Life Observation # 93

If you love what you do


You’ll never work another day in your life.


I don’t know it this is an “only in Alaska” phenomenon but it was pretty neat and somewhat strange at the same time.


On my drive to work this morning I made my turn south onto Gambell Street from 5th Avenue about 6:30 am. The temperature was 26 degrees and you have to understand that we are only a couple of days away from Winter Solstice so it does not start to have first light until around ten o’clock in the morning.


As I approached 7th Avenue there is a man standing on the corner playing a guitar and singing Christmas Carols to the people driving by or who were stopping for the red light ahead.


This person was having a great time, enjoying his music, and so ‘out of place’ for this area of town.


It was great! The cold nor light fog did not seem to bother him as he rocked on to his music. I was semi disappointed that traffic started moving again and I would miss out on this mini-concert.


It reminded me of the Joni Mitchell song “For Free” and brought back memories of my youth.



From “For Free” by Joni Mitchell:


I slept last night in a good hotel
I went shopping today for jewels
The wind rushed around in the dirty town
And the children let out from the schools
I was standing on a noisy corner
Waiting for the walking green
Across the street he stood
And he played real good
On his clarinet, for free



Now me I play for fortunes
And those velvet curtain calls
I’ve got a black limousine
And two gentlemen
Escorting me to the halls
And I play if you have the money
Or if you’re a friend to me
But the one man band
By the quick lunch stand
He was playing real good, for free



Nobody stopped to hear him
Though he played so sweet and high
They knew he had never
Been on their t.v.
So they passed his music by
I meant to go over and ask for a song
Maybe put on a harmony...
I heard his refrain
As the signal changed
He was playing real good, for free


Thanks to the one man band on the corner of Gambell and 7th for a nice start to a busy day.


And Thanks Joni for your music as Miles of Aisles has been worn out by me on albums, 8 track, cassette, and CD’s over the years.


Ice

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