Yesterday was one of those “everything is connected” kind of days when I wander around without a particular plan and then that plan falls into place as if there had been a plan.
In search of a particular book rather than the serendipitous find at the Goodwill, I ventured out to a real bookstore, where I found the book I went in for plus four others and a fall recipe magazine.
One of the full price serendipity items is a book that’s part of a series of philosophy books. This one is Blues - Philosophy for Everyone (Ed. Jesse R. Steinberg and Abrol Fairweather, Wiley Blackwell, 2012). It’s a collection of essays discussing the universal connections between music and the human condition. Other topics in the series include yoga, chocolate, Christmas, sailing, coffee, fashion, fatherhood, and a few PG-13 topics. It looks interesting.
I think it was the title of the third essay that sold me: “Twelve-Bar Zombies: Wittgensteinian Reflections on the Blues,” by Wade Fox and Richard Greene. Anyway, I can’t wait to read it.
Later I checked out a coffee shop on my end of town that’s been getting great reviews.
As soon as I stepped inside, within hearing two notes of the background music, I recognized Keb’ Mo’s voice and thought, “This is my kind of place.”
It’s small but has all the classic hipster bookstore accoutrements — overstuffed chairs, reading material strewn about, community announcements pinned to a memo board, scones and other baked goods I shouldn’t eat in the display case, and a younger, non-annoying Russell Brand look-a-like behind the counter.
I told Russell that Keb’ Mo’ playing was a good sign and he didn’t seem to know what that meant but very cheerfully agreed anyway. Totally cool kid . . .and he makes a mean cafe mocha.
I got caught up on all sorts of new things going on all around me while I haven’t been paying attention.
Here in the community information exchange, for example, I learned there’s a fledgling theatre group putting on a production of To Kill A Mockingbird. Earlier in the day a dialogue with my inner Diogenes touched on examples of honorable men, wherein one side suggested Atticus Finch — chosen out of the blue — as an example of an honorable man and the other side countered that Atticus Finch was a fictional character created by a woman. That side might have been more optimistic after a pumpkin spice latte or cafe mocha. In any event, I liked this TKAM synchronicity. It was a sign.
Keb’ Mo’ it would be for the next music entry.
It was time for a more fun video, so I decided to choose something from YouTube’s selections instead of going in search of a particular song. That was an experience in itself, possibly a post for another day. Suffice to say that I never imagined POTUS showing up as a featured artist, but it could happen.
There are some more upbeat choices, but I decided to go with this one of “Better Man,” because it’s a good guideline for a Monday, plus it’s connected with Keb’s work with “Playing for Change,” an organization that has brought together an international group of musicians in the hope of spreading peace through music. There’s that universality of music and the human condition again.
And here’s “Better Man” :
Speaking of change, this post is also a page in my experimental page Hippie Cahier: The Musical. For now it’s a section of this site (one of the page links at the top). I don’t know whether it will be a new brand or a new separate site.
It just needs to be. That is all.
Keb’ Mo, cool ! That would definitely be a good sign for a coffee shop – too bad I haven’t yet found a place around here where they would play his music.
Ah, when you walk into one and you hear his music (or other similarly cool music), you’ll know you’ve found the place. Happy hunting!
So, The Musical. Well…momma mia! I can expect an appearance by Pierce Brosnan then?
Doubtful. Wittgenstein’s got an airtight non-compete rider and he’s not likely to waive. Such a diva.
Will the musical be Wittgensteinian and, if so, how would I be able to tell?
He’s 3rd clarinet in the orchestra. Be careful, though. He waves that thing like a hot poker.
Your new digs are very Autumnal — and it sounds as if you had quite a successful day. Coffee shop, books, theater, what’s not to enjoy there?! At least you didn’t spend your weekend cleaning out the closet.
I spend a lot of time and energy avoiding closets these days.
“____: The Musical.” Damn. It’s going to be a couple days until I get over resenting that you thought of that before I did.
I’ll keep you posted.
Yours is better punctuated, so I resent you right on back. Ok, I’m over it. How ’bout you?
Not yet.
Okay. Now.
Oh thank God. I’m glad that’s over. I was miserable. Let’s not do that again. . .
There are many things I’m loving right now, including but not limited to: your new look (look’atchoo!), serendipity, coffee houses and Debbie: The Musical. I’ve got this playing as I fantasize about that cafe mocha.
Since change is in the air, I’m thinking of changing my name to Debbie officially. I don’t know if you’re going to be studying ColdFusion, but if so, stock up on the coffeehouse gift certificates. You’re going to be needing cafe mocha.
Love this!
I love musicals. Will there be dancing?
Maybe if Harper Lee’d had Keb’ Mo in her life, she wouldnt have thrown the manuscript of “To Kill a Mockingbird” out her window in 1958. It was snowing, too. Luckily, she called her editor, who told her to get her rear end out there and pick that danged thing up. And brush the snow off.
Sure do like this entry and the slight slide toward the musical end of the scale. There’s never too much music.
I love the Keb’Mo video and am a huge fan of the “Playing for Change” videos. The word serendipity is one of those words that is fun to say and to use. It just sounds fun and interesting. It is a word that I use. However, I recently read a blog from Words We Women Write that talks about the “Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon”. For the record I had never heard of it before and am fascinated by how many things I now stop and think, “is this serendipity or that other thing I can’t remember the name of?”
Yes, it doesn’t flow off the tongue like “serendipity” but it is pretty interesting stuff. Here is link to the blog that got me thinking.
http://wordswewomenwrite.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/the-baader-meinhof-phenomenom-i-didnt-see-this-one-coming/