The day started out cool and windy, and ended warm and windy. Yet another guitarist serenaded the throngs at the Image Mosaic, this time with \u201cHere Comes the Sun.\u201d<\/p>\n
The water in Central Park was turned on. The sparkling splash of Bethesda Fountain accompanied me throughout my set, and will so now until fall. On the masts flanking the lake were hung long green pennants that snapped in the wind, the metal halyards clanging noisily.<\/p>\n
Before I could ask a group of middle-schoolers if they had time for a hula, they were pawing through my leis. We danced a single verse of \u201cThe Hukilau,\u201d while the adult leader of the group waited impatiently nearby. As they ran off, a few kids dropped singles into my case; one girl, with purple highlights in her hair, ran back from the Arcade in order to make a belated contribution.<\/p>\n
The day was extraordinarily beautiful. Two moms with their toddlers listened from the bench. One of the kids, about 2 years old, bounced to the music, approached cautiously, then ran back to familiar arms. A woman walked by and thanked me with a buck. The toddler approached again, ran back. Finally, holding mom\u2019s hand, the toddler made it all the way and dropped a Susan B. \u201cAnd the other one?\u201d asked mom. It is a well-known phenomenon: children tend to pocket money meant for me.<\/p>\n
A man my age walked up with a big smile on his face. \u201cYou keep the real songs alive. I love the low poetry of the lyrics. I can\u2019t stand what passes for music today.\u201d <\/p>\n
I agreed. \u201cNobody rhymes \u2018daily\u2019 with \u2018ukulele\u2019 anymore, or my personal favorite, \u2018hula\u2019 and \u2018Honolula,\u2019 although Dylan did rhyme \u2018Honolula\u2019 with \u2018Ashtabula\u2019 in the \u201870s.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you get discouraged that so many people just ignore you?\u201d<\/p>\n
I opened my arms to take in the magnificent day. He smiled with understanding and put $2 in my case. \u201cYou\u2019ve got the right attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n
People do indeed ignore me, although I figure for every $1 put in my case I bring $5 worth of aloha.<\/p>\n
A Hispanic family gathered around. \u201cHave you got time for a hula today?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing, it\u2019s free.\u201d So the 4 children, ranging in age from 6 to 16, donned leis and hula-ed away, laughing and jostling each other while dad shot video. When they finished and moved on to other delights, a middle child ran back with a dollar.<\/p>\n
It was a big day for Brits, where they love the uke. \u201cMy favorite movie is \u2018Sons of the Desert,\u2019\u201d one man told me, so together we sang out a few bars of \u201cHonolulu Baby.\u201d It was a $10 performance, boosting me to $22 for the day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"