A tale of 2 Cities

Friday, May 22nd 5pm.
So Cranky headed up to last year’s main haunt, Longfellow Square but there was a troupe of gregarious young actors in tunics preparing for a street performance of Shakespeare. They looked rather silly to Cranky, but who is he to judge. So that was out.

Proceeding further downtown to last weeks spot in Congress Square, Cranky set up and played for about a half an hour until the band that was setting up in the park started warming up for their performance. Time to move on.

In such cases Cranky usually heads further down Congress St. until a little window of opportunity avails itself, but tonight Cranky set out in the opposite direction. Instinctively in the direction of home and not wanting to get a strike-three-you’re-out thing going, but Cranky passed by the turn down the hill toward home and kept heading straight, west.

It was a longer than usual walk for Cranky but he found his destination on the Western Prom. Quiet, scenic nature. Not typically Cranky’s element. Set up on the walkway there facing out over the western horizon Cranky had the best view of his career, perhaps. Several dog walkers and joggers and a family, mom, dad and three kids who gloomily walked by as if they were on a forced march. ( A bit of suburban weirdness of which Cranky is not usually exposed to. For all he knows this is a ‘thing.’ ) But, mostly there was nobody around so Cranky got to play loose and have a good time playing to the setting sun.

And Cranky being Cranky he did have a principle in action: It’s not about working the crowd for cash, it’s about Cranky having fun at doing what he does.