Wuv....twue wuv

I had the most amazing gig last night.  I responded to an ad on craigs list, looking for a violinist to play as a guy proposed to his girlfriend.  The romantic in me cheered as I replied, and we started to set up the details.  It would be around 930 at the FDR memorial.  He was coming down from new york to pop the question, and would be wearing a pinstripe suit and red tie.  And if I could, I should play "Till There Was You."

After many many back and forth phone calls and text messages on friday setting up the exact location, I got there a bit early - my wonderful roomate agreed to both come with me AND drive, which was absolutely terrific, especially considering how freezing it was. 

I set up between two benches, in a little park area, and started to play.  After a few minutes (which felt like forever cause it was so damn cold), they came around a corner...past a waterfall that had been blocking out all the sound of my playing.  I could see them, but not hear as he stopped, got down on bended knee and pulled out the little box.

I almost lost it...and I was smiling so hard it was difficult to play.

She accepted and cried a bunch, and after a few minutes I stopped and they came over to introduce themselves.  Apparently that was THEIR song, and they had been singing it together by the waterfall.  THey had turned the corner, and I was playing the same tume, much to her surprise.  There was some more crying.  Then her parents walked up.  She told her mom she was engaged, and I don't think that her mom was listening carefully..she sort of brushed it off, thinking she was kidding.  A few more iterations of "mom, did you hear me?  Jeremiah just proposed!" and she got it, and started to cry too.  There was much more hugging, congratulations all around.  IN the midst of all this, I packed up, stuffed my slyly handed envelope into my back pocket and left quietly into the dark.

I felt a little wierd being witness to such a personal moment, but it was me and a few tour groups, and I was SUPPOSED to be there, so I guess it wasn't bad.  And they were so sweet, wanting to take a picture of me before I took one of all of them. 

Sigh.  It was a wonderful thing, but leaves me both elated and melancholy.  Perhaps I'll drown my inadequacies in new shoes. 


Ome more note.  There is something very disturbing about getting an envelope filled with cash from the Watergate Hotel, but eh.  It's DC, after all.