Yesterday was an adventure. Like most adventures, it had it's rewards and frustrations. Two days ago, a tanker truck collided with a car on I95... on the most heavily traveled stretch of highway in the United States. The oil the tanker was carrying burst into a giant fireball and actually melted the highway... on an overpass. All the traffic that is carried on that stretch of highway is being diverted to city streets and the highway we usually travel on, so going anywhere is a real unpleasant adventure. If you like to look at the rear end of another car for a couple of hours to go 30 miles, you'd enjoy driving around here right now.

But, my gospel quartet had a commitment to play at a health care center, and we were determined to keep it. There's a sad story here.
We were asked to sing at a birthday party being held for a man who just turned 65. I'd never met the man, but my heart went out to him. He is on dialisis three times a week, and is confined to a wheelchair. About a month ago, he went into a coma, and was unconscious for two weeks. The day before he came out of the coma, his wife got in their car to go to a meeting and had a heart attack while she was driving, hit a tree and was killed. So, the day after Darryl came out of the coma. he was informed that his wife was dead.
I can't even imagine how horrible his life has been these last few weeks.

So, we all managed to get to the health care center. Frankie and Derrick both came from work, dressed in work clothes, and I lugged all of our sound equipment and got set up. At first it looked like we'd only be singing for eight or ten people, but as wheelchairs were brought in, the audience spread out into the hallway, and an adjoining room with a large opening. We hadn't sung in awhile, and were very rusty, but it didn't make any difference. One thing you quickly realize when you sing at health care center is the most important thing you give is yourself. The residents face day after dreary day without visitors, unable to do much of anything for themselves. They sit propped up in front of a tv, or do "activities" like baloon volleyball. For most of them, a loving touch on their arm is the greatest gift you can give them. Just being remembered is very, very important. When we arrive, my wife goes around and talks to each resident, touching them and giving them some personal attention. And then, after we sing, she goes around a second time to talk with the people and tell them that we'll pray for them. So many of them just want to grab your hand, and don't want to let go. It's times like those that we are stripped clean of all labels... Democrat, Repbulican, Liberal, Conservative, Christian, Muslim, Atheist. For that moment we are just people reaching out to each other. That's why we love to sing in health care centers. We have been blessed with a gift and gifts are to be shared. But, the sharing goes in both directions. We receive at least as much as we give. The music is just the coin of exchange we have to offer, but it is in offering yourself that you receive the greatest gift in return.

Singing in health care centers is not a career move. It doesn't feed the ego we all have to be praised as great musicians. It's the beautiful connection that comes between people, through music that is the payment. It reminds me of why I sing.

Jerry