Weekend Challenge: Look 'em in the eye

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Good morning, and HAPPY FRIDAY!  Whew, it's gonna be a scorcher today, and hey, that's a good way to kick off the weekend.  So, are you ready for the WEEKEND CHALLENGE?  This one is simple, cheap, and might change your perspective.

  It's called..."Look 'em in the eye."

  Here's what's up:  As a creative fella, I play music in a lot of different ways, one of them being street music.  It's the most colorful gig I've ever had.  Sometimes, I'll do little street music tours, traveling by train.  It is a blast, and also decidedly unconventional. Last year, I was traveling around, and since I was carrying an amp, had my suitcase with me the whole day, leading to the misconception that I was homeless.  Before you say "Oh, the NERVE of the privileged", the lady who made the assumption was homeless herself.  So there I was, a foot in both worlds by perception, not by economic situation.  And boy, was it illuminating.  Traveling from Charlotte, NC, to Richmond, VA, I took an uber from the train station to...the grocery store.  It was right by my next street music spot, and I was gonna get lunch. And still rattled by this perception people seemed to have of a traveler with a suitcase, I quickly regretted my decision.  I've never felt so invisible as walking through the store, trying to avoid knocking over any of the wine bottles with my luggage, my guitar on my back and a gulf between me and my fellow man all around.

  Perhaps I was tired from traveling, and perhaps I was being a drama queen.  But, the street music has given me a new perspective on how we tune out that which we're confused by, saddened by, threatened by, and obviously don't fully understand.  And it takes a real toll to be ignored on the street and in the store.  And I'm only out there for a few hours at a time! So, this weekend - engage with someone who might feel isolated like that.  Look them in the eye, ask their name, never pity them, talk music or movies, and commiserate about the summer heat.  Build a bridge...and have a rockin' weekend!