Her voice filled the room we were sharing, a most unlikely place. I was in a restroom and so was she and apparently, she didn’t realize she wasn’t alone. A rich, lusty voice reverberated on the walls that were perfect for amplification. I didn’t make a sound, conscious that if I did, the surprise concert might end.
I didn’t want that to happen. It isn’t every day I get to experience an impromptu concert.
It was the beginning of what was to be a very artfilled, engaging evening.
I listened to jazz instrumentalists, a young country & western singer who was not Anglo… this always surprises and delights me… both the music style and the diversity. I spoke to activists and advocates. I watched children climb a rock climbing wall, I stood next to a fountain. I saw some brand new baby puppies wiggling on a blanket with their Mama nearby, offering neutrients and nuzzles.
I bumped into friends by coincidence and fulfilled my strange foursquare habit by becoming mayor of yet another venue.
Then I participated in our local Story Slam and for the second month in a row, I was the winning storyteller.
I cried when my scores were shared.
All evening long I showed up, I participated, I smiled at people, I applauded and thanked everyone with whom I shared my life.
My twitter friend, Chris Zydel (a self decribed artist, painter and unrelenting oddball who lives in Oakland, California) wrote these words to me,"You are living a charmed creative life, my dear!!"
I smiled and realized my evening offered the world further proof that if I can lead a charmed, creative life in Bakersfield, it is possible anywhere. You don’t have to live in a big city, you don’t have to live where everyone else looks just like you or likes exactly the things you like, you don’t have to be another cog-in-your-town’s wheel.
What you do need is a smidge of gumption and a smattering of “I think I can’s, I think I can’s.”
Here is what works for me over and over again and will work for you, too.
- Show up: decide what you would like to participate in and be where it is happening. For example - Do you like art? Go to an art show. Talk to the people there. Find what other places they are hanging out. Hang out there.
- Smile at people: Make eye contact. Nod, listen, respond with favor toward them. Notice something and compliment them for what they do and who they are alone.
- Applaud: with sincerity and enthusiasm. I participated in a story slam and some of the story tellers were better than others. I applauded each simply for having the guts to stand on the stage. People long to hear applause. I often say that is one of the benchmarks I have with friends. If they applaud loudly, they are in.
- Express gratitude: if you invited people to go with you, thank them. If you met new people during the activity, make some sort of follow – up connection: a facebook page, an email address, a possible future shared activity.
- Follow Up: After the event Thursday, I praised the organizer. I thanked my friends again, and I let people who didn’t show up know that I missed them. As an extra personal bonus, I sent a facebook friend request to someone I had met at a different event a couple weeks ago, reminding her of how we met. I figured if I was stretching out my reach, it might be fun to reach one person deeper.
Your charmed, creative life is waiting for you to reach into it, to take your step forward. I lived a long time in Bakersfield before I realized what was possible here. You don't have to wait as long as I did.
Ready? I thought so.
= = =
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© 2011
Julie Jordan Scott
This is post 22 of 31 in July for the Ultimate Blog Challenge ~
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