Campfyre Stories

I got to have a perfect moment today.  It was completely unexpected, but it absolutely made my day. 

I was in kind of a bad mood.  Not really bad, just annoyed mostly.  I missed my connecting bus by about 2 minutes because the other bus was late and had to wait 25 minutes in the drizzling rush hour for the next one to come.  I was already feeling rushed, despite getting off work on time and still had to get to the store, buy food and cook dinner for the kid, who was waiting for me at home.

Out of nowhere I heard this rich baritone voice start singing one of my favorite songs - Summertime, from Porgy and Bess.  It blew my mind on this rainy springish winter’s eve and made me stop to look around.  Being as self-conscious as I am without my guitar as a shield, I did not join my voice with his, though I was tempted.  Instead I just listened and appreciated the random music.

I had to say something when he was done.  I walked over to him and said “That was beautiful, you have a wonderful voice.  Thank you for sharing.”  He melted from the compliment and proceeded to tell me his story for the day.  He hadn’t slept in 24 hours and was working like mad (with a hottie I had been making eyes at for as long as I had been waiting ) doing random physical labor.  He was at the point of feeling zen (so we talked zen for a bit).  He had been lying on the floor listening to Nina Simone and just became inspired. 

We started talking about music, specifically about vocalists who had that sort of power to…  I don’t know what…  power to make you FEEL what they are singing, what they are feeling, whatever they want you to feel.  I mentioned that one singer who does that for me is Janis Joplin.  He wholeheartedly agreed with that and told me that he had seen her at Woodstock, that she was just phenomenal.  Then he said, “Do you know who reminds me of Janis?  You.”  I laughed, but he didn’t.  He was dead serious and made sure I understood he really felt that way.

((Aside:  I can see the parallel, though.  One of the things I most admire about Janis is that she was just passion personified.  I certainly have those tendencies, as well as the ability to pull people in and captivate them.  It blew my mind that he would liken me to my idol after only knowing me for a few minutes, and without knowing how much it would mean to me.))

We talked for the last 10 minutes until my bus came.  He was flattering without being come-on-ish, friendly without being overbearing.  He was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and one of the nicest experiences I’ve ever had.

~FG };^>