My guitar and I went to stand on a street corner. This was not in order to put a hat on the ground for coins, but rather to stand in solidarity with people whose hearts resonate with mine. I did not know ahead of time exactly who they would be. 

 

The first two I recognized as my nieces, whom I have not seen for years. It was lovely to chat between singing This Land is Your Land and waving to the people driving by, who were enthusiastically waving to us. Then I listened to a veteran, whose legs were unable to hold him for long, and he sat on a stool. I asked about his health, which is unraveling on multiple fronts. He looked defeated. I crossed the street to stand on the other corner, so that I could talk to another musician. My new position led to talking with John's aunt, who has been a librarian for much of her life. Her intention is to protect those institutes of learning. 

 

"This is my friend," she said. "She is blind, and sings beautifully." 

 

I asked her to join me and she harmonized with a voice that flew with no hint of coming back down. I read the sign she was holding, which had no dots that I could find, but certainly she understood the message. Her friend joined the conversation, telling us about his poetry. He hugged me like a long lost cousin. 

 

Another elderly man arrived, with his folding chair, and I leaned over to hear him. His wife is the woman who gave me my first chicks, many years ago. One of her lessons was to never have just one chick. 

 

"They get lonely, and die," she told me. 

 

For years she brought fertile eggs to the preschool so that children could witness life emerging from what looks like an unlikely place. It was a miracle every time. 

 

As I headed back home I smiled to think of the camaraderie. People quietly told me how glad they were to see me there. Their faces confirmed it.

 

There are forces that can blind me, or blindside me, and standing with others who are trying to clear the fog makes me feel less afraid. It is safer than being alone. 

 

Plus I want to share the chance to see fresh life emerging in unlikely places. It is a miracle, every time.