Sunday, April 14, 2013

Jackie Evancho and Some Time Away

One should never post about where they are or where they are going, only on where they have been. A simple security measure. I have just returned from Las Vegas where I attended a concert by Jackie Evancho, the little girl who sings opera and was the runner up on "America's Got Talent", she was simply amazing and charming and so very likeable.

My trip to Vegas began with a 6 hour drive. I arrived in town and had dinner. I went to a nicer restaurant and had a wonderful filet Mignon. I was served by two very charming young ladies and for one of them it was her first night. I must have reminded them of the grandfather because they were so very nice to me and we even got to talk a little. In fact, one of them told me that she really liked my voice and wondered if I was in radio, lol. The other young lady berated me that I needed to finish everything on my plate or I would be in trouble. It was a great start to a great weekend. They were two very pretty and very nice young ladies and I wish them well as they begin their journey.

After dinner I gambled a little and listened to the band at the nightclub, I was staying at a casino. I bought the band a round and they came by and spoke to me. It was fun getting to know them and I enjoyed their selection of songs. The following day I went to see Miss Evancho at the Smith Center. I regret to say that I took no pictures and they were not allowed. It turned out that the 13th was Miss Evancho's birthday and Elvis brought her out a cake at the end. Aside from being incredibly talented, she showed real poise and grace and remains a kid.

This trip was my gift to myself. After 6 years, I have finally paid off all my debt and had a little left over. I rented a hotel room for two nights, ate well and met all kinds of new friends. Most importantly, I got to see and hear Miss Evancho perform. A fascinating experience, I saw little girls come to see her sing and they dressed up in lovely little dresses. When I arrived, I noticed a man who worked for the theater stopping the children that entered and he had a bag, he said that Miss Evancho wanted to have something, I did not see what he gave them from the bag. I thought it was touching.

This morning I began my drive home. I hit a sandstorm, was slowed because of a car that caught on fire and dead tired by the time I got home. I have lots to do tomorrow; but, I am brain dead. Little bit too much road rust in my brain. I must say that I didn't really follow the news while I was gone.

One of the things that impressed me was how the family made sure that Miss Evancho was not pushed or made to work harder than a 13 year old should. She was given breaks during her sets and a 20 minute intermission. I had a very good seat and sat next to a retired musician, he told me how he had seen her a couple times before.

Things are going to get weird friends, the economy is going to totally change as I have discussed in the past. We are going to see more and more joint military and law enforcement drills in major cities. We are not going to war with North Korea, China will take them over before that happens. We are not going to enter a new Dark Ages and the world is not going to end; but, we will see a transformation of the world economy and the United States role in the world. I expect we will return to our isolationist ways and the emerging economies will outstrip us in wealth. Oh, well, just what it is.

When we see these changes, we should not be worried. The world is not uncertain and things will follow a very specific pattern, the only thing is most of the world doesn't pay attention to history. When the towers fell, people were looking for terrorists underneath their beds in towns that had less than 10,000 people. Americans expect a certain consistency to our lives and life just doesn't work that way. Still, tomorrow Miss Evancho will sing again, farmers will grow food, waiters will wait and the world will go on. Empires cease being empires and that is just history. Enjoy everyday as you can, some are good, some are not so good; but, they are our days and we should get what we can from them. Brain dead and signing off. I will leave you with a song that Miss Evancho did not sing; but, is my favorite that she has sung.

YouTube - Jackie Evancho - Nessun Dorma - Britain's Got Talent - 2011