Favorite Moments

I wanted to share a couple of my favorite memories from our music fest this weekend. I know lots of you came to visit, too. Share your favorite moments with us, and any suggestions for how to build from here. Thanks to all who came and to all who gave so selflessly to make the celebration a success! ~ Karen
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He stood hesitantly clutching a one-dollar bill at the front table. One band was grabbing the last of their material and heading out while the current band was warming up on stage. I asked the young boy, no more that 7 or 8, if he wanted to buy a pop or water since he wasn't holding enough money to buy any music. He said he wanted a Joshua Cain Band CD.

I grabbed the arm of the closest young musician, clothed all in black and looking more like the kid’s older brother than a rock idol. I asked how much the CD’s cost. The musician glanced at the boy and said they sold for any donation. When it became clear the kid only had a dollar, Joshua Cain knelt down in front of him and told him to keep the dollar. He looked him the eye and asked his young fan if he played any instrument of his own. The nervous boy told him he played drums. Joshua said drums where his favorite instrument, since it’s always feels good to hit things. He told him to keep practicing, handed him a CD and headed off.

The young fan raced to his mom with his treasure, only to be back in a few minutes with that dollar burning a hole in his pocket to buy a can of pop.
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He looked more like a yellow Darth Vader than a rescuer. There was nothing human about him other than a vague familiarity to his form. As he bent down in front of the youngster, the 4 year old recoiled back into his mother’s legs in fear. That was exactly why the firefighter, in full gear with breathing mask, face shield, and strange-sounding breaths, had approached the boy. In a house fire, too often young children hide from the strange monsters that are trying to save them. In the fear, confusion and noise of a fire, a firefighter is the last thing a young child will trust.

Ruston, like many other departments, is trying to break that fear by showing kids first hand what the good guys look and sound like in a fire. They are big, bulky, faceless creatures that make mechanical-sounds and speak with muffled voices. If the child will trust the savior, maybe more can be saved.

But this little tyke on the street in Ruston hid behind his mom’s legs even when the scary thing reached out its hand trying to coax a handshake. It wasn’t until the facemask came off and a real person smiled that he came out from behind his mom to say hello. But hopefully the fear is lessened and if the unthinkable happens, he’ll run towards, not away from, the scary monster that comes to rescue him.