Do what you love and love what you do :)
Bill and I had the privilege to attend a concert by Keith Jarrett who is a remarkable American Pianist and Composer. This man plays the piano in such a unique way, I haven’t quiet seen anybody like him. His piano and him become one and the music is so amazing, almost visual. As he played the piano I got to “see” different shapes and colors coming out from everywhere, I saw little drops of water in the air, I saw the wind, I saw tiny pieces of colored papers flying around... This man enjoys so much what he does, it is contagious. So while I was watching him perform my mind started navigating through all those imaginary channels that we have in our brain, I started making connections and going from one link to another (like on the Internet) until I saw my Dad. My Dad? How did he get in there? Well, I have the explanation:
For several years my Dad used to drive one of those big trucks that go around picking up the garbage. At my school that was considered to be the worst and most embarrassing job that anybody could have so I didn’t tell anybody what my Dad did. (Sometimes kids could be so cruel to other kids). When someone asked what my Dad’s profession was I said: Professional Driver. Because this is exactly what my Dad had considered himself since age 18 when he first got his driving license. (He is seventy now). At age 18 my Dad got a job driving a big bus, that’s when he met my mom so we could say that they met though the public transportation system (she was his favorite passenger). Later in life he drove so many different types of vehicles, being the huge ones his favorite! He proudly says that he can drive anything and he has all the permits to prove it. My Dad had survived two mayor car accidents (not his fault). The Doctors said (both times) that due to the emotional trauma he wasn’t going to be able to drive again and both times they were wrong. He just couldn’t stop doing it.
As a Professional Truck Driver there was a whole set of non-written rules that all of his friends with big trucks strictly followed. I will mention only the three most important ones:
Number one: You need a big mustache. My Dad had the most amazing mustache ever; he was pretty popular because of it.
Number two: You need to wear a shirt with no sleeves and a V-neck followed by 5 buttons. My mom used to sew these shirts by the dozen for him.
And number three: you need huge sunglasses, big enough so they could cover about 45% of your face.
As a Professional Truck Driver if you didn’t have these three elements put together you were not considered to be the real deal. My Dad was always on the top of his field and he enjoyed his job so much; from the noise that his truck made to how he claimed that giant machine in order to sit behind the steering wheel... As I look back into my life as a child I realize that my Dad taught me a great lesson, which is: Do what you love and love what you do. So is there anything in common between Keith Jarret the virtuoso Pianist and my Dad the truck Driver? Absolutely: they were both born with a talent for making beautiful music. Keith makes music with his piano and my Dad makes music with his truck.
My Dad is now retired in Cuba and he doesn’t drive anymore but all of his dreams are truck and car related. In one of my last conversations with him he described the truck of his dreams in such a detailed way that I could almost “see” it (the same way I “saw” Jarrett’s music). That’s why I say that he is still a Truck Driver and he will always be even when there is not truck involved anymore.
See you tomorrow!
Elsita :)
