A New York State of Mind
Down the block is where it all started; dream after dream, hundreds of students marched through the doors at an audio engineering school just uptown of Washington Square Park.
For a time, I had the opportunity to live in Manhattan, the West Village no less. It was amazing, there were so many things to get into, so many places to see, and things to do, not to mention all of the interesting people to meet and chat with. It was an incredible time in my life, though I’d like to tell you about one time that will stick out in my mind forever.
If I remember correctly, it was just after lunch time, around 1:15. It was a warm spring day, and the Village, as it usually is, was alive with it’s slightly swinging pace. I had parked myself on the stoop of the building I was in, as I’d done a bunch of times before. There wasn’t really anything special about this day, I just sort of felt like practicing, and figured I’d do it outside. So I played a few tune, and then started to play a song you might know, I Will Follow You Into The Dark, by Death Cab for Cutie. About halfway through the song, I noticed, on the other side of the street, a couple walking together, and then they started to slow down, and as they did, one of the two turned to the other, bent down on one knee, and pulled out a ring! I couldn’t believe my eyes as the person looked down at the ring, and then up at me, as if to ask “did you two plan this?” I just looked across the street, smiled, and shrugged. What else could I do? I had to finish playing the song! So the couple took a seat on the curb, and listened to me finish the 3rd verse. “You and me have seen everything to see…” As soon as I finished letting the last chord ring out, almost like we were racing, I put down my guitar and started to clap for them and shouted “I’m so glad I could soundtrack that for you guys!” To which the ring-bearer replied “and that’s our FAVORITE band!” As far as magic, or otherworldly things go, I’m pretty skeptical about most of it. Though it’s a moment like this that shakes me to my core. You could say, well that person just seized the moment, and you happened to be part of it. And that’s be pretty true, and an honest way of looking at it. It’s just that they could have walked down any street, and I could have chosen to practice inside, or with a different song. There were so many things lining up, that not only does it warm my heart, it gives me that mystical sense of oneness with those around me, that ever elusive deep sense of interconnectedness. Goodness knows, I feel it when I see a depressing or miserable story in the headlines, though this moment, as simple as it was, and as quickly as it disappeared, was one of joy and bliss, and showed me the value of a less-than-straight forward path in life. It gave me a deep sense of what it means to be present, and aware of how important each little thing can be. Needless to say, this is one of the moments that has given me so much inspiration for creation.
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