Song for a Spiritual Supper

On the Subway tonight, on my way home two panhandlers with harmonizing skillZ to rival the Temptations came into my car bopping to some blues and makin beats with their walking sticks.

You see this kinda show everyday and almost everywhere in New York and you tire of it quickly, regardless of the quality of talent, and especially at the end of a long day. Unfortunately such ubiquitous sights desensitize most of us city dwellers, and we find ourselves quick to jack up the volume on the headphones to block out their effort to entertain us for food money. Some of us (and yes I've done it!) will even close our eyes so as not to be shamed by their direct stare when we don't reach into our purses or pockets to donate to the cause. But you know, once in a while, we get dragged out of our self-centered intolerant existence and see the PEOPLE in front of us.

These two men didn't preach or recite the 'obligatory' words of gratitude and blessings for the night for the extra nod of approval, no; they actually sang from their hearts with faces contorted with feeling and stretched wide with jubilance when they hit a sweet note. They swayed and swam INto the melodies and blocked out the riders; and so, in a way, the show was not really for us - they sang for themselves, they sang for a spiritual supper that only they could provide for themselves.

As they made their way onwards, someone pulled out a dollar as if to remind them that they forgot to pass the hat around. So they did. And we gave. And the toothless one said "The ones who judge don't matter, for the ones who matter would not judge." He winked, the other smiled, and then they hummed and bopped outta the car. He's right, and I'm glad I contributed something to their supper, and in that I got mineZ too!


1 COMMENT FOR THIS ENTRY


Catherine

I really enjoyed reading this!

Posted by Catherine on Monday, August 11, 2008 - 22:33
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