Driving to Purlescence tonight, I caught something on the radio that surprised me and I thought I’d come home and blog about it: a Beethoven piece that I’d always heard as a very solemn piece, very introspective, even slightly mournful.
But here, instead of an orchestra, it was a single piano playing, and the pianist was–playing. He was having a good time. Matter of fact, that left hand started getting jumpy, progressing to a full-blown pogo-stick effect. Let’s dance!
It took me a moment to get past my “that’s not how you play that!” response and sit back and just listen to what the guy was doing. And you know? It was really cool! It was very creative. I found I liked that.
So that’s what I thought I’d be talking about, about being open to a new take on things.
Well.
At the shop. Somehow the subject of blood donations came up; how, exactly, I didn’t hear. One woman said, Oh, I’ve been a platelet donor for some time. Then another chimed in, I do that too.
I had no idea you did that! I was exclaiming, Platelet donors saved my daughter’s life!
It was their turn to be surprised. It all suddenly became very personal.
And then, to the one who didn’t know, I told her, And blood donors saved MY life last January, and I told her the story of the man in the hardware store. (Looking back over the January posts, I see that I didn’t mention at the time that I’d lost half my blood volume before the surgery, and they had to replace it then as well as what was used during the colectomy itself.)
Every now and then I get another chance to tell a donor thank you. It was so cool. SO cool.
So yeah, I had this blog post I was going to write. But life opened it up into a whole ‘nother direction. And it left me wanting to just dance for joy.
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So, somebody was takin’ liberties with a Beethoven funeral dirge? Well, good! Lol.
Connecting with those donors was very cool. 🙂
Comment by Toni Smoky-Mountains 10.16.09 @ 3:43 amWhen we went to visit my mother at her new apartment in assisted living, this young woman came in and stated very carefully that she was an Occupational Therapist. You could tell she was getting ready to explain for the hunderthmillionnth time what that was. However. Daughter Judith and I whipped our head around and yelled “you’re an OT!” OT’s are wonderful!” and Judy went on to explain that thanks to OT’s she has the fine motor skills that she has and that thanks to OT’s she has a letter of accommodation that helps her get through college. We got to thank an OT and that woman floated out of the room. Not only did we know what an OT was but we thought they were heroes! You never know when you get to thank a hero.
Comment by afton 10.16.09 @ 4:23 amThanks for mentioning blood donations. Over the last five years the pool of donors in the US has been steadily decreasing as our need for blood has creeped up.
There are those of us who are ineligible as donors, but mostly, there are those who just don’t donate.
Comment by Holly 10.16.09 @ 4:30 amI recently learned that where I live is one of the top three areas in the country for using blood and the largest for platelet consumers in the country. I was stunned, but I never thought of how much the Cleveland Clinic uses. SO, my son’s elementary school is doing a special blood drive — they call the kids “Pint Sized Heroes” and get them to con/talk into/PUSH their adults to give.
I’ll give — I couldn’t for YEARS and that bummed me out. Now, let’s all cross our fingers that I don’t pass out (like I do every single time).
Comment by Patricia 10.16.09 @ 4:58 amI’m sure the women who donated felt an even stronger bond with you after you told them about your need earlier this year.
Open to new things….a lifelong adventure.
Comment by Joansie 10.16.09 @ 5:03 amThe circle of life. A powerful thing.
My grandfather was a big donor. He got a certificate for the numerous blood donations he made. I have yet to give for the first time, much to my shame. This post gives me food for thought.
Maybe I’ll add some Beethoven to my iPod to keep me going, when I do. 😉
Comment by Suzanne in Mtl 10.16.09 @ 6:09 amOh, I love to hear a classical piece spun in a new direction… and what a great, fitting tribute to donors everywhere. You’ve done it again, with your grace and talent for mixing metaphors.
Comment by Channon 10.16.09 @ 6:25 amI love it when I hear someone do something wonderful with music; being playful and trying out a new way to hear a piece is always a cool thing 🙂
Comment by Jocelyn 10.16.09 @ 8:22 amMusically I’m a traditionalist, and it would take me quite a while to get used to a different version. I used to give blood regularly, and then one time I was told I could no longer give — I was a potential carrier of — something. But learning new things, in a general sense, I think is a great idea. I shudder when I hear someone say, “We’ve always done it that way.”
Which reminds me of a true story I’ll put on my blog in a day or two.
Fun –
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Comment by Don Meyer 10.16.09 @ 9:56 amMy daughter is learning to play an acoustic guitar and she has been playing a beautiful song while softly singing to it. It’s not one I was familiar with but I found it so beautiful that it brought tears to my eyes. Then the other day I was out in the community and overheard the original version of the song (electric guitar in a rock band!), and I was amused to realize that I much, much preferred her gentle version.
Comment by Marlene 10.16.09 @ 12:40 pmSo what was the Beethoven piece and who was the performer?
I remember hearing the Judy Collins version of the old Rogers and Hart standard “Where or When”. I had been accustomed to hearing the song as a relatively upbeat dance piece but Collins’ rendition was slower, ethereal and other-worldly. Made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, I’ll tell you. Gorgeous!
Comment by Robbyn 10.16.09 @ 1:11 pmI too, would like to know the name of the piece played and the artist if you remember hearing it. I am not a “purist” lover of classical music even though that’s what I listen to most. This one sounds like something I MUST have for my collection.
Comment by Kathy 10.17.09 @ 4:53 amLeave a comment
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