RUSH at the Library

Feeling out of touch with our loved ones, Nina and I decided to inspect the internet resources at the local public library. The head librarian, a cheerful looking man dressed in a royal purple shirt, informed us, much to our delight, that internet was a mere 3 Euros an hour. As we sat down he politely asked us where we were from and we replied Toronto. His face instantly lit up. "Toronto! Do you know Rush?" Nina looked confused, but I having just seen my desktop screen saver (a small tribute picture to the infamous band) replied that I did. "Rush is my favourite band," he told us. "Have you seen them live?" I replied yes again and though I hadn't though it possible his face grew even brighter. "Wow! Amazing!" "Have you?" I asked. "No," and his face took on the expression of someone who has perhaps ordered a mail order bride, had seen pictures of her, spoke to her on the phone, even watched a video of her whilst curled up in bed at night tenderly stroking the empty space beside him that held the promise of fulfilling love to come, but she had never arrived. Yet, the love had lived on, and as he got older actually increased instead of dying away like less passionately blind love might do.

"Rush never comes to Italy," he tells me. "But," and his expression lit up again, adding another 100 watts to his previously overjoyed face, "they come the 27th of September (or a date close to that) in Milan!" I was about to say, "wow you should definitely go, " but he cut me off pointing to the wall beside me. "There is my ticket! I count down the days on my calendar." He gave a nervous laugh. Then, serious again for a moment, "I listen to Rush everyday for 20 years. They are in my heart, you know?" Then he looked at us both and said, "From Toronto to Menaggio...incredible." I took this to mean that for him, he had moved a little closer to Rush just through meeting us.

Though I won't get to see it, I am fairly certain that when this man sees his beloved band he will have reached that state of Nivanna we all search for. Good for him.