A guy with a clarinet boarded my subway car last evening just as the doors were closing. At first, I wasn’t happy about the idea of someone playing music on the train. My day had been long and tense, and I just wanted to ride home in peace and quiet.
Thankfully, the guy was really good, I mean, like, really, really good, like maybe he plays for a symphony orchestra good. He performed a complex piece of classical music with soaring tone and effortless technique and followed that with a couple of fun Christmas songs.
I was very impressed, so impressed that I decided to give the guy a buck. I don’t mind contributing when the performance is genuinely enjoyable. Unfortunately, when I pulled out my wallet, I realized that I only had twenty-dollar bills with me.
I felt bad. I really wanted to give the guy a tip, but there was no way I was going to give him twenty bucks. It was frustrating.
As the train approached the next station, the clarinetist finished his performance and held is empty clarinet case open to encourage riders to contribute tips. A gentleman walked over and placed a dollar bill in the case. The clarinetist thanked him.
My turn.
I walked over and said, “This is all I have, but you played well.”
You should have seen the look on his face when I tossed a twenty into his instrument case.
“Oh, my God!” he gasped in amazement.
“Spend it wisely!”
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