Washboard Willy doesn't just appear on stage at show time. Rather, Willy, who also answers to Larry Hiskett, straps on his custom-made washboard, hitches himself to his 750-pound motorized rhythm jalopy Rocko, and marches in the front gate, singing and playing as he goes.
This entrance takes Hiskett, 60, right past the door of my secret blogging cave. When I heard him going by the first time, I got up from my keyboard and went to see.
I was ready to be mildly amused by him, but there's more to Willy than props and a goofy persona. What I saw instead is how good he makes people feel. I was struck by how this lifelong drummer and former landscape architect is living a life that is both genuine and generous.
As Willy performed on the Main Lawn, people smiled while children danced and played percussion instruments he provided. In the back, a man in a wheelchair waved a large American flag gently back and forth.
For me, Washboard Willy perfectly captures and adds to the goodness that is at the heart of this great fair.
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