Like I said, I've been meeting some really interesting people through the front window of my apartment. Today, as I worked on a new song on my ukulele, an older man, probably around 65 took a detour on his way to Synagogue.  I think this because he looked Jewish, and because there is a Synagogue by my house, and because I live in a Jewish neighborhood, and because it is the season of Yom Kippur, and also because he greeted me with Shalom.

This particular man stopped but made no attempt to pretend he wasn't stopping for the music (like my last audience). In fact, this man looked directly at me and then walked directly up to me. If not for the window, we would have been an uncomfortable  (a very uncomfortable) 2 feet apart.

me: hi!
man: Shalom, what is your name?
me:  Hi, its Joy!
man:  well, you've brought Joy to my day!
me: thank you
man: "Joy, beautiful spark of the gods/Daughter of Elysium/We enter fire imbibed/Heavenly, thy sanctuary/Thy magic reunites those/Whom stern custom has parted/All men will become brothers/Under thy gentle wing."

He started to sing Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". Haha! I wouldn't have been able to tell this from the lyrics, but I caught the melody. And then later on, i decided to check out the lyrics. I've never really listened to the lyrics before. Very cool stuff!

me: that was nice. thanks
man: your husband is very lucky
me: thanks ( i said this hoping not to give any indication that i am not married. i knew what was coming next)
man:  do you have a husband
me: actually...no
man: maybe I could  be your husband?

I kid you not! This is the actual conversation! I wanted to say, "Umm...but you're like 65!" but instead resolved with "I'm sorry, there's someone in the picture."

The man began to walk away, but returned within 10 seconds...then he walked away again, but then returned again.

man: i'm gonna remember this house.

Oh crap! I got a little worried. He pulled out a business card and a pen from his pocket and began to write down what i think was my address (i'm not entirely sure though). He was looking at the door though. He lingered for a few more minutes. I lingered at the window making sure he left.

Make-a-friend-by-the-window didn't exactly go how I expected this time around. :)