From Gris & More dated 9/23/07.

There's a difference between being negative and being skeptical. Some would say there is a huge difference, much more than the 619 pages that separate the two words inside the 2,662-page Webster's dictionary in our newsroom.

I don't handle negativity very well. Sadly, it has become a way of life for many people. They can't find much of anything to be happy about. They blame their troubles on somebody else. There doesn't seem to be a single positive cell in their batteries.

The skeptics are a little easier to stomach. There are times when I'm one of them myself. I have my questions. I have my doubts. I want proof. Show me.

So, I can certainly understand why some folks may be skeptical about the upcoming attempt to set the world's record for "largest kazoo band" at the Georgia State Fair on Thursday.

They point to Macon's poor track record. It's a great city with terrific people but there are way too many buttons, pockets and zippers on this garment. Despite hard work and noble efforts, events in this town can often be a tough sell. There never seems to be a unified front for anything.

Call me Pollyanna with a kazoo in my hand but I would like to believe we will get more than 2,800 people at Luther Williams Field to take aim at the record.

Yes, I realize there are a number of you who aren't sure which end of the instrument to put in your mouth. And that's OK. There may even be a few who don't know the difference between kazoo and kudzu. That may take a little more work.

But, as Woody Allen says, 90 percent of life is showing up.

Sometimes it just takes a little effort.

For the past few weeks, I've been using my fingers, a calculator and an abacus to try to calculate how many folks have told me they will be there. This ranges from school groups, high school bands, church organizations, civic clubs and retirement communities. And these folks are not just coming from Macon. They're coming from the hinterlands of Middle Georgia to help us break the record.

They want to be part of what could be a shining moment.

Sure, there will be curiosity seekers who will turn out because it is offbeat and unique.

There will be others who are thrilled at the chance to be part of a record on the pages of Guinness.

And there will be those who will simply stumble into the moment. They will already be at the fair, and someone will persuade them to come over and hum a few bars of "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay."

I'm straddling the line between an estimate and a guesstimate. One thousand? Two thousand? 184,637?

The good men and women at the Exchange Club of Macon, who operate the Georgia State Fair, are being both optimistic and prepared. They've ordered 6,000 kazoos to hand out to participants, with special commemorative kazoos going to the first 500 to arrive as an incentive to get there and start warming up before 7:30 p.m.

In my wildest dreams, the grandstand at Luther Williams Field will be filled, and an enthusiastic throng of kazooers will spill onto the field under a harvest moon. (If we can't howl at the moon, we can at least hum at the moon.) With everyone hitting the notes - on key, of course - it will sound like a giant bee hive right there on the banks of the Ocmulgee River.

In my worst nightmares, only a handful of loyalists come through the turnstiles. The rest are either sitting at home or stuck in a massive traffic jam outside Central City Park.

With long faces, they try to make a joyful noise. And Exchange Club members are scratching their heads, trying to figure out what to do with a bunch of leftover plastic instruments.

So this is my plea.

Let's make it happen.

Why is it important? Macon is believed to be the birthplace of the kazoo, where it was introduced at the Georgia State Fair in 1852. We are the home of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. The kazoo attempt will take place at the home ballpark of the Macon Music, which has a mascot named "Kazoo."

The song selected for the record-breaking attempt, "The Dock of the Bay," was sung by the late Otis Redding, who helped put Macon on the map all over the world. (Last Friday night's musical tribute to Redding at the City Auditorium was one of the finest musical events I have ever attended.)

Barbara Stewart, the country's leading authority on kazoos, is coming to Macon to lead the chorus. A film crew from Farmer's Almanac TV, which is shown on PBS in 47 states, will be in town to (hopefully) document the record. Dave Price, the weatherman for CBS-TV's "The Early Show" will be in town for a Friday morning show, so we may try to hook him up with a kazoo, too.

It's also "College Night" at the fair, with lots of other good music besides the kazoo chorus.

"It's a feel-good event," said Macon-Bibb County Fire Chief Jimmy Hartley, who serves as chairman of the fair's board of directors. "It's something that can bring people together. And we could use some togetherness."

Yep, we're pretty tired of all the bruises and black eyes. This city has been walking with its tail between its legs for too long.

OK, here's my wish. Years from now, you are rocking on the front porch and someone will say: "I remember back on Sept. 27, 2007, when folks in Macon set the world record for a kazoo band at the fair."

You will not be able to contain your smile.

"Yes, I know," you will say. "I was there."

Reach Gris at 744-4275.

www.macon.com/545/story/143450.html

Reach Gris at 744-4275 or egrisamore@macon.com.