It’s funny how things work out sometimes what with… the bloody nose… branting … “Who me? Sing with the choir.”… a big hug… I’m telling you, my mind is just spinning. I don’t know where to start, but I’ll try…

I really didn’t need to go, but I did and it’s a good thing! I like a good choir and the Grand Rapids Choir of Men and Boys, a great choir, sang in our church tonight.

So there I was enjoying the concert when suddenly one of the boys, about age 8, went down in the middle of a song! Actually, he went up… up the aisle pinching his bloody nose. A perfect branting situation I thought.

There are only a few people, my immediate family to be exact, who know about branting, the origin of which I’ll save for another time. Anyway, branting is a sudden, unexpected substitution for… say, a performer with a bloody nose, by another…say, me, who is sitting there ready and able to jump in and save the day.

Imagine this… The director, seeing the kid go ‘down’ and realizing that the song is now in jeopardy, turns and catches my eye. I give him a quizzical, ‘Who me?’ kind of look, then a little nod. Without missing a beat, he points with his left hand to the now empty spot into which I coolly slide and seamlessly continue the song, singing the once vacant soprano part. That’s branting. It didn’t go down that way, though. I was asked to sing a hymn with the choir, along with the other 250 people there…. Not exactly branting.

It was a great concert. Afterwards, as I was heading up the aisle, heading out, a much more remarkable thing happened… Outa the blue, a mom of one of the boys, Michelle, former student, East Christian 8th grade class of ’88, zipped across the sanctuary and gave me a huge hug! We had a great time reminiscing and catching up! Michelle is doing well. So am I thanks to a fine concert and a wonderful reunion. Funny how things work out. I didn’t need to go tonight, but I’m glad I did.