Saying goodbye, singing hello

We rose early so we could make the 8:50 train to Birmingham International Airport.  My husband dragged his suitcase behind him every step of the way from the flat to Foregate Station. 

 

It took us about 25 minutes to get there and it was smooth going in spite of the throngs of school students making their way to school at the same time we were headed out of town. 

We hopped right on the train.  The only problem we encountered was my fault.  Before we got on the train I asked the station master how to get to the airport, and I thought he said change at University.  Turns out, he said, "Change at New Street".  We did, in fact, hop off at University, but realized the mistake almost immediately and, after consulting another station master, got right on another train bound for New Street.

Once at New Street, we switched platforms (from 9 to 2, I believe) and hopped on a very fancy Virgin train to the airport.  We ended up traversing four First Class cars before arriving at an Economy Coach.  Given the narrowness of the center aisle, my husband had to hold his suitcase aloft.  It was rough going, but he managed.  Note to self--find the Economy Coach from the platform before entering the train so as to facilitate pulling the bag.

Once at the airport, we took the train-air tram to the airport proper.  Having printed the boarding passes the night before, all my husband had to do once we arrived at the check-in area was check his bag.  It was an easy business, leaving us time for one last breakfast together before we said goodbye.

The Birmingham Airport is surprisingly compact, with one major commercial court of food sites, newsstands and stores near the tram entrance.

We each had the "traditional breakfast" at "Frankie & Bennie's"--a quasii-Italian eatery

and then, it was good-bye.

My husband and I met in 1973, and (for the most part) have been together ever since.  We married in 1983, and from that time forward we haven't been apart for longer than three weeks and that was when our daughter and I went to China with girls from New Moon Magazine. So...this is a first.  We've both had moments of emotion, but there you are.  I do believe my husband will make a big effort to return to Worcester.  Whether he does or not, this is a different kind of experience for us and I'm sure we'll learn a great deal from it.

I made it back to Worcester in a little more than an hour, and came back to an empty flat.

After watching speeches from the Democratic National Convention (Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Warren, Sandra Fluke and President Clinton) on YouTube, Helen stopped by and we prepared the flat for our colleague Linda.

So..the work of the term begins.  That's all good and we'll have a great semester, I'm sure--but the "Holiday" I've enjoyed is at an end.

The best part of the day, however, was when Kathryn suggested we go to a community choir called Volcano.
We had a blast.  If you click on the link I've provided you can hear the choir sing--they're great.  The director, Hilary Davies, is terrific. 

Kathryn belongs to Echoes of Peace Choir in Duluth and was looking for a similar opportunity here in Worcester.  Volcano Choir fits the bill. 

Davies is a practitioner of "Natural Voice".  One does not need to give an audition, or know how to read music.  In fact, one does not need to be considered a singer per se.  The philosophy of Natural Voice is that  people who have not considered themselves singers due to criticism or judgment, can develop confidence in a "supportive learning environment and a suitable repertoire".  The songs are taught by ear.  Davies writes "The emphasis is on singing for the sheer joy of it and many choirs sing in a circle rather than in chorus formation. This allows everyone to hear and enjoy the harmonies for themselves, rather than songs being rehearsed entirely for the benefit of an audience."

Singing IS a joyful activity.  For me, it was a way to manage the sadness of saying goodbye to my husband.  We also made new acquaintances--expanding our circles of familiarity.  We'll be going back to the choir next week.