Summer has somehow slipped away, leaving a perfect fall afternoon in its place. Morning brought a trip down to the harbor; John stood in line for breakfast at the café while I walked Chloe along the docks. The sunshine left a sparkling trail across the water as the ducks swam into Ego Alley, looking for the handfuls of bread scattered by small children.
I watched as the vendors raised their tents for the Fall Festival, sitting in the shade near the Market House while John finished breakfast. We wandered over to the Farmer’s Market along the water’s edge, making our way to our favorite stands; this one for tomatoes, that one for peppers and zucchini, pausing occasionally so Chloe and other dogs could touch noses. Our last stop is always the handmade pasta stand, so we can get the pasta home while still cold from the cooler.
Most years, a Sunday such as this would find me checking lists, running errands, and making general preparations for Tour, snatching moments to enjoy time with the family before the looming departure.
This year, though, is one of the rare years I stay home from Tour. Only my third real Home Guard in sixteen years (I don’t count the Year of the Elbow Surgeries), this Home Guard is a first for me in many ways. This is the first time I will not be a part of MITS (Music In The Schools) while on Home Guard, and this is the first time I will be home as an Empty-Nester. Jenna is in grad school in Ireland, and Jamey is a freshman in college this year.
In early September, the Band traveled to New York to perform in the Walter Cronkite Memorial at Lincoln Center. We left early on a Tuesday, heading straight to Lincoln Center for the rehearsal.
We didn’t have much music to perform, but several run-throughs were needed for sound levels and camera angles. Looking out into the hall, we could see the signs indicating seating for the VIPs.The Memorial was Wednesday morning; the President’s participation brought about a high level of security, so we arrived several hours prior to the event. After passing through security, we found ourselves secured in the small cross-hall behind the stage, with only a curtain separating the dressing areas for men and women.
As often happens, the Band had the best seat in the house.
We were on stage for the entire event, even though we played only at the opening and closing of the memorial, but we shared the stage with all the speakers, able to look out at the audience and pick out the familiar public faces. The Cronkite family was in my direct line of sight; it was hard to watch them at times, the grief still raw.After the hustle and bustle of an especially busy summer in the Rugolo household, September has been an unusually slower pace this year. The Home Guard/Tour Band split was last Monday; in other years this meant packing Jenna off to college while preparing for Tour rehearsals and getting Jamey settled into school.
The first day of the Split was my first full day of the Empty Nest. My original schedule had me out at the Pentagon in the morning, marching in an arrival ceremony, and performing a brief recital for after dinner entertainment in the evening. But, as so often happens, schedules change, and I ended up in a very quiet house, staring at the dog, while John was in meetings for the day.
Friday brought about a ceremony at the Pentagon in honor of all POW/MIA. Similar to an arrival ceremony, this would entail several speeches as well. Standing in one position for so long requires a few mental tricks that vary from band member to band member. Some compile menus or grocery lists in their head, some count people; in the past I have repeated the speech back in my head, one sentence at a time. The final speech, however, had my attention.
The Guest of Honor was Admiral Jeremiah Denton (ret.), a former POW, held in captivity for seven years and seven months, four of those in solitary confinement. Several times during his remarks, he broke down as he spoke of the suffering of the families of POWs and MIAs. It certainly put our stiff shoulders and numb toes into perspective as mere nuisances in an otherwise light schedule. Time spent away from the family on concert tours melts away into nothingness by comparison to what he and thousands of other POWs have endured.
As much as I love the opportunity to be home instead of away from my family, I will miss Tour. I miss being a part of taking music to America, seeing new places and faces, the musical challenges, and giving my music to others. Being on Home Guard will be a different kind of adventure, coupled with the challenge of learning how to live in my Empty Nest.
