I dropped daughters numbers one (Shona)
and two (Blase) at the airport early the other morning. Really early.
Tired early.
I watched a movie the other night. I
rarely watch movies. it was Hollywood Ben Schtiller schlock – about
a guy who 'zones out' and goes into crazy fugues and fantasies.
Eventually (over many months) he comes around to his senses, achieves
'something important' and (presumably) gets the girl.
Apparently I do that (zone out. I
already got the girl), or so my girls tell me.
“Dad! Shona is talking to you!”.
Oh yeah. But the car needs to be parked
here at the airport, and the woman in the car in front is dicking
around, and I'm blocking traffic, and Shona is telling me a story,
and …. and …. there's a favourite song in my head. So I start
singing it, apparently whilst trying to achieve the parking and the
talking.
It was a bit of a wakeup call to me -
to be more present; not to zone out inappropriately; not to be
inappropriate.
Which reminds me. When I am playing
music and teaching uke in the hospitals, people are down, or up, or
up set. Generally just not mentally well. Perhaps they are all
Schtiller's character - Walter Mitty?
But when they play uke, or sing, or
listen to someone else singing beautifully. Then they zone in. And
often exclaim – “that's the best I've felt all day!”.
We are on the train to Waikiki, via
Sydney. It's a long way. Jane is meditating in the seat beside me.
Oooohhhh!!! Look!!! A squirrel!!!!
