What Can You Do With Your Feet?

Earlier this week I was walking in my neighborhood and I happened upon this sight.  I had a jarring shock of recognition and then an equal and opposite feeling of confusion and puzzlement.  I couldn't figure out what I was seeing.  

All those feelings, jarring and conflicting though they were, did not affect me powerfully enough to slow my pace.  I'm glad that I live in a neighborhood where I'm constantly jarred and surprised by things that I see.  That's a sensibility I try to cultivate.  Seeing the world with new and open eyes is maybe one of the greatest gifts (thanks, mom and dad, too, of course, for teaching me that).

Until I passed the little garage - then with a gasp I said (out loud), "ORGAN PEDALS!"

And so, of course, pedaled back to take a picture. 

I come from a gifted bunch of musicians.  Both my mother and father are accomplished pianists (in that order, though, sorry, dad).  My brother Daniel has "the gift" and my sister Angela is a gifted - in - every - way musician.  She's more like a magician who uses music to cast all kinds of spells - mundane and extraordinary.  And really that's what I'm trying to say about my brother Daniel and my mother Gloria too.   I come from a family of magic and I was born a musical muggle.  No pity, please.  You should hear how beautifully I sing in my dreams at night.  I possess the gift mightily while I am asleep.

But the most magical of my forbearers I have not yet named.  It was my Grandma Marge.  She was playing piano on the radio by 12.  In true siren form, attracted her husband, my namesake, Andy Lampiris by playing the piano at the USO during the war.   And while she was magic on any keyboard.  You can just ante up the magic exponentially if you saw her on her organ bench. 

As a musical muggle, I have managed to learn how to limp my way through many songs.  I play for peace and centering and usually just an audience off me.   As a musical muggle, I have also tried to play the organ.  I cannot. 

And it is all because of the pedals (well it may be some other things too. 

Have you every tried to play music with your feet?  My grandmother could have danced ice-capades around Tom Hanks in that FAO Schwarz scene in the movie BIG.   

Some of you know my friend Jay also gifted in dancing spells out of the foot pedals on the Kilgen Organ at the Palace Theatre. 

I'm sad that these particular pedals will never really sing again, but I'm glad I ran into them so they could set my heart and my memories roller skating around the rink of my heart - and - mind.

(In other only slightly related news, I found these pedals in the exact location where I stumbled upon some recalcitrant dutch children in a long ago story - you can see then on my instagram story today @redbaerd)