I started writing this within seconds of experiencing a surreal experience. It is truly beautiful what can come from just being. After a whole weekend of 'being' with some of the shadow parts of myself, while assisting at a CTI Process Coaching course, I needed to sit down and spend time with the little girl inside me who feels very, very alone from time to time. So, I turned off all the lights in my home. I opened my balcony and I sat there in the dark. Being alone…or so I thought.
10 minutes hadn't passed, when suddenly, I heard a deep, mellow voice singing. If you live in Vancouver, you might have heard of the older operatic tenor whose heart-wrenching arias regularly fill the streets of our city (I think I heard someone say his name is Alberto). This was not that voice. It seemed younger. The song seemed younger. So, without turning any lights on, I got up off my cushion to take a look. And there he was, a young man walking back and forth on the sidewalk, never leaving the space in front of my apartment as he belted out a big musical song. I watched for a little bit and decided I wanted to thank him for the wonderful song. Then he stopped singing and started mumbling and talking to himself, and I thought, I better not talk to him. I don't want to make myself vulnerable to a strange encounter, not now in the rawness of my emotions from the work I was doing all weekend. "
I continued to evaluate the situation. Even in the shadows, I could see that he was wearing a nicely tailored suit. And then, he pulled out a smartphone whose glimmering lights I could see from my ground-floor balcony. "C'mon Syntyche," I said to myself. "What’s the worst that can happen." So, before he started singing again I shouted out, "Why are you singing?" It took a couple of seconds for him to pull himself away from his phone, but then he turned around and faced my balcony, confused and searching for the source of the voice. "Me. I'm over here!" I said, forgetting that without turning on the lights, he was hearing a voice out of thin air calling from the darkness. "You're a ghost," he said. Then I waved, and he realized he was not being haunted. I repeated my question, "Why are you singing?" And he replied by asking if he woke me up; which of course, he didn't. It turns out that he was practicing to audition for a part in a play for a friend for a fundraiser. He was going to audition for another role for himself too. I started to ask more questions while becoming more and more amazed at the gift of quality musicianship that I had been getting. Without any notice, a silverfish Toyota Rav4 pulled up, honking obnoxiously, and almost crashed into him. A woman in the SUV shouted "Let’s go!" in a voice filled with anticipation. He started to walk towards the rear door of the car but then stopped and turned in my general direction. He said, "Sorry for bothering you." To which I replied, "You weren't bothering me. Thank you for the song." I didn't get to wish him good luck for the audition verbally, but I wished it for him in my heart. And then I was left to sit with my loneliness some more. What a beautiful moment: a human being singing his heart out in the street. Little did he know how much that song would give to me. It was a reminder of my own life purpose - To inspire courage and love, by singing my own song and doing my own dance. He was being so courageous in owning the power and beauty of his own song. Out of respect, he hoped he wasn't bothering anyone, but he really didn't care what anyone would think. He did something so daring, so bold. I felt inspired. It made me wonder, what is the big audition that I want to prepare for? Will it be a new job opportunity? A new leadership role? Is it stepping into some other unknown territory? The answer is…….. I don't know what I will be auditioning for. All I know is that his song called me into a mindset of preparation. I have a renewed desire to live intentionally and purposely: a refreshed desire to sing my own song and do my own dance. I commit to living out my life purpose in every way that I can. As long as I live on purpose, I know that I will be ready when the calls for auditions come. What audition are you preparing for? How would knowing exactly what your life is about put you in a position to be successful? Comments, other stories...please share. I'd love to hear from you!
Comments