#14 - Learning from Our Guardian Angels
Help often comes from unexpected places. Try not to miss it.
I don’t make it to nearly as many concerts or live music performances as I did in my high school and college days, but every time Lindsey Stirling makes a stop on her tour within a 2-3 hour drive of the DC metro area, my wife and I will move mountains to get us there. We’ll see if that holds true going forward with a kiddo in tow.
A Lindsey Stirling concert is so much more than what you might expect from a solo violinist. Originally made famous from an ill-fated run at America’s Got Talent over a decade ago, Lindsey Stirling’s unique brand of electric violin mastery, captivating set design and storytelling, vibrant costume changes, and physics-defying acrobatics is truly must-see entertainment.
All this geeking out has a point, I promise.
Like Magic
Last December, my amazing wife, Jess, knew the perfect Christmas gift for me: Tickets to Lindsey Stirling’s New Year’s Eve concert at the Kennedy Center in DC. We had trekked up to Reading, Pennsylvania, the previous year to catch an earlier iteration of her Christmas show, but this new “Snow Waltz” concert was well worth the repeat trip. Plus, there’s just something special about spending New Year’s Eve counting down with your sweetheart in such an austere venue as the Kennedy Center.
Now, any Lindsey Stirling concert-goer could tell you that she really goes above and beyond in how she engages with the audience throughout her performance. I’m sure these are strategic breaks primarily designed to help her catch her breath (all those dance routines and stunts must be exhausting), but I’ve found these little interludes especially meaningful as a fan.
At the New Year’s Eve concert, during one such interlude, Lindsey Stirling told a particular story that I would like to paraphrase for you. Under a single spotlight in an otherwise pitch black, silent stage, Lindsey Stirling solemnly and sincerely offered to the crowd how she is firm believer in angels, that they are constantly watching over us and sending us messages in ways we can understand, even if we don’t know it directly.
She went on to explain how on a particularly down day, against her best judgment, she came across a negative article online critiquing in great detail how terrible a violinist she is. This led her down a feverish internet spiral poring over hurtful comments, messages, and posts from her haters. Despite her unabashed success in the music industry, the random article really struck a nerve and she couldn’t shake the toxic cloud hanging over her.
She was later taking her dog for a walk and crossed paths with a neighbor she didn’t know very well, who called out to her unprovoked and said: “Hey, you’re really good at what you do. What you do out there is like magic.” It was just what she needed to snap out of her funk and she couldn’t help but be reminded of her dad, who passed away years ago.
This was, in Lindsey Stirling’s estimation, the work of a guardian angel, offering a much needed lifeline when she needed it most.
A Lesson in Situational Awareness
I’d like to think there’s something to Lindsey Stirling’s story that there are guardian angels watching over us every day, silently guiding us, testing us, and encouraging us to become the best versions of ourselves. In fact, I bet there are many angels scattered around, if we only cared to stop and look for them.
Several years ago, I routinely commuted to my job in downtown Washington, DC, by Metrorail five days a week, exiting at historic Union Station. On most days, the journey was rather drab and uneventful. Like so many other commuters, I essentially conditioned myself to be on autopilot for the duration, numb to the commotion around me in the busy rail cars and train station, often listening to a podcast or with my nose buried in a book to pass the time. Needless to say, I hardly paid attention to my surroundings, and on most days it honestly didn’t matter too much.
However, there was one particular time I arrived earlier than expected for a meeting, so I ventured into Union Station to grab a coffee and bagel before starting my day.
A man briskly approached me en route to the bagel shop. He was bundled in a coat, looking disheveled, and carrying a backpack and suitcase beside him.
I reflexively put my guard up and tried to avoid eye contact. Undeterred, the man explained to me that he somehow ended up stuck in Union Station on his way to his final destination, but he lost his wallet and was ten dollars short to buy an Amtrak train ticket to continue his journey. Before he could even finish his plea, I tersely replied “Sorry, I can’t help,” and picked up the pace.
As I waited in the long line for coffee, I was forced to slow myself down a bit and reflect on what just happened. Something about this incident really struck a cord with me. What if I, surely a totally normal guy, needed similar help in a train station or airport one day and nobody could be bothered to look up from their phones or remove the earbuds?
Not even five minutes after the encounter and struck by guilt, I paid for my coffee in cash so I could go back to the traveling man and offer him the ten dollars for his train ticket. But, in true cosmic justice, the man had vanished from the scene, and I was stuck holding a medium coffee, an everything bagel, and a loose ten dollar bill.
Do the Next Right Thing
I missed out on my chance to do the right thing in Union Station that day. Whether it was a guardian angel, my conscience, or something else, I was compelled to go through this experience and learn from it. I’m still not perfect, but now I try to be just a little more present and pay more attention to my surroundings, even when it’s tempting to tune out.
In Lindsey Stirling’s story, she was on the receiving end of an angel’s message, but something she didn’t mention is how we can serve as guardian angels to each other.
My message to you: Turn off your autopilot once in a while, slow down, and engage with the world around us just a little more. Let’s all strive to be like Lindsey Stirling’s neighbor, extending kindness and empathy to friends (and yes, even strangers) around us who could use a little boost.
Thanks for reading.