She sat alone. Not because
she was lonely, because she was early. You know those people.
They're early and loyal. And Debbi was that person. Loyal.
I said, "Do you come here often?" And yes, after it came
out, I realized I had just addressed a woman in the corner of a local Dallas
coffee shop with a creepy pick-up line.
I have never been to Dallas.
After visiting the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, we checked our
phones, like good hipsters, for a local coffee shop that was open. We came
across the Opening Bell. I called to see their hours, and if they were
having live music that night. "Yes, we are. In fact, they're
two men from Australia. They'll start at eight."
We arrived early, too. I
ordered a jalapeño kolache and an everything bagel for dinner. I
sat down, with my friends and saw Debbi. She said she's been coming here
for ten years now. Over the years, she made friends with the owner, Pascale
Hall.
Simple "get-to-know-you" questions
rambled out of my mouth, and about the third question in, I knew this
woman was a gem. I asked what she did.
She said she hasn't been working lately, due to some health issues.
I said, "Well, what about hobbies? What do you love to
do?" She said, "Music. I love to listen to live
music."
I got permission to record some of her stories:
"My very first concert was
the Rolling Stones. The first year they came to America. It was
after The Beatles had come and uh, it was just so awesome. I've just seen
some really fun shows. You pay $3.50 for a ticket, and you'd see all
these bands."
"I remember my mother had a
ticket, she was going to go see Ray Charles, and I had gone to downtown Fort
Worth on a shopping trip and bought the single from the Beach Boys, 'God Only
Knows'. I came home, and then I went to my elementary school. They had a
carnival, you know? And I stayed too late, and I didn't come home in
time, and my mother didn't get to go see Ray Charles. I always felt so
bad about that."
She said, she always let her kids
go to concerts, and sometimes she tagged along, too. She wanted her children to experience what
she had when she was younger.
"Well, you know my dad, when
The Beatles came to Dallas, he wouldn't let me go. I think I was twelve.
He was afraid I would get hurt. There was a girl who got pushed
into some glass. She had to go to the hospital. My dad said, 'See?'
And I said, 'I know, but Paul McCartney called her! That would have
been worth it!!' Or so I thought, hahaha."
Debbi was a doll. She told
me some of her story. She has two beautiful children--one son and one
daughter. She's lived in Texas most of her life. She asked if
"man-buns" were still in. My friend and I, maybe too aggressively,
laughed "YES!" We shared stories and favorite bands/artists.
We shared our lives for a good amount of time.
Talking with Debbi, there is a
distinct awe in her spirit. She genuinely loves observing and
appreciating people, music, and the environments around her. She said she
hasn't been able to do the things she used to do since she was diagnosed with
breast cancer. She gracefully smiled and mentioned how music has never
disappointed her. Debbi is a light. She doesn't shine on herself,
but others. Art is only beautiful when eyes like Debbi's delight in it.
She makes the art known and appreciated. I told her I wanted to
write about her, because she has been apart of making so many people famous,
and now it was her turn.
 |
| Debbi |
Opening Bell coffee shop is a new
home for my heart. The food was
fantastic. In addition to dinner (my kolache
and a bagel), I got dessert, too—one chocolate and one red velvet cake pop, and
a bottomless cup of their specialty drip coffee. The owner, Pascale Hall, came to sit with
Debbi and their friends, and I had the privilege to meet and praise her work.
Because of her shop, she has
offered locals an opportunity to appreciate.
It is her beautiful gift to Dallas.
(Not just the wonderful food and beverages, but artists, too.)
 |
| Pascale, owner |
Josh Rennie-Hynes and Steve Grandy
are both Australian artists that were on an accident one-week tour in
America. Josh has a unique sound that
relates to a blend between The Head and
the Heart and Dallas Green from City
and Colour. My favorite song is
called, “Lucy”.
I was going to
tell you how I felt, but it gets the better of me
I always tried
to be the strong one, I tried to be what you need
But now I’m
sitting by the railway station, I’m thinking
‘bout boarding
that train
Maybe I’ll
head down south again, although in winter it
Only rains
You could’ve
called me your father, although it would’ve been
so strange
And I would’ve
called you Lucy, I’ve always loved that name
Josh traded his album for a cup
of peppermint tea. I’ve been listening
to his art and have enjoyed every song on his album February (also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube). He and I exchanged some information, and we
plan on meeting next year for another tour.
(Maybe some local venues in Fayetteville and Tulsa? Fingers crossed! You don’t want to miss him.)
 |
| (left to right) Steve Grady and Josh Rennie-Hynes |
Thanks to Pascale and her beautiful
artists den, I was gifted with a precious night. If you find yourself in Dallas, please stop
by the Opening Bell.
Our role in humanity is to
appreciate. We were blessed with the ability to sense and
appreciate—others, time, views, sounds, stories, food, man-buns, jokes,
textures, favorite cotton t-shirts, smiles, freckles, long car drives, and
everything else.
