angel come on down from heaven

last night, as i was standing still, silently waiting for the nine musicians onstange to finish their encore so that i could quickly hand one of them a wireless microphone and mute all of hte others, it occured to me that this group was actually talented. all nine were very different in nature. the pianist a white, young women who seemed to be of quite a traditional upbringing. the percussionist asian and middle aged, with his left ear pierced. the man on the xylophone an elder, african american man, every kinky strand of his hair colored gray. and the list goes on. each of them clearly of very different homes but brought together by music, and not just any music. why hadn't i realized this before? that such a thing could draw so many together; people who are so inherantly different brought together by something that seems so simple. more importantly, how could i have overlooked how wonderful this fusion sounded? i had been there for awhile; not to mention heard them practice, tech, and perfect their sound before the audiance arrived. yet i had absolutely no feeling of wonder, awe, or even gratitude towards such a gifted bunch. for one minute, thirty seconds maybe, as i was watching them do something they loved so much, i felt something new and different that, undoubtedly, the audiance had been experiencing the past two hours. and, just as quickly as it filled me, the music ended and took it with it. the musicians exited state for a quick break and returned for a sort question and answer session. i chatted with the elderly black man for a few minutes before he walked back out to center stage. intriguing man, surely, but my attention was drawn back to the obscene work that load out was going to be. this job is wearing down my respect for the results of talent and hard work. i have yet to watch a show that seems great enough to deserve the hard work i put into it. i returned home exhausted and was bombarded by questions from a friend who had gone to the show. did you talk to the musicians? wasn't it a wonderful show? do you get to watch many of them? what is your favorite show or lecturer thus far? sometimes i haven't the heart to burst people's bubbles of hope and glimmer.

i sat out on my porch today, soaking up some of the glorious ultraviolet rays that were streaming from the high and mighty sun. the ocean sparkles in the sun and you can almost not see the kelp forest just offshore. then the wind started in and blew in some pollution from god knows where. the channel islands are barely visible anymore.

i have begun my bumper sticker collection on my car. i was refraining from slapping on the first, but now that it's there, there is no doubt that more will follow.