Singin' at The Coffee House

The area of New York City known as Greenwich Village was popular in the 1960's. Folk musicians like Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and The Mamas and the Papas - to name just a few, used to play there at small pubs and "coffee houses". People who came to listen heard history in the making.

About six times a year, our church hosts an open mike "coffee house" here in Mimico and opens the floor to anyone who'd like to perform. We've seen story tellers and poets. We've even seen a couple of attempts (intrepid souls!) at stand-up comedy. Mostly though, it's music that draws a crowd. Tonight, there was a turkey dinner served in the basement gym followed by the Coffee House in a smaller room next door.


Feelin' the music.

Cyril McPherson and I were first on stage. The crowd numbered perhaps fifty people. We did the same four songs we performed last weekend at Alex's fundraiser. Alex raised over $1100. toward her trip to Guyana. Cy and I sounded pretty good, I think. We were much better this time than we were last week. Practice makes perfect, no?


Enjoying Cy's guitar solo. We didn't use the microphone. It was turned off.

I'm glad we went first. The acts that followed were better than us. Much better. A couple of the musicians were absolutely fabulous, Ms J. It was a really good show, perhaps the best I've ever seen at any of our Coffee House nights. The music was mostly folk, gospel and country, although one fellow did a couple of blues numbers that had heads bobbing. He played the guitar and harmonica. Later, he played a mandolin and sang a few Gordie Lightfoot songs while the audience sang along. Everybody knows Lightfoot. The man is a living legend. A Canadian music icon.

As I've said before, Ms Journal, I'm not much of a singer. That's not one of my spiritual gifts. Acting is, I think. But singing? Not so much. But I don't care, really. I sing because I like to sing. It makes me happy. I dance for the same reason. My dancing isn't, as Dad would say, "worth a pinch of coon shit". But I express joy through dance and song. These activities fill my heart. It may not be pretty, Ms J, but I can't help feeling that it pleases God to see me happy. Hell, maybe He's up there laughing His arse off at me. Whatever. I think it pleases Him.

Because it pleases me. And it may even bring joy to someone else. Who knows? Maybe watching me express my joy might help someone else lose their inhibitions enough to express their own joy. It could be contagious, Ms J. In a good way.


Straining to reach the high notes. Some I hit. Some I didn't. The crowd offered applause anyway. And I smiled. A lot.

I had planned to take Meagan with me tonight to the dinner and later to the Coffee House. I wish she'd been there to see me on stage.

I'm thinking of you, Scout. I'm missing you a little. I hope you're being a good girl and helping Mum with the move. I'll see you next weekend. I love you to the moon and back.

G' night, Ms J.

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