Are you following your passion?
I started telling this story in a previous blog post “Breaking Bread Together” , but there was a separate story there which I felt warranted its own stage so here goes eventually for the one I intended writing in the first place..
Fuzion Friday had arrived again – on Fridays our team at Fuzion share a meal together at lunch time. This is something we all look forward to as it is a highlight of our week when we all let the hair down and shake off some of the stresses of the week.
The chat starts off at around 12, “where will we go for lunch today” and after much discussion (Mary normally getting her way!) a restaurant is chosen and while the intention is to get there before 1 to avoid places being too busy we normally find ourselves trekking out the office door at about 10 past 1 because someone is always finishing something!
On this occasion it was me that was delaying proceedings so eventually I told the bunch to go ahead to Cafe Bar Deli and I’d catch up in a few minutes. As always I underestimated the 2 minutes it would take to finish what I was doing and I could see the “where the hell are ya” phone calls coming through to my phone.
Eventually I finish what I am doing and I race down the stairs and make my way quickly towards the restaurant. Heading quickly towards Oliver Plunkett Street I start to hear a really beautiful sound coming towards me – at a street corner I am greeted by the sight of this very tall gentleman dressed in a tuxedo singing the most beautiful version of “The Town I Loved So Well“. Despite the rush I was in I just had to stop and listen to this gorgeous performance, which was a rare treat not to be missed.
A few people did stop to listen, while other busy shoppers shuffled by going about their business. I could feel my phone vibrating in my pocket but I ignored it as this moment was too previous to miss. Eventually I had to move on (I could start to imagine the earful I was going to get by the crew) but only after first shaking this man’s hand and thanking him for a beautiful moment in an otherwise crazy busy week.
I took a photograph of this guy and noticed the sign by his feet complete with phone number and web address – his name was Peter D Walls, www.peterdwalls.com and his number (086) 7728344.
Over lunch I could not get this guy out of my head – what is his story? He was clearly very talented and here he was singing on a street corner, which surely was something “beneath him”? At least this is what my immediate reaction would be.
Intrigued I decided to check out his website and learn a little bit more about this street singer. With the help of Mr. Google I found his website, I found a YouTube clip of a street performance and I listened to an interview that someone did with him. It turns out he does this frequently, he appears in Thomas Street, Limerick every Saturday and he performs in Dublin during the week also.
Is this beneath him, surely his talent deserves a much better stage, why is he doing this, why is he putting himself in the mix with other buskers, who to be fair would not lace his musical boots?
Looking desperately for an answer to this question I found a simple quote on his website –
“It’s never too late to follow your passion”
..does it really matter what you are doing and where you are doing it as long as you are following your passion?
Happy New Year!
Greg Canty is a partner of Fuzion
Tags: Fuzion, Fuzion PR, Greg Canty, New Years Resolution, Peter D Walls
Greg Canty Fuzion Blog 
December 31, 2011 at 6:21 pm |
Greg,
Thank you. A great way to spend a few minutes on the last day of the year..with a hope you enjoy every minute of 2012.
Robin Byram
Phoenix, Arizona USA
January 1, 2012 at 3:55 pm |
Thanks Robin – make 2012 your best yet!
January 2, 2012 at 1:02 pm |
great story!!
January 2, 2012 at 2:55 pm |
15 years ago my husband and I both left our jobs to follow our passions and it has made a huge difference to everything in our lives …… our own relationship has benefited and our sense of who we are has been amazing to us both. I would encourage you to follow your passion because if you are passionate about what you do it shows in your output and this becomes something others see that they want for themselves. You cannot be anything but successful (maybe not always from a financial position but definitely from a quality of life perspective!) if you follow your passion.
January 2, 2012 at 5:19 pm |
Great story Catherine – what do you do?
January 4, 2012 at 5:01 am
I am a potter / ceramic artist, and my husband is a landscape photographer (www.underbergstudio.co.za). After changing our ‘jobs’ (and I say this in inverted commas because when you love what you do it doesn’t feel like work at all!) we moved away from the city to live in a tiny village in the Southern Drakensberg where we opened an art gallery and studio. It’s been an amazing experience …….. just because we decided to follow our passion.
