This painting is taken from our Isle of Man trip. The restaurant, Wine Down, is in Douglas. We sat on the front terrace. I took this shot looking into the crowded restaurant. The window catches interior and exterior, myself and M, and others, observing and being observed. It is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle of life. There are too many pieces and not enough time to fit them all together. And we only imagine the picture on the cover of the box to guide us.

Maybe I am overinclined to sit in cafe windows watching the world going by, while  the world watches me. But there’s belonging too, and the thrill of it all. There are consolations in being a part of the crowd. Imagine the stories of the people here, some connecting with the observer, some lost in their own world. You’ll catch whispered narratives in the buzz, a song rising from the din.

I am listening to Bruce Springsteen’s 2020 album, Letter to You. House of a Thousand Guitars is specifically a hymn to live music venues. Broader than that, it celebrates the human urge to meet socially, and the togetherness of places where the music and the people play

So wake and shake off your troubles my friend

We’ll go to where the music never ends

From the stadiums to the small town bars

We’ll light up the house of a thousand guitars