Firsts

We have had a few "firsts" in our family this past week. Last Thursday evening, J and I left Cohen with a babysitter for the first time (not including our daytime sitter when we both have to work). The awesome thing about Cohen sleeping through the night is that we can get a sitter after 7 pm, and Cohen will be in bed the whole time we are gone.

The occasion was J's first time playing for a crowd. J took up guitar a few years ago, and practices a little most evenings. When we went to the Clarenville coffee house a few months ago, J thought it might be the perfect crowd to play in front of for the first time. It was. The crowd consisted of maybe 100 or 120 people, with I'd say 70% seniors. Each performer plays two songs, and lots of the performers have never been onstage before.

As we waited for J's turn on Thursday, I could tell he was nervous, and he said his throat felt really dry, like a desert. The host is really friendly, and introduced Jon by making fun of our profession a little, which I think takes the edge off the performer's anxiety a bit.

Jon started playing his first song, "Let it be" by the Beatles. He sounded so good for the first 30 seconds or so, then he stopped. He started again, and stopped again. My adrenaline was pumping, so I can only imagine how Jon felt. Jon made a little joke, telling the crowd that he had heard this was a good audience to crash and burn in front of. The crowd applauded. The host ran up and told a quick story about how this had happened to him a few times in the past. It was awesome. Anyway, Jon decided to jump right in to his second song, "Sail away with me" by David Gray. This time, he nailed it. He took his time, and his voice sounded great. He sounded at ease. I heard someone behind me say that he sounded a little Bob Dylan-ish. When he finished his second song, the crowd applauded even harder. I had tears in my eyes. I felt so proud at that moment.

I love that I am married to someone who loves to learn, and is not afraid to make mistakes. He challenges me to step out of my comfort zone, just by example. After J came off, we rushed home to our sleeping babe. It was a night I'll never forget.