Enjoying the unexpected delights of a night of music at the Los Angeles County Arboretum

The last concert of summer was my first time back at the Pasadena Pops since George died. It was also the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Searching for a parking space on a side street near the Los Angeles County Arboretum, Sara and I got an unexpected surprise. Peacocks.

Confident and aloof, they wandered up and down the street oblivious to the danger of being hit by a car. It was the ultimate innocence. They believed they were safe in their own territory.

“We were once peacocks,” I said to Sara after the moment of silence for the fallen heroes of 9/11. We lived in the innocent naivete that safety from terrorists in our homeland was a given. Until it wasn’t.

Although it began with somber thoughts, the evening was enchanted.

As we entered the Arboretum, a crooked smile of moon lit the crowded lawn where a rare uninhabited patch of grass called to us.

I spread out the purple comforter that has accompanied me to the Pops for many years, and, almost on cue, a cool breeze caressed me as I sat down. I was at home again in a place I hadn’t realized how much I had missed.

While life could not protect me from terrorist attacks, or the death of a man I adored, it still offered possibilities of unexpected delight.

Masked music lovers, vaccination cards in hand, gathered on a lawn during a deadly pandemic because they needed the nourishment that music provides. Even if it came with risks. I was proud to be among them and to be reminded that serendipity was alive and well.

People still wrote music. Created poetry. Fell in love. Babies were born. Ordinary people performed extraordinary deeds.

As though he was reading my mind, Pops Conductor Michael Feinstein’s ambiance, as he smiled his way to the stage, encouraged us to indulge in the music moments. Sing along. Hum along. Sip some wine. Enjoy.

And so it was that my summer ended with a pop of music and a mixed metaphor of innocence lost and hope renewed.

Email patriciabunin@sbcglobal.net follow her on Twitter @patriciabunin