Thank You, Ukulele Man

The other day on the bus ride home I had a delightful encounter.

I got on the bus and sat near the front. There was a pair of young people sitting in the seat opposite and I couldn't help but be drawn to them almost immediately. She was your typical downtown young lady, trendy/hippy hand-made clothes and hat, while he was tall, bearded, wearing a huge winter coat and playing a blues scale on on a Ukulele.

Now, I've recently had a bit of an obsession with the beloved UKE, ever since an radio article on CBC's GO stated in no uncertain terms that the Ukulele is the perfect gift for the hard-to-shop-for person in your life, as its easy to play and growing in popularity. Plus the host said that playing a UKE makes you feel like a GIANT, which is no doubt all kinds of awesome.

But the pair on the bus had something else going on, beyond excellent taste in fashion and musical instruments. They were lively, daring, and looked to be having a lot of fun. In a place where most people sit silently avoiding attention, they were relaxed and even having some fun. Eventually he was able to coax his bus mate into a little impromptu jam session, while he played and she invented cold, bitter lyrics of lament and tragedy.

Now, I'm not saying I necessarily want to play the blue on a Ukulele whist (and at the same time) traveling on public transit, but I do want to take every opportunity to enjoy the company of those around me and not to let life slip by.

Thank you, crazy Ukulele Man. May we all follow your cute, under-sized example.
-Dave