This song was written on June 22, 1990, after the funeral of Ken’s Aunt Rita from Rhode Island in just 2 short hours.
Rita was such a wonderful lady whom Ken was always eager to visit. Many times he would spend the summer with her and her husband. Rita was the sister of Ken’s mother Eva and the two of them visited pretty often.
The funeral really took it’s toll on Ken and there were several times he would break down crying so hard; his mother comforted him and just hugged him until he stopped sobbing. “I can still remember crying so hard just staring out the window in my Step-Father’s Cadillac on the way to Rhode Island”.
Ken’s Aunt Rita steered him straight when he drifted away many times. Spending many summers in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, they would venture off to Jamestown and finally into Newport. It was one summer when Ken had totally misunderstood the phrase ‘off your rocker’ after saying this about his Uncle Bob. Bob really was off his rocker…and Ken wanted to sit in it before he got back. Rita misunderstood Ken and informed him what that phrase really meant. Of course it was not meant they way it came out, but looking back now, it must have been pretty funny for such a young kid to be saying such a thing. They probably laughed over it that evening after everyone went to bed. Things kids say.
Rita had a very distinctive laugh that could be heard in a crowd of people all talking. When she laughed, she made others laugh; making the happiness ‘so worth while’.