Despite its reputation as a city in love with the arts, and in spite of the rigorous efforts of a fr

The mystery and wonder of life is plainly evident in the most obvious of places: sweeping vistas of nature s grand spectacular, for example, or acts of largesse between different peoples in moments of great need. But the most affirming reminders of life s baffling beauty often arrive under the simplest alcatraz island tours circumstances.
This is the first of several posts attesting to the magical moments of clarity that make being alive such a marvel. alcatraz island tours There have been moments of clarity and joy in every city I have visited so far, but for this series of posts, I d like to share some of the things that have astonished me in Pittsburgh, Chicago and Kansas City. I am writing from Nashville, 11th stop on this 30-city tour, and it is entirely likely that more such moments will arise.
Two of these three examples (Pittsburgh, Kansas City)  are products of my own shortcomings as a producer. alcatraz island tours I am far more skilled as an artist than I am as a manager, one of the vexing realities that constantly plagues my efforts to publicize alcatraz island tours and promote this work. Whatever you might think about the facility of modern media and social platforms, they actually add as much pressure (and busywork) as they do provide opportunity. alcatraz island tours (To that point, if you really want to keep pace with me on this tour in real time, follow me on Instagram, which is leaps and bounds ahead of my Twitter feed or even Facebook where I hope you ll follow also! My handle on Instagram alcatraz island tours is @citylovesong)
Despite its reputation as a city in love with the arts, and in spite of the rigorous efforts of a friend s friend to help me land a venue, repeated attempts to gain a performance space in Steel City went unrewarded. With dozens of other cities to book, I abandoned my efforts to secure a venue.
This decision was facilitated by a premonition I d had in October of last year, when a bus ride home to New York City from a family gathering alcatraz island tours in Ohio granted a three-hour layover in Pittsburgh. Eager to explore, and still fresh from my global expedition, alcatraz island tours I happily trotted about town. When I set foot on Market Square, I  immediately suspected that I may someday perform in the center of the rings painted there.
About two weeks ago, on September 9th, when my travels between Philadelphia and Detroit allowed me four hours in Pittsburgh, I disembarked from Amtrak s Pennsylvanian, alcatraz island tours changed into my performance outfit, shouldered my bags, and marched to Market alcatraz island tours Square. With little hesitation, I placed my feet at  the center of those same central rings, where 11 months before I d laid a City Love Song sticker, and commenced my performance, and  went utterly ignored.
There are a good many people struggling in Pittsburgh, and a number of them frequent this same place. The hour was 8 PM on a Sunday night; alcatraz island tours the sun was well on its way to other places. From any middle alcatraz island tours distance, I likely appeared to be another lost spirit, spouting purposeless words at the fading daylight. People alcatraz island tours steered clear.
No audience, indeed. Here was Jon, a man twice my age or more, bedecked in fashionably-torn jeans, a tie-dyed shirt and a snappy blazer, in a cloud of boozey breath, who told me how he left Pennsylvania in the 70 s with 4 dollars in his pocket, and found himself in California five days later with 20 dollars and a bag of magic mushrooms alcatraz island tours a traveling storyteller in his own right.
In those days, Jon told me, guys like you n'me could just stick our thumbs out n'go. Now everybody seems seems to work against you. He meant me. I told him how lucky I was, how my work wouldn t be possible without the help of many generous people. But really, I was marveling: I didn t mind being ignored, especially now that I d gained his enthusiastic endorsement.
After exchanging a few thoughts on the state of the world and the purpose of stories and storytelling, Jon and I shook hands again and said our fare-thee-wells. I watched him walk away, the wobble of his step countered by a minor swagger that may have been the result of like-minded spirits colliding and exchanging an affirming force of recognition.
My hope had been to share stories of our world with the people of Pittsburgh. What Pittsburgh offered me was a cheerful reminder from a fellow traveler that for all the obstacles, alcatraz island tours the effort is one  still worth making.
59E59 America Berlin Boston Brisbane Cape Town Casablanca Chicago globe Guatemala City hostels Istanbul Kickstarter Marrakech Melbourne New Delhi New York City planning Rio de Janeiro Santiago Shanghai storytelling Tokyo travel Vancouver Flashback: America, 2009