Last night was kind of a surreal night. My wife and I went to the Mountain Winery in Saratoga to see the Swell Season play a concert. At about 10pm, the show came to an immediate halt as something fell onto the stage. At first glance you assumed it was a light from above the stage but it quickly became evident that it was a person that had jumped off the roof of the building and committed suicide. It was a very tragic end to an otherwise nice night out with the wife.
I feel sorry for the friends and family of the person that killed themselves as well as all of those at the show that were traumatized by this including the artists and especially the lead singer Glen Hansard who was only a few feet from where the man crashed down. Lots of people brought kids to the show and were seated near the front of the stage. I can't image what they must have been feeling.
Earlier in the concert, Glen Hansard took a moment to tell a story from a few months back when he was in Chicago. He was riding the elevator in his hotel and there was an older lady from New York in it with him. He said her face was kind of hidden but he made a comment that she had a nice coat. The lady thanked him and went on to explain that she saw the coat in a store window and decided to just buy it and it changed her life. She had a son that went to work September 11th the day the World Trade Center was attacked. He didn't need to go into work that day as he had just finished a project but wanted to tie up some loose ends. She said she had a bad feeling but never said anything to him. He ended up dying in the attack. She ended up becoming a recluse for a few years. She stayed inside and just watched TV all day. She went out one day and saw the coat and decided to buy it, go out and move on with her life. She appreciated the comment on it he made because she said so few people say what they think anymore. She wished she had said something to her son that day.
You never know what tomorrow will bring. Witnessing something like this really brings things into perspective and reminds you to tell the ones you love that you love them. If you see that person on the street and you like their hair, coat, shoes etc., pay them the complement, it will make your day better and theirs too. Who knows that may be someone that was close to the edge and makes them realize life is still worth living. I am certainly glad for my life, my wife my daughter and all my family and friends. While things may not be perfect everyday, I guess in the end, things could be so much worse.
I feel sorry for the friends and family of the person that killed themselves as well as all of those at the show that were traumatized by this including the artists and especially the lead singer Glen Hansard who was only a few feet from where the man crashed down. Lots of people brought kids to the show and were seated near the front of the stage. I can't image what they must have been feeling.
Earlier in the concert, Glen Hansard took a moment to tell a story from a few months back when he was in Chicago. He was riding the elevator in his hotel and there was an older lady from New York in it with him. He said her face was kind of hidden but he made a comment that she had a nice coat. The lady thanked him and went on to explain that she saw the coat in a store window and decided to just buy it and it changed her life. She had a son that went to work September 11th the day the World Trade Center was attacked. He didn't need to go into work that day as he had just finished a project but wanted to tie up some loose ends. She said she had a bad feeling but never said anything to him. He ended up dying in the attack. She ended up becoming a recluse for a few years. She stayed inside and just watched TV all day. She went out one day and saw the coat and decided to buy it, go out and move on with her life. She appreciated the comment on it he made because she said so few people say what they think anymore. She wished she had said something to her son that day.
You never know what tomorrow will bring. Witnessing something like this really brings things into perspective and reminds you to tell the ones you love that you love them. If you see that person on the street and you like their hair, coat, shoes etc., pay them the complement, it will make your day better and theirs too. Who knows that may be someone that was close to the edge and makes them realize life is still worth living. I am certainly glad for my life, my wife my daughter and all my family and friends. While things may not be perfect everyday, I guess in the end, things could be so much worse.