Wednesday, October 30, 2024
My friend Robbie, who I’ve written about multiple times, was a wizard improvisor. He played the organ in a cathedral. During the mass, if music was needed, he could whip up the most divine sounds off the cuff. When I would go to visit, one of his favorite pastimes was to go for a ride. He’d say, “Let’s go for a ride.” I’d ask, “Where are we going?” He’d reply, “We’ll just see what we can see.”
Many of his “excursions,” as he’d like to call them, got us into the most enchanting places. We’d end up down the Mississippi, crossing over on the ferry, only to “coincidentally” see the Delta Queen passing by, steam calliope billowing in the air. We’d stumble into these hole-in-the-wall restaurants with the best food. We’d end up at a church fair and stumble into a fancy find.
While he was on a trip to Boston, he was walking in front of Symphony Hall with a friend, and they “happened” to be there for a major celebration. Tickets had been sold out a year in advance. He fearlessly went to the ticket booth, and they “just so happened” to have had a cancellation. Wearing khakis and polos, while everyone else was dressed in formal attire, they watched John Williams conduct the Boston Symphony with Yo-Yo Ma. No-one condemned them for not being in formal attire. They sat next to a lovely lady, dressed to the hilt, and had a wonderful conversation during intermission.
Freestyle living – what if we just make it up as we go along? It seems like that’s what the universe is doing. We’d probably have more fun, discover more excitement, and end up like Forrest Gump – one adventure after another with wild success. Go for a ride and see what you can see.