Karaoke Night Recap - A little crazy, A little beautiful

Its 6:30pm on a Wednesday evening, and a motley crew of SYs and FYs is carpooling past the sunburnt fields surrounding Charlottesville, into the Appalachian valleys. 30 minutes later we are gathered around a picnic table, feasting on Anna's gourmet pizza, the western sun slowly slipping behind the mountains behind us.

In the growing dark, we sip wine and chat about life, our pasts and what brought us there. As an ice-breaker we decide to share our favorite songs (it is karaoke night after all). One of FYs actually volunteers an impromptu performance, her voice ringing soft as the rest of table slips into wine and silent audience. Edem Seshie, a master poet and renaissance man shares a spoken word on the spot, and we come to the realization that this is a most unusual night with very strange and special conversation.

At the Picnic Table after Twilight

At some point lights have to be switched on, so we sit out-doors in the half-dark, enjoying each other's stories. For me it was a startling realization that it had been a long time since I had truly sat with friends around a table. I had done so many working lunches, so many grab-and-go's, so many networking standing lunches, that sitting at ease around a table seemed almost alien. 

Around 8:30pm, we decided to step into the basement and hit up the karaoke station. Wine and good company had lubricated our vocal chords, so getting volunteers to step up to the mic was surprisingly easy. There were some amazing duets, and a few shrieking solos. But ultimately, it was the collective force of will and joy that can only be captured in Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody that brought the night truly to a special close.

All said and done, it was a fun evening, and a reminder that such moments are far too rare (but perhaps that's what makes them special).

Karaoke in the Den