The Favor

I’ll keep this short.

My son had rehearsal at 6. My friend is going to meet me to hang out, but she can’t get here until 7:30 or so. Anywho, she asked me to pick something up for her from  a store in Hampden, a block or so from the restaurant. The store closes at 7, and she couldn’t get there in time. Of course, I would, of course.

So after dropping my son at rehearsal, I saw a parking spot outside the restaurant (a rare commodity) so I took it, figuring I could walk a couple of blocks to the store in the beautiful, breezy, dusky weather. I walked a few steps and stopped cold outside one of my favorite bookstores:

because, look, you guys!

The Thirteen Clocks! I realized with horror that NONE OF MY CHILDREN has ever read this book!!! James Thurber, people – that my children hadn’t read him (to my knowledge) was almost as bad as that they didn’t know the music from Fiddler on the Roof.

So, I bought it, natch, and another great book for my niecie-girlie and ordered a book for my nephew-boy.

Then I walked a few more steps, crossed two streets, and saw this:

It was really pretty.

Then I went to the store to pick up my friends things from this store. Outside the store, a street musician was playing viola. Beautifully. When I came out of the store, I threw a couple of bucks into his case, and then I realized he had just begun playing my favorite, FAVORITE song,

I asked him if I could record him, and he said yes. He even started over again so I could get the whole thing.  (To see the video, click on the “Ashokan Farewell” link below his picture. Because I am an idiot and still don’t know how to properly insert a video into my blog posts. Links?  I can do links.) I was so happy when he finished, I gave him the remaining ten bucks in my wallet. Because random unexpected beautiful music FTW! Best $12 I ever spent.

Ashokan Farewell

And that, my friends, is the way doing someone a favor turned into the most enjoyable, literary, beautiful, musical 20 minutes of my day. I think it’s fair to say that she is the one who did ME the favor.