Sunday, January 18, 2015

THE BEAT GOES ON


           The photo of Barbara (pictured left) isn't a very good one, and doesn't begin to do justice to her radiance and beauty, much less the grace and enthusiasm with which she was dancing to the beat of "La Bamba" at the time this photo was taken. Hopefully you can still see the sheer joy of movement she was expressing. But what you probably can't see very well is the wheelchair in the background, and therein lies a tale.
            Ever since moving into a nursing home several years ago, Barbara has spent most of her time confined to that wheelchair. According to her, it had been "a long, long time" since she'd last danced, but there she was, rising up out of that wheel chair, swinging and shimmying from side to side with the sweetest smile imaginable.
            I went to that nursing home to perform a concert sponsored by the Texas Music Heritage Foundation of Kerrville,www.TexasHeritageMusic.org
, an amazing non-profit organization founded by writer and musicologist, Kathleen Hudson, who is fully committed to reminding people that "telling stories and singing songs make a difference." I've enjoyed performing a number of these THMF shows at various residential care centers and educational settings, and each has proven to be an interesting adventure in letting go of limited beliefs and expectations.

FEELING BEAT
            The residential center where Barbara lives was actually the last of the three different residential care facilities where I was scheduled to perform that day. The first one had been a particularly tough audience to engage, due to the fact that the majority of the 25 people "attending" were actually fast asleep in their wheel chairs, and all but a few of the ones who were awake didn't seem very interested in listening to me play in their dining room, much less participating. Still, I take seriously the biblical reminder that wonderful things are possible "wherever two or more are gathered in the name of Love," so I just focused intently on the three that were interested initially, until eventually the good vibes we generated rippled through the room and a few others joined in the fun, too.
            Afterwards, the THMF Program Director and the facility's Activities Director both declared the event a success, but I felt pretty bummed out, because it had been so challenging I wasn't at all sure that I had enough energy left to perform at the two other facilities scheduled later that afternoon. But as I sat eating lunch at a local café, I realized my mistake:  I'd been trying too hard to "make it happen" by myself, by sheer force of willpower and stagecraft, rather than simply sharing my music as skillfully as possible without being attached to how much the audience members did or did not like the tunes.

FEELING BLESSED
            So in the space between lunch and my next show, I did my best to arrive with an open heart, prepared to meet the residents wherever they were energetically and let go of my expectations and desired outcomes. Sure enough, both shows were much more enjoyable for me and everyone else involved, ending with the singular sight of Barbara rising up out of her wheelchair, ever so slowly and precariously, before she was finally able to get on her feet. There she was, careening to the beat of "La Bamba", lurching through a series of scary-looking balancing acts that spontaneously morphed into a heart-achingly enthusiastic dance, causing several nurses, administrators and maintenance staffers to coming running down the hall in amazement as word rapidly spread through the ward, "Barbara's up out of her wheelchair and dancing!!!"
            I've been blessed to receive many standing ovations during my career, but this was by far the most rewarding one in memory. Thank you, Barbara, for demonstrating the true power of trust and Spirit in action!

With joy,
        Rudi



 

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