Thirty minutes ago I sat alone in my room listening to a party going on over my head. Drunk musings from their balcony flowed down onto mine and through my screen door. It was getting annoying.
Then, out of no where a deep soulful voice and a strumming guitar joined the mix. At moments the drunk people sang along or yelled out "play us another song." I eventually stepped out onto my balcony to see a tall, old, black gentleman in a plaid shirt and cowboy hat taking up a parking spot across the street. His voice was beautiful and the content of his life was beside him in a cardboard box, strapped to a dolly. He was singing songs about happiness and love.
I felt like I was watching an oxymoron. How could someone with seemingly nothing sound so fulfilled? The branches of the tree in front of me stretched out around his silhouette under the street lights; he was perfectly framed by leaves as he sang "Stand By Me."
It is an absolutely perfect, beautiful, still night in Los Angeles. I looked up and was surprised to even see a few stars twinkling above.
Directly above me, the party goers decided to head to a local bar and I stood ready to yell at them, depending how they interacted with the man on the street. As surprised as I was to see the stars, that paled in comparison to what happened next; three of them gave him money. Shame on me for my lack of faith in humanity.
Not long after they all left, the man with the guitar leaned his dolly back upon its wheels and literally moseyed down the street. Now there's silence.
Then, out of no where a deep soulful voice and a strumming guitar joined the mix. At moments the drunk people sang along or yelled out "play us another song." I eventually stepped out onto my balcony to see a tall, old, black gentleman in a plaid shirt and cowboy hat taking up a parking spot across the street. His voice was beautiful and the content of his life was beside him in a cardboard box, strapped to a dolly. He was singing songs about happiness and love.
I felt like I was watching an oxymoron. How could someone with seemingly nothing sound so fulfilled? The branches of the tree in front of me stretched out around his silhouette under the street lights; he was perfectly framed by leaves as he sang "Stand By Me."
It is an absolutely perfect, beautiful, still night in Los Angeles. I looked up and was surprised to even see a few stars twinkling above.
Directly above me, the party goers decided to head to a local bar and I stood ready to yell at them, depending how they interacted with the man on the street. As surprised as I was to see the stars, that paled in comparison to what happened next; three of them gave him money. Shame on me for my lack of faith in humanity.
Not long after they all left, the man with the guitar leaned his dolly back upon its wheels and literally moseyed down the street. Now there's silence.
I have found that this city consistently lacks substance; but if tonight is any indication, the moments that do speak to you, speak... or rather sing volumes.
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1 comment:
This is a wonderful story! You should write a screenplay of your life based on some of the stories in this blog! You could play yourself! ;)
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