How to show up
A friend invited me to contribute some music as part of an artistic statement. The process of creating and delivering the work ran smoothly. All that was left to do was for me to show up when the project was being presented.
The event’s location was off the beaten track. It was due to happen on a dark chilly evening in January and I made plans to attend.
Address details for the venue were provided and I did a search online to assess the most sensible route to follow in finding the space. I even printed out step by step directions.
On the actual date, I caught all the right trains and buses, but spent the best part of an hour walking up and down the street listed as the one where the venue could be found. It turned out that the entrance wasn’t on the actual street, but behind thickets of shrubbery and across a bridge over flowing water.
Maps online and on my phone hadn’t made much of a difference in helping me to find the space. It was someone who lived locally who pointed me in the right direction. Is it possible that many other things in life are similar to this? How much can we rely on maps and formulas to find what we want or need?
