Jill + Julia

Last night I had the extreme pleasure of seeing "The Jill and Julia Show" which, while I don't think that's the actual official title, was what they referred to it as during the theme song. It was an amazing combination of music, monologues, and magic as Jill Sobule and Julia Sweeney took the stage together at Largo on Fairfax, just down the street from my apartment. I had never been there before, and in all honesty, I had always purposely avoided it due to their strict "no chattering" policy during performances and the dinner-reservation thing. As a "rock and roller" I'm not used to people eating while I'm performing (or eating while people are peforming), sitting at a table, and keeping my mouth shut during a show. In fact, I find it hard to watch a band and not be able to talk about the performance while it's going on, especially if I don't like the band. But in last night's case, and I'm assuming is usually the case at Largo, it really is important because the show was so intimate and at times pretty quiet. I actually liked the experience of having dinner at my table right before the show. I don't think I would like to see a full on rock show in that environment, but this was really more of a mixture of drama, comedy, music and spoken word. I would have like to hear Jill talk more, but it was pretty much split with Julia doing the talking and Jill doing the singing/guitar playing. I thought it was especially sweet, however, when Julia sang along on a few numbers (especially their version of "Que Sera Sera") and played her bongo drum. While I've been aware of both these talented ladies since back in my schooldays, I'm ashamed to say I never realized the depth of genius and charisma that they exude. It was a truly unique, powerful and unforgettable experience that I didn't want to end.
However, all good things must come to and end, and afterwards we walked to my car to discover I had left the lights on and the battery had run down. I tried not to let it bug me, considering the magical night I'd just had, but it was such a bummer pushing my car away from the parking meter and down the street to an open spot.
Then, just as I was about to let my mistake get the best of me, a straight guy drives by, rolls down his window, and asks if we need any help. He ends up pushing my car, then asking what happened and I tell him I just ran my battery down by leaving my lights on. "Oh, I should have asked that first" he says, and pulls some jumper cables out of his trunk. In less than two minutes my car is started and I'm off on my way. It was really special and made me feel even BETTER than I had when I first walked out of Largo. The guy, and his female companion who he said was simply his roommate, not his girlfriend, were both so kind and helpful. It made me think, next time I see someone in need of some simple help, I really have to stop and see if I can help. It's one of the easiest things you can do, and means so much, but so rarely do people do it.