While exercising upstairs at the Commonwealth Community Centre yesterday, there was a water polo tournament going on in the pool below me. Headphones on, I was elliptical hiking (that's what I call it to make me feel better when I am inside the gym on a beautiful day) to the beat of the Red Hot Chili Peppers trying my best to keep up with the game below.
The timer ticked down and the action stopped as the home team lost to the visitors. Both teams, one exuberant the other forlorn, exited the pool and toweled off as this Man in Black, head to toe, casually sauntered onto the pool deck with an electric guitar in hand.
He grabbed the microphone from the announcer, plugged into an amp and started to rock out, shuffling his feet with his moves like Jagger.
Lime green bikinis and fluorescent orange board shorts jumped from the
diving boards behind him. Dads threw little boys into the air and
let them splash back into the water. A family of folks were playing
water volleyball in the shallow pool, oblivious to the concert just steps away. All the while this Man in Black
kept rocking out, singing his heart out, strumming his guitar and shuffling away.
Now, I was listening to Californication, and there was a wall of glass and about a hundred feet between us, so I have no idea what he was playing, but I can only assume he was doing a good job as a few of the judges got up from their seats and started dancing, bumping hips and clapping hands and laughing between them.
There is truly nothing better in this world than watching people step out, and stand out, from the ordinary and do something extraordinary. Thank you Man in Black for the smiles you brought to all of us watching you.
