jaw-harp solo began to fade, I rushed the stage for an interview and a little friendly chitchat.

So I stepped on a few third grade fingers along the way. They'll only need thumbs to text...