We arrived at the Richmond Folk Festival downtown by the river early yesterday.
From previous experience we knew which of the music stages had the most of our favorite music, so we stopped under a tree just outside the large tent that covered the dance floor and unloaded our minimal gear. As we were setting up our two rickety collapsable chairs, another couple arrived under the tree and set up their two chairs next to ours.
Their chairs had our chairs beat hands-down.
Ours were old, theirs were new. ours were canvas and metal, theirs were aluminum. Ours were platforms to sit on, theirs were party centers; cup-holders, adjustable backs, and even a complete top that could rise up and over to protect them from the sun.
The kind of chair that almost made you want to attach balloons to it and see how it would fly.
So we sat, and they sat, and we introduced ourselves. They were both short and plump, and Tina (made-up name to protect her privacy) sat next to me. Betsy on one side, Tina on the other, and Tina's guy Art next to her on the other side.
Art was smoking a cigar, and Tina would occasionally reach out, take it, toke it for awhile, and then return it to him. Now, I cannot abide cigar smoke much, and would usually have moved, but our conversation about music and their warmth as people caused me to make a snap decision to tough out the smoke in favor of the connection. Kind of like what happens in marriage on a much bigger level.
Art is white, and Tina is black. They met sixteen years ago at the manufacturing plant where they both worked, and have been together ever since. They share a passion for music, especially the blues, and they pack their chairs and roam away to music festivals wherever and whenever they can.
Comfortable together, sharing cigars, music and travel. A good life.
As I watched them being so relaxed and so obviously happy together, it struck me that love is like water; it will settle in any container, given the chance. It doesn't matter what your station in life is, what you look like, the color of your skin, your gender or pedigree, love is just fine inside you if you allow yourself to be a container for it. Then another loving person comes along and the container gets bigger.
And then one happy couple sits down at a concert next to another happy couple, and the container gets bigger again, even if it's just for a little while.
We boogied, we talked, they smoked and drank beer, we ate Indian food and a funnel cake. We all decided that the 'cake' was really leftover donut batter drippings, and Art told us about a great blues festival that happens every spring up in Annapolis.
And when the music was over, we said our goodbyes and wandered back to the car, somehow all filled up by the day, and especially by Tina and Art.
Once again we learned that true connection between people can happen anywhere, anytime, like a great big birthday present dropped into our laps.
We accept the gift with gratitude, and we're keeping our eyes open for more as we make our way.
- The Acolyte
Comments