Once Again
I’ve started a new job and my commute is about 2 hours from where I live. I have accepted it and actually like it. It gives me time to meditate and be focused on me. This is the end of my first official week. With everything taken in to consideration it has been a wonderful week. I am so happy and grateful to have this job and I know I am catching up with my good.
I had an amazing experience a few days ago. I was fortunate enough to get a ride from one of my co-workers to a train stop closer to home. I am grateful for that cause that saves me about 30 minutes on the commute. As I rode the train and got closer to my stop I got an inspiration to ride a little longer and get off in the Wicker Park area. Those of you who are not from Chicago…Wicker Park is a multi cultural, eclectic area of the city where artists gather and bands perform at various clubs. My goal was to secure some type of place to perform. I was specifically focused on the “Double Door”. I did a few shows there a few years back and it made sense to go there first.
So anyway…I get the inspiration while I’m on the train, however I keep trying to talk my self out of it…I’m saying things to myself like “Go home it’s been a long week.”…and “I’m not even sure if this train will take me where I want to go.” As I am having those thoughts a passenger gets on the train with a button on his backpack that reads…”Ask Me About Islam”…so I’m feeling good and curious so I say “What can you tell me about Islam?” We begin a conversation about Islam…he tells me Ramadan (Islamic Monthly Fast and Praying) just ended and how he does his Salat (prayer 5 times a day to the east) faithfully…then out of nowhere he asks me “Where are you going?”I'm wondering to myself... why he is asking me that…That immediately made me make up my mind…I was going to follow my inspiration and get off at the Wicker Park area.
So I get off at Damen my stop and I go directly to the “Double Door” and I meet a few guys setting up for a show and I ask them how I go about booking a show with the establishment. One guy starts giving me some names of some people to contact and the other tells me to go to the website. I take that information and head down the street with the intention of hitting a few more clubs and making some more connections. As I’m walking down the block I see some guys in black suits standing by a door and I could hear music coming out. I stopped and asked them what was going on and they told me it was some type of private invitation only affair and somebody was performing. He pointed me to the individuals who promoted it. I went over and introduced myself. I met a gentleman by the name of Rueben…one by the name of High Speed and a sister by the name of Mojde.
We talked about some people we knew mutually and how I am an artist looking to book some shows. Ruben informed me they were promoting for a wine called “Black Swan” he said it was cool for me to go in and check it out. I decided to go get something to eat first then come back.
I stumbled into a restaurant called “Earwax” and had the best and only Black Bean Burger I have ever had…NO MEAT!!!...It was so gooood. The potato salad I had was great too…lol
Anyway I go back to the “Black Swan” event and I see Mojde there the sister I met earlier with Ruben and High Speed. She said she overheard me speaking about being an artist and looking for a place to perform and she wanted to hear my music. Of course I’m Johnny on the spot…I pull out my IPod and she gives it a listen. She lets me know she is hard to impress and she liked it a lot. I find out she is a Senior Marketing Representative for “Fader” magazine, a prominent Hip Hop/Dj magazine she has done events for some high profile artists and she is always looking for acts. We exchanged email addresses and she made sure I mentioned how we met and that I was looking to perform.
Finally I go into the “Black Swan” affair... I drink enough wine to get significant buzz…admire the art that is on the wall… then I think to myself….” This is what happened after I followed my inspiration.” I got exactly what I was looking for and more.
I’ve started a new job and my commute is about 2 hours from where I live. I have accepted it and actually like it. It gives me time to meditate and be focused on me. This is the end of my first official week. With everything taken in to consideration it has been a wonderful week. I am so happy and grateful to have this job and I know I am catching up with my good.
I had an amazing experience a few days ago. I was fortunate enough to get a ride from one of my co-workers to a train stop closer to home. I am grateful for that cause that saves me about 30 minutes on the commute. As I rode the train and got closer to my stop I got an inspiration to ride a little longer and get off in the Wicker Park area. Those of you who are not from Chicago…Wicker Park is a multi cultural, eclectic area of the city where artists gather and bands perform at various clubs. My goal was to secure some type of place to perform. I was specifically focused on the “Double Door”. I did a few shows there a few years back and it made sense to go there first.
So anyway…I get the inspiration while I’m on the train, however I keep trying to talk my self out of it…I’m saying things to myself like “Go home it’s been a long week.”…and “I’m not even sure if this train will take me where I want to go.” As I am having those thoughts a passenger gets on the train with a button on his backpack that reads…”Ask Me About Islam”…so I’m feeling good and curious so I say “What can you tell me about Islam?” We begin a conversation about Islam…he tells me Ramadan (Islamic Monthly Fast and Praying) just ended and how he does his Salat (prayer 5 times a day to the east) faithfully…then out of nowhere he asks me “Where are you going?”I'm wondering to myself... why he is asking me that…That immediately made me make up my mind…I was going to follow my inspiration and get off at the Wicker Park area.
So I get off at Damen my stop and I go directly to the “Double Door” and I meet a few guys setting up for a show and I ask them how I go about booking a show with the establishment. One guy starts giving me some names of some people to contact and the other tells me to go to the website. I take that information and head down the street with the intention of hitting a few more clubs and making some more connections. As I’m walking down the block I see some guys in black suits standing by a door and I could hear music coming out. I stopped and asked them what was going on and they told me it was some type of private invitation only affair and somebody was performing. He pointed me to the individuals who promoted it. I went over and introduced myself. I met a gentleman by the name of Rueben…one by the name of High Speed and a sister by the name of Mojde.
We talked about some people we knew mutually and how I am an artist looking to book some shows. Ruben informed me they were promoting for a wine called “Black Swan” he said it was cool for me to go in and check it out. I decided to go get something to eat first then come back.
I stumbled into a restaurant called “Earwax” and had the best and only Black Bean Burger I have ever had…NO MEAT!!!...It was so gooood. The potato salad I had was great too…lol
Anyway I go back to the “Black Swan” event and I see Mojde there the sister I met earlier with Ruben and High Speed. She said she overheard me speaking about being an artist and looking for a place to perform and she wanted to hear my music. Of course I’m Johnny on the spot…I pull out my IPod and she gives it a listen. She lets me know she is hard to impress and she liked it a lot. I find out she is a Senior Marketing Representative for “Fader” magazine, a prominent Hip Hop/Dj magazine she has done events for some high profile artists and she is always looking for acts. We exchanged email addresses and she made sure I mentioned how we met and that I was looking to perform.
Finally I go into the “Black Swan” affair... I drink enough wine to get significant buzz…admire the art that is on the wall… then I think to myself….” This is what happened after I followed my inspiration.” I got exactly what I was looking for and more.
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1 comment:
That's great!! We should all follow our inspiration and instints.
That was great!!
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