Concerto?

I was trudging across the park after work the other day listening to my iPod. I love being able to soundtrack my life and this particular pod has survived almost 6 years so for under $70 a year you really can't beat it. I do worry, though, that I'm cutting myself off from the world, that I'm missing out on things because I am listening to my own private concert all the time.

As I crested the final hill I could see down below that someone was playing one of the free pianos. He was really going at it with both hands pounding up and down and getting his back into it so I took out my earbuds. It would be stupid to miss live, spontaneous music because I was in the middle of Widow's Walk or something.

At first I couldn't hear anything. Then I could hear just a note or two. At that point I passed some folks with a guitar, politely putting a hold on their own music. They were staring at the pianist a little oddly. Finally I could hear all the notes and, you know what? He wasn't playing a song at all. He was just wailing away on those keys like a three-year-old just for the thrill of the noise of it.

I realized I recognized him, too. He's a guy who cleans up for a few business on the street. He's always cheerful and bopping around and used to talk to me about my dog a lot. Part of me, the part that took all those piano lessons, wanted to be offended that he wasn't even trying to pick out a tune. The rest of me, though, happily the far bigger part of me, was kind of in love with the wave of sheer abandon he was riding. Maybe he always rides it, I don't know. Seems like he might.

It was nice to see someone just enjoying the hell out of this little gift the city is giving.