No song and dance contest

More than a decade ago, when the internet did not yet have music platforms, a complete stranger rang our doorbell.

- Aven Piramide

He was an engineer and looked, at that time, to be in his early 60’s, somewhat older than me then. Sadly, the years that passed eroded his name from my memory. The stranger said that he came from Manila and he heard from someone that I have a small collection of long-playing records! His trip to Cebu was related to his profession but he made it a side purpose to see me to find out if there was an Eddie Fisher album in my file. Fortunately, I had the 1954 LP containing the song "May I Sing To You". That was the very song he came for and in a very educated respectful manner, he pleaded with me to play it. I could not say no. Even just as the record began, my stranger-engineer-visitor also started to shed tears. In fact, he hummed along with Eddie Fisher and stood up to mimic a motion of his dancing with his wife who died few years earlier.

Believe me, I was deeply touched by the stranger. Even if I am a confessed lover of music myself, my one-time visitor showed me a one-of-a-kind emotional attachment of one man to a song unknown to many. His was pure sincerity.