Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Miracle on 16th Street

Like many people, I listen to my iPod ... well, technically the iPod app on my iPhone, but you get the picture ... on my walk from the train to my school. It's about a 15 minute walk through Center City. I really enjoy it, despite the early hour in the morning (before 7am) and the lateness of the evening. I secure my headphones, pump up the volume, and begin the soundtrack.

This morning, I wasn't quite myself. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I just wasn't "feeling it." As I began my journey down 16th street, a song came on that resonated with me. At first, there was something about the music that just felt right ... it somehow captured my mood. I really connected with it - so much so, that I replayed it. Then I listened to the words. And my "mood" suddenly had a voice. I was so connected, so completely in tune with this song, that I pressed the "loop" and listened to it continuously.

Each time it played, I heard something different. In the beginning, I felt kind of sad ... the words describing my mood and giving it the words I couldn't. But, after hearing more and more each time, I began to feel validated, uplifted, inspired. It was beautiful.

Just this alone is a small miracle to me. That music can fill you and connect with you on a level that goes beyond reason and understanding. Dare I call it "spiritual". Something, I'm happy to say happens with me quite often. But the even bigger miracle ... the true Miracle on 16th Street ... was that I had never heard that song before. I've been doing this walk - to and from work - since September. I've gone through my 600 plus songs a couple of times. But never this one. To add to the mystery, this song was named "Track 11". No name, no artist, no picture.

Now, some may say that I just overlooked it other times - was walking on auto-pilot and just missed it. Or that I synced my iPhone with my computer and didn't realize I uploaded more songs. (I assure you neither of these things is the case.) I'm sure there are other, more rational explanations to be rendered.

But for me, no matter the reason: whether I truly did hear it before and just didn't realize it or stopped my shuffle before I ever heard it (my son's counter) or whatever. To me, it's a miracle: the perfect song materialized at the perfect moment and touched my soul.

Miracles really do happen everyday ... we just have to open our eyes - or, sometimes, our ears.

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