DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND THE LOVE WILL FOLLOW

ALEKSI CAMPAGNE

DRAWING NORA ROSE (WITH HER MOM, SARAH)

 

NORA ROSE IN THREE MINUTES

  
Hmmm.  What shall I write about today?  Sometimes I’ve a theme in my head for days and sometimes I decide my topic as I start writing.  Today I’m deciding while I write.  This blog is about psychology and/or busking, so I won’t write about how much I hate Donald Trump, or how much I hate his cowardly and complicit cohorts in Congress, or how much I hate his sycophantic cache of surrogates.
 

 

Hmmm.  While in decision mode, ‘tis time for some true confessions:  In summer I’m an active busker but a lazy thinker and writer.  Other than pen a few songs, I’ve not been doing much blogging this summer.  Seems in summer, I’ve too many outdoor adventure on my mind; whereas in winter, my adventures are more vicarious as typically reflected in my blog entries.

(I am presenting, somewhat, a falsehood.  I am presenting that in summer I’m always out and about and busking and hiking and busking and hiking and busking and …  And I am presenting that in winter I sit and reflect and introspect and set my sublime musings into this blog.  This is all partly true, but not completely.  I do have lazy indoor days in summer and I also have venturesome outdoor days in winter.  But in summer, generally speaking for my recreation, I love hiking and busking, and in winter, generally speaking for recreation, I love pond hockey and writing.  Whenever I’m not indulging in these seasonal treats, by my delusional design, I feel guilty and short-changed.)

Hmmm.  Humble braggingly, I could write about my hypnotherapy practice, which fortunately is waxing.

Or I could write about my busking adventures.

BUSKING WITH MOHAMED IN MARRAKESH

Hmmm.  Let me think what to write whilst I shift to the next paragraph.

Aha!  Got it! 

I’ve decided to place of picture of ALEKSI CAMPAGNE atop this blog entry.  I took this picture this past weekend while watching Aleksi and his band play on an outdoor stage in downtown Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada on Scarth Street.  Aleksi is a 25-year old singer/songwriter from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  He and his bandmates, also young musicians from Montreal, were performing for a few days at the annual REGINA FOLK FESTIVAL.  I live in downtown Regina, a three-minute walk from the folk festival venue. 

But I digress.  As I zigzagged through and about the several performances the last day of the festival, I decided my last stop to be Aleksi Campagne who was scheduled at STAGE #3.  I decided upon this for no apparent reason, other than that Stage 3 is my favorite outdoor stage, situated at the very end of Scarth Street, a cobblestone outdoor mall, complete with patios attached to the very neat eateries lining the margins.

Arriving ten minutes at Stage 3, the band was doing its sound check.  First the drummer, then the bass player, then the lead guitarist, and then Aleksi on his violin.  WAIT A MINUTE!  I looked again at my programme guide.  ALEKSI!

Seven years ago I wrote about Aleksi in this very blog (“I WANT TO BE ANOTHER ME: A DE NOVO PROJECT” Sunday, September 30, 2012.)  He was 18 years old at the time.

Of course I introduced myself just before his set began, reminding him that we had done some busking together on this very street many years ago.  I did not mention my name, but I did mention that I remembered he was off to Paris to attend university in the fall, following the summer we had busked together. 

Betwixt the band’s fourth and fifth song I had my fifteen seconds of fame!  Aleksi introduced me to the crowd of over 300 people: “Would the gentleman and fellow busker, I am so sorry I don’t remember your name, sir, but I do remember a very wonderful gentleman and busker-mate, and I remember you having a blog on psychology and busking.”

For those fifteen seconds of introduction I was, admittedly, in Lotus land.  However, wittingly and not to appear too saccharine-like, I left his set during the last song, without so much as even a wave good- bye.  But I did send him a thank-you note on his website email the very next morning. 

The second and third pictures on display in this entry are NORA ROSE and her mom, SARAH.  Nora Rose’s grandfather, GARY KING, and I have been friends for over 30 years.  FACTOID: When Gary was in grade eleven at BALFOUR COLLEGIATE, I was his English Literature teacher.  (Over the years we have become family, our families sharing Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.  Last weekend Gary insisted that I pack along my pencil and sketchpad to meet, Nora, the brand new member of the King family.)

Alvin Toffler, American futurist and author, stated that “You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing the small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.”  And so if I ever do write about Donald Trump, I would not be going in the right direction (no pun intended) with my blog entry.  This blog is not meant to be a political bully-pulpit.  This is a blog about busking and psychology and I always try to stay on either topic.

Seven years ago when I was busking with Aleksi I was not thinking about big things.  I was not thinking how this small thing of busking with Aleksi would eventually go in the right direction, of meeting up with him again on his climb toward musical stardom.

Thirty years ago when I was teaching English Literature to Gary King I was not thinking about big things.  I was not thinking of how this particular English class would eventually result in a lifelong friendship.

This does not mean that my busking with Aleksi or my teaching Gary were not by design; they were, indeed, by design, specifically by MY design.  I love to busk and I love to teach.  I chose to busk, and Aleksi happened along.  I chose to teach and Gary happened along. 

It’s a simple, simple formula.  Is it the “Do what you love and the money will follow” formula?  Nope.  It’s the Do what you love and the love will follow formula.

YES!   
DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND THE LOVE WILL FOLLOW!

And speaking of do what you love, I am the only one marching in my CHAUCERIAN PARADE this week, busking on a walking path along Lake Superior in downtown Thunder Bay, Ontario.

LOVIN' IT