proud.

For the last night of Partners’ retreat, they host a talent show, with “talent” used loosely.

Some have talent, some have laughs, and some have very high levels of confidence and few inhibitions.

Everyone participates in some way, and Stephen & I were both in a skit with the entire Mae Sot office. But, Stephen also did a number on his own. He played Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, using an acoustic guitar and his Line 6 loop pedal. I’m not sure how to say it correctly, but in layman’s terms: he plays a bit, and “saves” it to the pedal, then plays another bit. He continues to add these together on stage, so that they pile on top of each other in rhythm. He then adds the actual melody and sings along, so that the sound is intricate and full, but it’s only him and a guitar. He did all of this on stage while everyone was watching, putting together all the pieces while everyone oohs and ahhs over the music coming out when’s he’s stopped playing that bit.

Can you picture that at all?

Either way, he was a little nervous, which I’d say was fair enough. He started out and the beat got a little off. But instead of bailing, or even saying something awkward–which is precisely what I would have done–he cracked a joke and had everyone laughing. The whole crowd was cheering him on and laughing at his comments while he got things sorted.

And then he played it amazingly well, and it sounded incredible!

As I sat there listening, I was just so proud. He was so bold to go up there, something I surely wouldn’t put myself through. He then even as things went wrong, he simply made everyone laugh and tried again, only to then impress us all.  I was proud.

And it reminded me of the things I really appreciate most about Stephen: his patience and persistence with a completely calm countenance; his not-so-smooth approach to things, that simply shows you exactly who he is, which will amaze you.

{At one point when we were dating, I told Stephen one of my favorite things about him was that he wasn’t smooth. He didn’t seem to really take that as a compliment, but I meant it as such.  He didn’t simply say the right thing at the right time or make the right move to impress me; he couldn’t really. But when he did say something in a perhaps unrefined way, I knew it was trustworthy.}

You know those moments when you are aware–in the moment– that you won’t forget this? Tonight was like that. As I sat there listening to him sing, I was flooded with all of these favorite things, so much that I was glad he didn’t get it right the first time. I was thankful I could see his humor and his patience and his countenance before he revealed his skill. It made him human, and my favorite one, at that.