Saturday, April 08, 2006

Almost Heaven

I overheard some folks talking about free concerts and the best gig they ever saw, and my mind flashed on a memory from 1976, before you were born.

I was spending the summer in Aspen, Colorado, attending a Tai Chi summer camp at the same time there was a summer session of Opera Singers in town. Everywhere I went, I heard lovely voices singing warm-up scales and arias, or whatever it is that beautiful singers sing to stretch their cords. It was so magical.

You know, Aspen is a winter town, made for skiing. But in the summer it has it's own draw. Rocky Mountain High with columbines and aspen trees and a light rain shower every day once the clouds had crossed over the mountains. Everyone there was so cool. They seemed so bright and healthy and rugged and rustic and wealthy all the same time. I was punctured with the need to live there forever and die in some ghost town grave. I loved it.

That morning, I was standing in a parking lot up on some ridge. It was the parking lot of a little strip mall with things like Realtor's headquarters and Business Solutions, Inc. type offices. I was watching the clouds reel past and some hawks, way up high, when I heard this singing. Some guy was singing in pure joy, at the top of his lungs, as he walked out of a travel agent's office and crossed my path and climbed into his jeep. When he saw me he stopped, braced himself for attack, and then kind of shrugged it off and kept on walking. And singing.

I had this slowed-time feeling, and the same kind of excited thrill you feel when you realize you are mere feet away from a very wild deer. I had a sense that I didn't want to startle him, along with the giant desire to run right up and try to pet him.

It was this guy:

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh. What a moment that must have been. I will have to tell my 15 year old daughter about this. John Denver is a favorite of ours.

Anonymous said...

P.S. The comment above was made by me.. Erin from Iowa
Also hope you and your kitty are feeling better soon. :)

Miss Pink Ponsonby said...

Thanks Erin! Yes, it was one of the highlights of my life, and I"m almost 50, now! It was a rocky mountain high concert at the peak of his career for FREE! AWESOME! I'll always have a soft spot for John Denver!

Anonymous said...

I just had to come back and tell you that I told my daughter about this. You know teenagers. So jaded. Seen and heard everything. Hip with the hip hop and rappin with the rap. She was curled up on her chair in her room painting her toenails. I sat on her bed and told her your story. She became absolutely transfixed. The look on her face... it was really something. Thank you for giving me this to share with her. :)
Erin from Iowa