elvis, ronaldinho, the beatles, radiohead, etc.

when i was studying in spain, i took a weekend to go to morocco. one night i went for a walk and came upon a group of kids. i only had about $2 on me, so i was pretty unconcerned about getting robbed, despite the fact that i was very outnumbered. we wanted to talk, but they didn't speak english, and my best attempts to pretend that i speak french weren't panning out. ultimately, we had a wonderful conversation by reciting real madrid's starting lineup to each other, like a race to think of the next player. after that, we named other famous players, and he pantomimed juggling the ball in the unmistakable style of one of the world's most famous players, and i shouted "ronaldinho!" and we all laughed and had a great moment. the scene made me very happy because of how little a language barrier can matter, and because of how little cultural barriers can matter, if both people are actually interested in making a connection. i don't know that kid's name, but we experienced an unexpected link that still makes me smile.

today a kid came in with a double fracture in his leg. he was named elvis. elvis! i asked if he liked elvis songs (at which mention the anesthesiologist and i broke into "suspicious minds"), but he said he didn't like elvis as much as the beatles, which led to he and i singing his favorites, including "i'm so tired" and "i'm only sleeping". there were a lot doctors in the room, and he was wearing his little hospital gown and laying on the surgery table, waiting for his anesthesia. it was a very similarly unexpected connection, and we both really enjoyed it. later i even found out he likes radiohead, which naturally delighted me.

oh, elvis. oh, music!