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The day before yesterday, my friend came to me, just in time for dinner, I took him to eat Thai food nearby. I like the environment of the restaurant, very quiet, the song by the singers are also very pleasant.
Usually, I often go to that restaurant with my classmates, and every time I sit at the tables in the front row, I like to listen to the two singers singing. When there are fewer customers in the restaurant, the two singers will come to chat with us when taking a break, after a while, we have become friends.
I don't know their real names, the people in the restaurant call them Tammy and Ben.The day before yesterday, there were more people when we went to the restaurant, my friends and I sat on the far end from the stage, waving at them from far away.
During their breaks, I saw Ben put down the guitar and walking toward where we sat. As they walked up, I greeted them and gave them a drink that I ordered before.
Ben looks very happy; he said he already told the waiter, tonight he will be paying for us. I asked why, he said he would be leaving, he wanted to buy me dinner before he leaves.
I was not surprised when I heard that he was leaving, and I knew that they were going to the next stop, a new city, wandering is also a journey.
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Tammy and Ben told me a lot of their stories before, and they have been traveling for years.
Tammy said that the first time they perform on the street, they were particularly nervous, they dragged the boxes filled with stereos, looking for a place to perform on unfamiliar roads.
When they found the place to perform, Tammy said they dared not look at the pedestrians on the road and had to bury their head in the boxes and connect the power cords of the stereo. When they were ready, holding the guitar and standing up, they were surrounded by more than ten people, just like watching the gorillas in the cage, everyone was waiting for them to start performing.
Ben said he was nervous, sweaty palms and shaking legs, he had to close his eyes and start singing. After singing for a few seconds, he doesn’t feel so tense, he opened his eyes, did not expect to be frightened again and close his eyes, surrounded by crowded pedestrians.
Then someone throws money into their boxes, and someone sings along with them. That day Tammy and Ben sang 21 songs. Then, when they back to the hotel, their throat began to ache, but they were very happy, finally took the first step, singing in the street.
If there is no art on the street in a city, the city will bury a lot of many new artists, shatter their works and break the odds. Because only overcome the loneliness of public performance, they have the opportunity to perform in the restaurant.
After they had their first performing experience on the street, it was like an addiction, and they wanted to go out and perform every day. They perform at the construction site, night market, even in the alley of their hotel. They made friends with the old man who was selling old books, the young girl who was selling the bracelets, the girls who sell instruments; they were very happy.
Ben says the viewers can give them strength, and when they sing on the street, what they want is not the money in the guitar box, is people who want to hear them sing. Unfortunately, in this Thai restaurant, there are not many people listening to them, the first few times I came here, I did not notice them.
Then I found out that they were very attentive when they sang, no matter there were people listening, they always sing with passion and sing with their heart. When they notice my classmates and me, the first time they came to greet us, they thank us for listening to their performance. Later, four of us became good friends.
Tammy once said: "Go to a place, stay for a while. When feeling comfortable, it’s time to leave." Otherwise, this is not called travel, called escape. "So, when they said they are going to leave, I am not surprised.
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There is one time when they were performing on the street, and the first time they met the urban management officers, they were scared badly. They were singing, surrounded by a circle of people, a man in a black uniform push through the crowd, rushed to them, shouting loudly.
They were too scared to make a sound and quickly turned off the stereo and begged the officer not to confiscate their stereo. The officer asked them to leave, and not allow to perform on the street. Ben said that day back to the hotel; his legs were still shaking, scared.
After being chased away by the officer for the first time, they rest for a few days, not dare to sing on the street that has many people. He said that at that time, he was a bit afraid, also a little confused, and also feel tired.
Later, when they went out to perform, their choice of places, they would first look around for officer. If so, take the initiative to ask if they can perform nearby. He said he had been yelled at by the officer many times in recent years, and was often chased away and made friends with several officers.
There are more difficulties in life than lucky things, in the way of adhering to the dream, we are growing, no longer fear of the outside world. When encounter difficulties, even if afraid, but need to willing to try bravely.
Courage doesn’t mean shy, nor is it not afraid. Courage is even if we are afraid, but we still insist on moving forward, adhere to our dreams.
