Work, life and things in between – Day 36 – Play it again!
Black tie dinner tonight. This has been a busy evening. It is 2 a.m. and Tem and I are winding down, sipping a last night cap in the hotel lounge. Everyone else is gone. There are just a few guests remaining. The day is now quiet and the darkness on the other side of the panoramic windows is only broken by the flickering lights of the ships on the river.
A peaceful moment.
In comes this man in worn out jeans, over-sized t-shirt wearing his baseball cap backwards. His dog is in tow. He seems to be looking for something. He appears in a hurry and looks somewhat lost. I think he is a homeless local taking advantage of the warmth and comfort of the hotel.
He walks directly to the grand piano standing regrettably silent in the corner of the room. Without even taking the time to sit down, he reaches for the key board and starts playing. What suddenly fills the room is a very beautiful interpretation of Liszt, Liebestraum. The third solo; the most famous.
He instantly takes this evening to another level.
Abruptly, halfway through the piece he stops, calls his dog and walks away.
“You can’t stop just like that” I say.
“Sorry, I did not think anyone was here” is his reply.
Sorry? Are you kidding?
We invite him to stay and play some more. He then sits down and proceeds with pieces from Brahms and Beethoven. The goose bumps that run down our spines are not from the drafty room, but rather from the passion and delight he displays while playing.
We offer him a drink the way you drop a $5 dollar bill in a guitar case on the street. Somehow we feel we owe him something, and to be totally honest, we also think he may not have had the luxury of a nice drink in a while.
He orders Ginger Ale!
Turns out he is a guest at the hotel, and car mechanics is his means to earn a living. Music is his passion, piano in particular. He lives with his family north of Montreal, owns a house and a few pianos. On his spare time he dismantles and rebuilds antique pianos. The man knows his stuff!
Well, he evidently figured out his identity and worked his way around his reality.
A lesson to be learned: Doesn’t matter whom you appear to be; it is who you are and what you have to offer that matters. Of course, we all know that but sometimes we are reminded in more specific terms!Onward to tomorrow!
Black tie dinner tonight. This has been a busy evening. It is 2 a.m. and Tem and I are winding down, sipping a last night cap in the hotel lounge. Everyone else is gone. There are just a few guests remaining. The day is now quiet and the darkness on the other side of the panoramic windows is only broken by the flickering lights of the ships on the river.
A peaceful moment.
In comes this man in worn out jeans, over-sized t-shirt wearing his baseball cap backwards. His dog is in tow. He seems to be looking for something. He appears in a hurry and looks somewhat lost. I think he is a homeless local taking advantage of the warmth and comfort of the hotel.
He walks directly to the grand piano regrettably silent in the corner of the room. Without even taking the time to sit down, he reaches for the key board and starts playing. What suddenly fills the room is a very beautiful interpretation of Liszt, Liebestraum. The third solo; the most famous.
He instantly takes this evening to another level.
Abruptly, halfway through the piece he stops, calls his dog and walks away.
“You can’t stop just like that” I say.
“Sorry, I did not think anyone was here” is his reply.
Sorry? Are you kidding?
We invite him to stay and play some more. He then sits down and proceeds with pieces from Brahms and Beethoven. The goose bumps that run down our spines are not from the drafty room, but rather from the passion and delight he displays while playing.
We offer him a drink the way you drop a $5 dollar bill in a guitar case on the street. Somehow we feel we owe him something, and to be totally honest, we also think he may not have had the luxury of a nice drink in a while.
He orders Ginger Ale!
Turns out he is a guest at the hotel, and car mechanics is his means to earn a living. Music is his passion, piano in particular. He lives with his family north of Montreal, owns a house and a few pianos. On his spare time he dismantles and rebuilds antique pianos. The man knows his stuff!
Well, he evidently figured out his identity and worked his way around his reality.
A lesson to be learned: Doesn’t matter whom you appear to be; it is who you are and what you have to offer that matters. Of course, we all know that but sometimes we are reminded in more specific terms! Onward to tomorrow!