Tabatha Deans

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
While standing in line for cheap Chinese food with my little partner-in-crime, I couldn’t help but admire the ensemble of the tall woman who stood in line in front of me. Her brown leather boots looked expensive, but comfortable, and her calf-length purple coat, although faded, was elegant and well-tailored. A hint of flowered dress poked out from underneath the long coat, and overall, the look was quite distinguished.
Then she turned around, and it turns out she wasn’t a she after all. She was a he, with long, curly gray hair, and a harsh face framed by facial hair. His lips were adorned with a bright red lipstick, and his eyes were lined in blue eyeshadow, topped with a thin layer of black mascara. He spoke to his friend, a rather large woman wedged into a Jazzie mobile chair. It was only when she spoke that I realized she was also a man, and the two friends were obviously taking advantage of the cheap Chinese food as well. I think I covered my shock pretty well, and we listened to them carry on a conversation about politics, the downtrodden, and how the government was going to hell in a handbasket.

Tonight’s diversity comes in a more delightful form of a local artist performing at the coffee shop down the street from me. Illegal Grounds is the name of the shop, and I’m quickly become a regular in the comfortable cafe, writing, editing and cruising the internet while enjoying a cheap cup of coffee.
The singer/songwriter tonight is a young woman named Kristi Stice, who, according to her business card offers music lessons and private performances www.krististice.com. Her music is comfortable and relaxing, her voice melodic and enchanting. When she sang La Vie En Rose, I felt like I had been teleported to some little cafe in Italy, or somplace terribly romantic. I’m not sure what language she was singing in, but her voice and the way she formed the words were genuinely moving.

April 23, 2011 - Posted by Tabatha Stewart | Uncategorized