I live where I do partly because of its proximity to Historic Ellicott City. I found this little enclave by accident a long while back (25 years, is that right?!) while looking for a garage (the spot that's now the Old Mill Bakery) when my car's alternator light came on. Much later, when I was considering buying my Secret World Headquarters, the fact that it was near something this interesting was a definite factor in favor.
The village was hit hard this week by the derailment of a CSX coal car, which killed two young women and closed the main road for several days. This followed last years flooding.
As plans were announced to reopen the road, plans were quickly made for a "Main Street Appreciation" weekend. A friend of mine who owns a shop there posted on Facebook today asking if any musician would be interested in playing out in front of her store. It was an unpaid gig, but I was planning to put in some practice time tonight, so, what the heck. Might as well practice there as in my living room.
So I made a couple bucks in tips, and my friend came by with a couple beers when I was done. But what made it worthwhile was one of the tips I got. A little girl, maybe eight years old, walking by with her parents, doubled back and dropped a dollar in my guitar case. Possibly the first tip she's ever given a musician; definitely not driven by any sense of social obligation or decorum, but just by "I like this". When a kid likes your art, there's no pretense or hipster irony involved, it's genuine.
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