First I was going.
Then I wasn’t.
Then I was.
And then because of those I CAN’T BELIEVE I CAN’T COME breakdown moments, the trip became all the sweeter. I made it to Julie Marr’s Charlotte driveway only slightly later than we’d planned, running for the door with neither my coat nor my suitcase nor the bottle of Prosecco I’d brought my Italian hostess.
Have a seat, she said, pulling out a chair for me in her cozy kitchen, the kind of room that makes you want to stay forever.
I’ll make some coffee.
In no time Julie joined me at the table, kind smile on her face, two steaming mugs in her hands.
Tell me everything, she said.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Kindred spirits that we are, we could not make a decision about Christ Church. One Brief Moment of Brene Brown before the concert? If Brene started on time, which was likely, we could catch 15 minutes of her “On Vulnerability and Perfection” talk. Then we could race downtown for the concert, which was slated for 7:30. Heck, it might not actually start until 7:40 — or 7:45 if we were lucky. So it was theoretically possible.
My friend announced: We’ll just drive by the church. If there’s a parking spot, we’ll take that as a sign and go in.
There was a parking spot.
Of all Brene had to say in the short bit we heard, this is the what I most want to remember:
God is the divine reminder of our inherent worth.
Oh, wow. Oh, yes.
Then we broke into a full run, Julie and I, as we headed for the extraordinary Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. There on the stage before us were two of my musical idols: Shawn Colvin and Mary Chapin Carpenter. The opening night of their North American Duo tour, the show was so intimate it was like spending a Thursday night in MC’s living room.
And the music. Oh, the music.
I love Mary Chapin; I love her poet’s approach, her gift for noticing the everyday and making it beautiful and significant. I love the way she is, the way she moves through this world, unpretentious and funny and real.
And I love Shawn Colvin. Shawn is with me everywhere I go, the one artist who has a place on every playlist I make. I long to tell her how significant her music is in my life, to let her know how many times Venetian Blue and One Cool Remove and I Don’t Know Why have pulled me through. How, among the tens of thousands of songs in my library, hers are the songs that never grow old.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There were so many I still wanted to hear when the show came to an end. But it was all perfect, nonetheless, this weeknight getaway filled with extraordinary music and honest conversation and friendship, deep and wide. It restored my soul. It brought me back to joy.
Thank you, verytrulyjulie. Thank you.
Is it just me, or do those look like peacock feathers in the back?
it was the best, best, best!!! wish we could hit ‘repeat’ and do it all over again this week. love you, friend!