Where the music takes us

Yesterday I played out at a nursing home where i used to play regularly. It's been months since I was last there and it was so good to see everyone.  I was so surprised to see my old friend Danny walking with a cane. I've always known him to use a wheelchair and so this was great to see. He smiled and laughed when he saw the joy and surprise in my face when I said, "well, look who it is, walking up to me!" He said, "I got better," and smiled as it some secret made it happen.

We sang our favorite songs and it was like no time passed between us. My favorite part is after some songs, we talk about what memories we have with that song. At one point, I was talking about singing on the bus when we went on field trips in school. Then Ms. Martha said that one day when she got to school, she was sent to the principle's office. When she got there, she was told, 'Martha--we're gonna need you to drive the bus to school on Monday." And that was that. She was only 13.  From that day forward she drove that yellow school bus for years and years. "It ain't easy drivin' a bus," she said. Everyone was looking at her like, "wow." The stories we can tell and share over a song. It's incredible.

When we were done singing, several of them came up and we shook hands and they thanked me for coming. One man who spoke with a severe speech impediment said, "I, I, I jjjjust wwwanted to saay tthank you ffor being you."  Can you imagine? What a thing to say and how touched I was to see all of them.

On another note, I have been so much enjoying learning new (old) songs. This is my summer project to expand my repertoire. Today I learned, "Light My Fire" the Jose Feliciano version. I've also learned, "Fields of Gold," "Sunny," "What the World Needs Now." I will be playing them at a wedding cocktail hour. It will be such fun!