January 4, 2012 at 7:29 am
great post Catherine – where is Southern Drakensberg? – it sounds like you have created the perfect life by …. following your passion! Well done to you
January 4, 2012 at 8:12 am
Southern Drakensberg is a mountain range in South Africa. We live in a village called Underberg.
January 4, 2012 at 8:57 am
thanks Catherine , it sounds wonderful. By the way I have a cousin called Catherine Brennan!
January 4, 2012 at 1:09 pm
Good Irish ancestry! My husband’s grandfather immigrated to South Africa in the early 1900’s
January 4, 2012 at 1:29 pm
he had a long journey Catherine!
January 3, 2012 at 1:14 pm |
Hi Greg I actually saw him before Christmas as well on Paul Street and we stopped to listen to him as he had a beautiful voice. What astounded me what the fact that most people just flew past him, too busy with shopping to listen and appreciate free entertainment. I never thought of googling him. Tks for the info.
January 3, 2012 at 1:43 pm |
isn’t it crazy – in another scenario people would be buying tickets to see someone of this quality, when its on the street we tend to discount the value of the artist!
January 3, 2012 at 2:27 pm |
Nice post! Brings back memories of disappearing into a dream listening to Peter as he sang to his hearts content outside my former place of employment 😉
Hope all is well Greg, and a very happy new year!!
January 3, 2012 at 11:16 pm |
cheers Eoin – its amazing how many people have actually spotted Peter – I must have been in a daze!
January 3, 2012 at 2:33 pm |
It’s great that you stopped and listened! It reminds me of a story I read just before Christmas; http://themagazineyting.com/wp/index.php/2011/12/stop-and-hear-the-music/
January 3, 2012 at 11:15 pm |
great post Rosie
January 3, 2012 at 11:27 pm |
Great story.
I read a similar story recently about a guy playing on a subway in New York and most people ignored him. Turned out he was one of the top musicians in the world and somebody was conducting a type of experiment to see how people would react (they did not dissapoint).
January 4, 2012 at 7:28 am |
if you like what you do you never have to do a day of work? thanks for the feedback Neil
January 4, 2012 at 6:20 am |
This is exactly what i have been feeling since last few months and decided to do what i like to do… i also wrote an article on the same, anyone can visit http://getyourdreams.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/are-you-happy/
I have been following my dream since….
January 4, 2012 at 7:30 am |
well done to you !! another person following their passion!
January 4, 2012 at 11:32 pm |
Brilliant post Greg……
January 5, 2012 at 8:33 am |
thanks for the positive feedback Trich – can I ask the question …. are you following your passion?
January 5, 2012 at 1:13 am |
Yes, I am following my passion! At age 55, nonetheless, I have picked up where I left off 25 years ago! I am a voice over actress! Have booked several jobs and am confident that I will be able to do only voice-over/acting at some point soon in my life!
January 5, 2012 at 8:32 am |
Well done Judy – we’ll be listening out for you – looking forward to hearing that voice of yours!
January 5, 2012 at 11:15 am |
Nice Post Greg. Happy New Year to you.
January 5, 2012 at 11:38 pm |
Thanks for the positive feedback
February 16, 2012 at 10:29 pm |
Greg, what a wonderful story. I wonder how I missed it. In the beguinning I was ready to swer that it happened in NYC where I live.
Thank you so much for sharing it!
Milena
February 18, 2012 at 5:09 pm |
Thanks for the feedback Milena …. not New York …. just good ‘auld Ireland !! Take care of yourself
February 17, 2013 at 5:36 pm |
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied
on the video to make your point. You definitely know what youre
talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just
posting videos to your weblog when you could be giving us something informative to
read?
February 17, 2013 at 8:29 pm |
Hi Marina – I don’t understand ..what videos ? Greg