Mr. Conley
Monday, February 22, 2010 at 04:12PM I love to sing.
In the car… in the shower… even while walking on the streets in open air. Sometimes I get interesting looks, a few smirks, but I don’t really mind.
A few days ago, I walked into the subway station and found a man after my own heart. There he was walking down the stairs belting out an oldie but goodie, “You Make Me Feel Brand New” (which he later reminded me was by the Stylistics). I stood behind him smiling, taking pleasure in his moment, thinking to myself, “There’s a man who knows how to have a good time.”
No later than this thought crossed my mind he turns around and looks me in the eye and begins to serenade me with his classic tune.
He says, “Do you know it?”
I paused, “Yeah… yeah I think I do… sing the chorus again.”
He repeats the refrain and I start singing with him. Hands flailing in the air in the middle of a crowded subway station, we continue our duet.
“Youuuu make meeee feeel brand newww!”
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Our train approaches as if on cue giving me a few more moments with my new friend. He sits next to me and proceeds to take off his hat and charms me and the surrounding ladies with his dashing looks :)
He asks, “What do you think?” Giving a little emphasis to his do.
“Do I look like Donald Trump?”
“Nooooooooo,” the ladies said, “you look better!” Their downcast stares washed away with his disarming question, replaced by deep hearted grins.
I continued to dialogue with the Mr. Trump look alike getting to hear a little about his life and share some of mine. He asked me what I do and I told him about this project, he smiled and said, “How do you know they’re really gentlemen?”
I smiled back, “I don’t.”
We laughed together.
His stop approached and he wished each of us well and introduced himself, “Mike Conley.” His exit was like that of an old time movie.
“It was a pleasure to meet you,” I said.
He dashed away leaving a taste of refreshment on the otherwise dry train ride home.
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If I didn’t know better, I would tell you I skipped home after my encounter with him.
There was something about him. A liberty to be himself, to share his life and joy with a bunch of complete strangers. The ability to transform his environment… by being him?
I know nothing of his character, but I do know the five minutes I was able to spend in Mr. Conley’s presence changed my whole day… changed my week even. It’s funny, it wasn’t until after he left that I realized I had found a G. His presence stayed with me and his song resonated in my heart as if to foreshadow my short experience with him…
“You make me feel brand new.”
Thank you Mr. Conley.
This one's dedicated to you, sing along if you'd like :)
Reader Comments (2)
If you read this Mr. Conley, please forgive me if I misspelled your name. It was such a pleasure to meet you, you're changing the world one song at a time ;)
Blessings.