Tales of the unexpected: Part II

lsproule@thereview.ca
“Well,”  he says. “I’ll just play every song I know.”  We laughed.
But it wasn’t that funny, really. I had just learned that the substitute musician at the Champlain Seniors Gala was a classical guitarist currently focusing on flamenco guitar. Not exactly the easy dance music that the senior crowd was expecting that evening.
But to his credit, he dove in and recalled repertoire from his years of gigs in lounges, pubs and cruise ships. Of course, he didn’t have all those years of tunes at top of mind. Plus: the band was missing.
When everyone had gone and as volunteers cleaned up after a turkey dinner had been served to 250 people, he gave us a free sample of flamenco guitar and showed us his laquered nails tailored for the job.
Yes, folks, right here in Vankleek Hill on a Tuesday evening. Who could have expected it?
At this year’s Christmas Craft Show, several people noted that new artisans rounded out the event with unexpected offerings. I learned how much it would cost to have a turkey dinner for 10 delivered ready to serve to my house. I saw creative jewellery made from recycled bottle caps (and this didn’t look recycled but had the look of a skilled industrial designer). Artisan soaps and skin care products, more hand-crafted jewellery and in short, people who care and were ready to share. The diversity was unexpected.
As we tossed around ideas and planned for this Friday evening’s photo sessions with Santa, I felt a twinge of remorse at forging ahead yet again with an idea before working out all the details. Until one of our staff pointed out that one of our “newer” team members had put in a stint as a portrait photographer. Unexpectedly, the problem was solved and a plan fell into place.
Sometimes, I think that we are so caught up in our routines that we forget how much fun an unexpected discovery can be. Those of us who work here know that the unexpected can happen at any moment. The unexpected, in fact, is what we gather for the content of our newspaper.
Sometimes, we forget about the many unexpected good things that happen in a day: lost keys that get returned before you know you left them behind, a thank-you gift delivered just when you need a pick-me-up.
A few weeks ago, unbeknownst to me, I dropped a Bell internet stick as I got out of my car after work but there it was, the next morning, on the ground right outside the driver’s door.
One of our contributors recently offered to do a short travel piece, relating that he used to fly planes in Africa.  People are full of surprises.
The lesson I want to take from this is to expect more and to look deeper. Everyone has a surprise inside but maybe it is an attitude of low expectations or self-absorption that causes me to not see fully what is there.
At a cooking class last Friday evening in Hawkesbury, a friend encouraged me to do something simple: cook a crepe. Sounds easy: but try doing it while the class watches. The unexpected from that evening, aside from the new tastes and cooking techniques, was that I could cook for an audience, even if only briefly.
And just last night, as our zumba replacement instructor asked if there was anyone who knew a particular routine, a young girl named Jessica waved her hand, ran up on stage and led the entire routine without missing a beat. As the final strains of music faded, she smiled broadly. Her unexpected exuberant accomplishment earned her a cheer and applause from everyone.
As we enter the final few weeks before Christmas, I hope I can balance the need to plan with a healthy acceptance of the unexpected.
What a relief it could be to think that the univese is unfolding as it should, and the only work required by me would be to marvel at what comes next.