I totally would have bought this t-shirt.
Photo by @wyron on Unsplash
I admit to a streak of wildness. Sometimes this gets me into situations where I find amazing talents for tasks I never thought I’d even enjoy. Like lifting weights or riding a tandem bike.
I’ve also done things that ended up being really risky.
And afterward I usually say, “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Most of these bad impulses I’m not proud of. Here’s an example that I can’t decide is good or bad. You can tell me what you think.
The band I sing in performs yearly at the 4th Street Festival of the Arts. Ken and bandmate Lee and I always do the sound for the bands that play that weekend.
It’s a grueling task in some ways: usually hot with lots of lugging equipment around, dealing with really nice and really frustrating musicians, working sound, playing our gig, and then a cold beer and a little cash as a reward.
One year our drummer’s 8-year old son came by to visit his Dad.
By god the little devil was wearing a T-shirt that said, “It seemed like a good idea at the time!” I couldn’t believe it! I wanted that shirt and offered him 10 bucks on the spot. I’m a small person and he was a large kid. I knew that shirt would fit me like a glove.
As the kid pondered this offer, his drummer dad shook his head and said no. The kid’s mom had given him the T-shirt for his birthday a few years ago.
It wasn’t for sale. Rats. Still, I gave the kid a wink and nodded my head. He nodded back. Great! The shirt was still an option. In retrospect this doesn’t sound very good. A grown woman buying a T-shirt off an 8-year old’s back. But who can resist this? Not me,
In a small town, things move in mysterious ways. Our keyboard player in our band started tutoring the drummer’s kid! I told her about my offer to buy the T-shirt and asked if she would casually mention it to the kid. You know, to see if he was still interested.
She thought this was hilarious and said if the time was right, she’d ask.
A few weeks later, Michele tells me the deal is on, but per the kid, I can’t wear the shirt in front of his dad or mom. Was I still going to pay him $10. Hell yes I was in. Money changed hands and the shirt was mine.
I clandestinely wore that shirt until the family moved to Boston. Then I didn’t have to worry about it anymore. Now I can’t find the shirt.
But I still have this great story.
I admit, I’m not for everyone. Some people feel I have a strange sense of humor. But if you’d like to explore working with me you can Click here! to see my coaching offerings. And if you’ve read this far, you should subscribe to my weekly email, sent directly to your inbox and filled with humor, random thoughts, and occasional rants. Sign up here
