Surreal is defined as “having an oddly dreamlike quality”.  I’m sure we’ve all had experiences like this at one time or another in our lives, and when we do, it’s so strange, almost like an out-of-body experience.

One instance in particular that I can recall happened about 3 years ago.  At the time I lived in an apartment complex in Media, PA, down near Philadelphia. Just to set the stage for you, this was not an affluent neighborhood, nor was it a bad neighborhood, but it contained a strange mix of people living there.  All colors, young and old.  One particular group was actually mentally handicapped.  I recall the day I moved in there one of these gentlemen offered to hold the door for me as I carried my belongings inside.  I offered a thank you and he replied, “It’s no problem, I’m very powerful!”  This is the same chap who, when I happened to share the elevator with him one day, wanted to know if I’d like to see what he got for his birthday.  When I said yes, he proceeded to pull out of his pocket a picture of a fire engine…  How’s that saying go?  “Doesn’t take much to amuse the simple”?

Anyway, back to my original story. As I left the apt. building and was walking towards my car this one foggy morning I happened to notice some movement to my left, glanced over and noticed a young girl in a long black coat moving towards the section in the corner of the lot where the dumpsters were kept.  Sadly, somebody had left an upright piano there to be tossed out with the garbage.

I had seen this girl before, as she lived in the building adjacent to mine.  She had blonde hair, must have been about 11 or 12 years old, and was probably on her way out to catch the school bus that morning.  But on this particular day that piano caught her eye, and she slowly made her way towards it.  I had reached my car by this time, not entering it yet, but rather standing beside it out of her view as I observed the scene unfold.  For some reason I just needed to see what she would do.

Finally, she reached the piano.  She looked it up and down for a few seconds, and then she looked around to see if anyone was there.  When she felt safe that no one was watching or within earshot she reached her hands forward, placed her fingers on the keys, and began playing a melody.  She must have been taking lessons for at least a couple of years.  I don’t know what the song was that she was playing, and it was obvious the piano had not been tuned in quite some time, and it could not have lasted more than 15-20 seconds, but on that brisk morning as the fog was lifting, at the risk of sounding really cheesy, I gotta tell you it was one of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever witnessed.  Completely surreal.

When she was finished she looked around again (not seeing me), and walked away.  I wondered if that piano had ever been played so well before or if it had ever even been appreciated as much as it was at that moment, by two people - the artist and her invisible, yet captivated audience…