Joy Division

I hope Thanksgiving treated all of you United Statesians well. I didn't stop all weekend until Sunday as the YS was in town and I spent Thursday, Friday and Saturday (until I dropped her off at the airport) with her. Mom was home for Thanksgiving but then hopped on a plane Friday morning for Hawaii (which I didn't even know about until last Sunday when I asked her what time sushi was on Friday and she said "I'm not going to be there." "Why not?" "I'm going to be in Hawaii.") Everybody else knew, just not me. She's harassing the LB and his girlfriend, so more power to them.

I've decided to tell you all how I got so into Joy Division, since so many of you have never heard of them (which, sadly, is not surprising).

When I was 15 I got a job at the local Burger King, probably ¾ of mile from my house. I met great people over the course of the six painful horrible horrific years I worked there. The work was all those bad words, the people, for the most part, were lovely. Just making sure you knew that wasn't sarcasm.

There was an automotive plant across the street from us which gave us a ton of business. We'd see them coming and yell to get ready. We just ran our feet off Monday through Friday lunch time. It was insane. After a couple of years I had to "moved up" to opening the store (back in the days before BK served breakfast) along with a couple of other people and Joe D. Joe D is the only one I remember, however. There was an old fashioned record player there, for some reason, and Joe would bring in records to play. The favorite for way too long was Pink Floyd until I finally begged him to bring in something else. Dear God, I hated them. I don't hate them now, necessarily, but every single day for months was just too much. Joe next brought in T. Rex which I liked better than Pink Floyd, but still after a while I got tired of that too. Joe finally brought in Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures album, and that was it. It didn't get nearly the playing time that the others had gotten, sadly, but I definitely liked it immediately.

Joe was my age and lived in my town, but I went to Catholic school and he went to public, so we only ever saw each other at work. He was a good guy, but he didn't take stress very well and he would get really cranky when it was stupid busy and we'd have to wait on food to "push" orders. We actually liked each other, but in the heat of a rush, we became known for saying, "I hate you, Kathleen." "I hate you, Joe D." I'm pretty sure he started it. ;-) Anyway, some fellow co-workers actually thought we were serious, but while it wasn't really said in fun, it wasn't meant. If that makes sense. Joe was a great guy, just not meant for the fast food life, not that anybody really is.

I stopped working at Burger King while in college, but still stopped by on occasion and kept in touch with numerous people. In 1985, Joe joined a punk band with another former BK-er (although he was pretty short-lived as an employee). I forget the name of the band, but I keep thinking it had something to do with dead kittens - classic punk rock attitude there.

One day I was driving past the old BK and decided to stop in. There had been some discussion of catching the band at their next gig and I was looking for information. I walked in and somebody saw me (don't remember who it was for the life of me) and she went to get Ruth (the manager). Ruth came out and said (this is total paraphrasing, as 22 years later I don't remember exactly what was said, and probably couldn't have told you five minutes after she told me), "Oh, Kathleen. I'm so glad you stopped by. Joe was killed last night." I couldn't believe what she was telling me, but he had been driving eastbound on Plymouth Road in Detroit where they were doing construction and they had the eastbound traffic merged over next to the westbound lanes, so instead of the usual two lanes in each direction and a left hand turn lane, there was now two lanes, one in each direction. Somehow Joe crossed the line and hit a SEMTA bus head-on.

Ruth gave me the funeral home information and that night I went up to the funeral home and as I walked in I heard Joe's former girlfriend say, "I wonder if Kat knows." There was much crying, as expected, and many memories shared about our days at Burger King, as a good many BK-ers had shown up. They had an open casket and although I'd have to say the funeral director did an amazing job, considering, it didn't really look like Joe. I visited his gravesite a few times, but it has been many many years since I've been there.

A little after the funeral I asked my friend Daiva at college if her boyfriend Dave would make me tapes of Joy Division, as I knew he was a huge JD fan. I still have those tapes he made for me 20+ years ago, along with every CD Factory Records has put out of Joy Division's over the years, including the reissues earlier this month with an extra previously unreleased live concert CD in Unknown Pleasures, Closer, and Still. I even bought the reissued LPs even though I don't own a record player. Could that be a sign of obsession?

At any rate, I thank Joe D for introducing me to Joy Division all those years ago. I love you, Joe D.