BY THE WAY: SIGHT FOUND IN RARE SOUND OF MUSIC

The song "The Thrill Is Gone" kept coming back to me as we made our way to the Blues Festival in St. Louis last weekend.

I'm not sure why I kept running that song over and over in my mind. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that a picture and information about the legendary B.B. King crossed my desk during the week.

King was scheduled to play at the Fox Theatre on Friday night with Little Feat and Dr. John.

I met some friends at Sundeckers, a watering hole that overlooks the banks of the Mississippi in historic Laclede's Landing. It seemed there were as many people from Cape Girardeau at Sundeckers as there were from any other area.

After a few hours of reflecting on old times in St. Louis, I forgot about B.B. King and the song he made famous.

We made our way to different spots in Laclede's Landing and finally found a place that appealed to everyone's tastes. I remembered the place as Muddy Waters. It has since been sold and is now called Show Me's.

Much to my delight, I learned the band called Muddy Waters still plays at the place.

Our initial search for a table proved frustrating. We finally asked two men if they would mind if we shared their table. They simply smiled and shook their heads.

I thought it strange that they looked friendly enough but were reluctant to talk to us. A friend of mine introduced herself to the one closest to her and he shook her hand. There was so much fervor and warmth to the handshake, one might have thought we had just rescued them from an uncomfortable situation.

After a few minutes they finally decided to speak. They were both deaf but one was able to communicate well enough to carry on a brief conversation.

Richard handled most of the conversation while Tom seemed content to just read our lips. When Richard and Tom learned that my friend could converse in sign language, their faces brightened to a glow I knew I would never forget.

My friend asked Richard if he cared to dance. He looked at her as if he thought she might be kidding. Seriously, she said, let's give it a whirl.

Richard decided she was on the level and followed her to the dance floor. I watched as they danced. I would learn later that he used the vibrations to follow the song's rhythm. But he relied on her signs to follow the words. I couldn't help notice how much he appreciated such a simple pleasure.

He looked like a child discovering what it was like to walk for the first time. The longer he was able to dance without some kind of embarrassment or ridicule, the more he seemed willing to let the richness of the moment touch his soul.

I was moved upon noticing that a man and woman witnessing the same scene had to fight back tears. When Richard came back to the table he told us we were "OK people".

"People like you guys take us for a whole package, not a three-quarter deal," said Richard. Tom nodded his head to show he was in complete agreement.

Through some sign language and verbal exchanges we learned that we were the first group in several years to welcome these two as complete individuals. I decided the only difference was in the degree of their communicative skills rather than the kind of people they were.

Sadly enough, the waitresses seemed reluctant to return to their table for a second order of a drink or food. But when we accompanied them, they seemed to have an attitude adjustment.

I started to think of B.B. King and that song once again. And then I realized something. For Tom and Richard, the thrill of life wasn't gone. This was just one of the few times they knew it was attainable with a little help from friends.

~Bill Heitland is a staff writer at the Southeast Missourian.