I took up my uke at center stage, under a wind-swept October sky. Clouds, some dark with rain, passed in front of the sun, then moved off to the southeast. The crowds were sparse today, only a few people on the stone benches, reading, eating, enjoying an illegal smoke. An elderly woman started me off with a buck and a smile.<\/p>\n
A family of four stopped nearby. Dad gave his young son some money. As he approached to give it to me, I watched the kid unfold two singles and put one in his pocket. I got the other.<\/p>\n
A quartet of young Brazilians danced by. \u201cHow about a hula today?\u201d<\/p>\n
One woman looked interested, but she needed encouragement. \u201cDon\u2019t let it rain. A hula will chase away the clouds and bring out the sun. Do it for your friends, do it for yourself.\u201d She danced, and damn if the sun didn\u2019t emerge .<\/p>\n
A 50-something couple strolled down the path toward me. When they got to the benches they sat down and listened to my rendition of \u201cHonolulu Baby.\u201d They were Brits. \u201cDo you know that song?\u201d I asked the man when he made his $2 donation.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d he said, \u201cbut you sure sold it. You\u2019ve got charm.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the reasons I prefer center stage to my spot on the path under the maple is that people get a chance to hear more than a snippet as they walk by. Another couple of a certain age had been listening for a while before thanking me with a dollar. Two young women took a seat and, between bites of their sandwiches, struck silly poses for each other. It was inevitable that one of them would answer the call of the uke.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how to hula,\u201d the mocha-skinned California girl told me.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust do what\u2019s comfortable for you,\u201d I said. \u201cNo rules.\u201d<\/p>\n
She must have seen people hula, however, because she had all the moves, including the double-time hip action of the natives. Her friend filmed most of \u201cThe Hukilau Song,\u201d promising to put it up on Facebook.<\/p>\n
While singing \u201cUkulele Lady\u201d for the second time, a man in flip-flops and long white hair sat down by the fountain to listen. He introduced himself as Mr. Melody TM, told me he was an international music distributor and asked me if I had any of my own material. When I told him I only played the old songs, he asked me to listen to his latest release; maybe I would cover it. It was called \u201cRiding in the Park,\u201d about horse-drawn carriages. The chorus begins: \u201cDon\u2019t take away our horses, please.\u201d<\/p>\n
My time was up. With $10.12 in my pocket, I considered it a fine day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"