Saturday, July 11, 2009

In harmony.

The other day I was driving home from work and witnessed a peculiar event.  I was stopped at an intersection and happened to be watching the man who was trying to make a left hand turn.  He was patiently waiting for his turn, so patiently in fact, that his lips soon fell upon the cool metal of his one of a kind harmonica.  I was taken aback.  Waiting to make a left hand turn had never struck me as the perfect time to get “blues-y” and jam with your harmonica, but hey – when the mood hits, it hits.

            It actually was something that made me smile.  I, and the countless others who might have been watching could have thought that it was odd but this gentleman was content.  He was in harmony with his life and who he was that it didn’t matter what anyone else thought, he was going to play his music.  I admired that and maybe more than I want to admit it – I envied that.  I don’t believe that there has ever been a time where I didn’t worry or wonder what others thought of me.  I have even, at times, taken it to the extreme and placed all my worth on what everyone, including random strangers I pass on the street, might think of me.  It led me to the conclusion that there is so much out of harmony in my life, in my mind.  I have struggled the last year to try and discover where my place is and how to be comfortable being me and honestly I have been failing.  I guess that is why when I see individuals who are who they are, regardless of anything else, I find hope that with time and work I too can achieve that sense of self.  And hey, maybe it starts with me learning how to play the harmonica – any world-class teachers out there? 

4 comments:

Wendy said...

I wish I could teach you Mia, I do but that skill is only allowed to be taught to those great men out there that pull it out at awkward, strange times and play away the hours.

Uno said...

You are a great writer....

Keep it up...

Deeter, Ronald

Leslie said...

Could the unsuspecting musician possibly have been your parents' Bishop? I have it on good authority that he's been refining his harmonica skills for a preformance at the ward talent show tonight! And he happens to spend an enormous amount of time on the road... Where better to pratice uninterrupted? If it was NOT him, well he'll be happy to learn he's not the only instrument-clad driver out here!

Ariel said...

Just so you know, the rest of us love you for you-- it's easy b/c you're great! Hope you had fun in TX:)