It Only Takes A Smile

Last week I had the privilege to see Ryan Adams perform for the second time. The first was several years ago in Miami . The audience was lukewarm and slightly disrespectful to Ryan the headliner. He chose to not do an encore and have a short performance , clocking in at about 45 minutes. But last week was different , he must have been feeling the British love . The performance was two hours long!

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Ryan Adams is probably the most temperamental performer I have ever seen. His mood could stop a show, or make it blossom to extreme heights. It was mentioned at the beginning of the show he had a medical condition where if lights are flashing , he may go into a seizure. Early on the show did temporarily pause, because someone was utilising flash. Ryan cursed but did not blame the audience member , he blamed his genetics . It didn’t happen again, and Ryan carried on.

My husband loves him and said Ryan is a true artist , a perfectionist. “If he was a chef, he would be Michelin starred.” My husband noted the respect and awe all other musicians offered Ryan on stage. It was like watching a genius at work. We scored front row standing spots, and he was in heaven.

We left as the last song was being played, and serendipitously we found ourselves by the stage door. A getaway car was awaiting, along with security. We called out to Ryan accolades of a great show. Somehow I even thought of offering him a gratitude card with a positive quote. He graciously accepted. 

When I told my brother about this, he couldn’t help but laugh. Ryan Adams is known as this amazing musician who is stereotypically an emotive artist. His work excels when there is strife and difficulties in his world, and I was offering a positive quote. 

We all need positive vibes and offerings of gratitude. Thanks Ryan for the work you have offered the world. It’s appreciated and endeared.

I think back to the random encounters I have had and what celebrities and influencers  I have offered this card to: Ryan Adams, Ethan Hawke, David Sedaris, Rachael Yamagata, Amma, Wild Beasts, Michael C Hall. Who knows if any have read this blog, but I can’t help but want to share gratitude for the work they have done and the impact they make on others. The gratitude is sincere…mahalo;)

The weather shifts for several days. The rain and clouds drift in, the temperature decreases, and I start to put away the summer clothes. But today the sun returns, it makes the day a whole lot sweeter. I try to immerse myself (and my dogs) in the sun. The breeze touches our skin and faces, but so does the sun. I know here in England, the days of sunshine have an expiry date. Each boost of Vitamin D is limited and therefore greatly appreciated.

My days of living in Hawaii and California are long ago. Even though I wasn’t a local (having been born in Ohio), the sun became an industry standard for my life. Gratitude for the sun wasn’t in my daily thoughts, it was just taken for granted. 

As with love, we may only appreciate things more when they are gone…that goes for summer and sunshine.

After being drenched from yesterday’s storm and walking for 90 minutes in the rain, I embrace in the day. If I could hug the sun, I would. Thank you sun for each moment of bliss. I will miss you, till we meet again (as I upload this the hail begins).

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The busy nature of a city such as London can be draining, as well as invigorating. Strangers briskly walk by , all in a rush for some reason on a Saturday . It can feel isolating if you are alone and surrounded by people enjoying life with partners , family , and friends. 

This was the case today for me.  I explored the city solo, which I generally don’t mind. I brought  take away Vietnamese at Granary Park, and found I was one of the few people taking in the sun alone. As I ate, I listened to people’s conversations , and stared at boats passing on the canal. I debated how long to sit there alone, But then there was action. 

A 30 something man teased the crowd on this September afternoon by taking off his shirt and pretending to jump into the canal. When he didn’t leap, the crowd booed. Peer pressure worked and he began to take off one piece of clothing at a time.  Shortly after he jumped in. The crowd roared, and a woman actually offered him a hug. I was no longer alone eating dinner at this instance , I somehow was transported to a community experience. 

 Later in the evening , I went to hear a reading from one of my favourite authors : David Sedaris. His observations of the mundane occurrences in life are hilarious .  I often wonder what the world would be like if we transformed daily life into Sedaris wit .  We listened to David’s  excerpts from his diaries. Listening to ones private thoughts brought intimacy to a London crowd. 

Surprisingly afterwards , there was a book signing . A staff member informed me he was there prior to the talk and additionally would be there for three hours post talk to ensure all could get there books signed.  David spent time talking to each fan , personalising every autograph. The woman in front of me received a drawing of a plane , my autograph was below:

Although David doesn’t know me, I truly appreciate him taking the time to make each fan special.  

Bringing smiles to strangers doesn’t take much 😀

Yesterday my commute home was nearly four hours.  I left work early to begin my long weekend.  The sun was shining, it was only 3:00pm, and I was excited to relax after working 10 days in a row. My one hour commute quadrupled.

Instead of getting upset, as it would have been easy to flip the switch. I reframed… this is an opportunity . Now I was blessed with the time to call my family, listen to podcasts, I even wrote in my journal (as for some time we were completely stopped)! 

I watched as other drivers tried to escape through the emergency lane, yet there was a truck driver who acted as the police. He stopped their paths. We were all in this together , there were no shortcuts. This was humorous to me. I watched people getting upset, and switching lanes. These several hours were totally out of our control.  But I knew to simply accept this.

I am trying to remind myself of this serenity mindset I was in yesterday . The central line on the London Underground (by where I live), is completely getting service done this weekend. 

I instantly curse myself for having bought tickets to a show this evening.  It would be so much easier just to stay home, and do nothing!

My journey into London , which would have simply been 1-2 trains, now involves 2-3 trains and a bus ride.  But it’s all out of my control.

Time to reframe, how can I use this extra time to serve me versus get overwhelmed by it? Calmness exists within me, and I can access it two days in a row.

When you find yourselves in these situations, what do you do?