The Gift of Song

Another day of satisfaction - for what more could one ask? Friends and I spent the day shopping in the city, buying stylish fits that I'm positive none of us could afford. I had had a headache from lack of food for about three hours when we finally left the stores to pursue a good meal. As we walked up the block to a personal favorite of mine, Max's - on the corner of Geary and Mason, a homeless man approached us. My friends immediately picked up the pace, while I gently told the man that I did not have change on me to purchess a "Street Spirit" newspaper from him. For whatever reason, I have always attracted the homeless, so this incident, like so many others, was not unusual to me.

The man then asked me, with a big gap-toothed smile, if he could sing to me. Now, this I had never encountered before, though I did imagine a similar instance for a short story I once wrote. I didn't give the man a positive or negative response fast enough, so he quickly added, "A song won't hurt you none." He was right, so I let the man sing. The first thought that came to mind was the song "As" by Steview Wonder , and the first few lines that the man sung were from that song. My evening was brightened even more, if that were possible. (The dress I bought was fabulous!) Do you know that man sung me all the way up to the restaurant? And when we had arrived and I, again, politely told him that I didn't have any money to spare, he said, "Oh that's alright! Your smile and eyebrows are blessings enough!" Weird, I know. But sweet, too. In those moments leading up to the restaurant door, that man gave me more than I gave myself with my purchesses.

It reminded me of a part in the Narrative of Frederick Douglass in which Douglass clarifies that the slaves were not singing because they were happy, as their owners believed. They sang because of their sorrows; the songs merely helped them bare the pain. The fact that the songs appealed to whites was an unforseen positive byproduct. It is my belief that the gift of song is a blessing in myriad ways: it uplifts, soothes, encourages, and moves the soul in a way that other mediums cannot. Songs simply make us move. They are vehicles that transport us from here to there, wherever and to whatever those things may be. I know this to be true because people are plugged up to their Ipods every time I look around; shoot...I am, too! So, be thankful whenever someone gives you a free ride with the gift of song. I know I was tonight.

This Black History Month: CELEBRATE song.