Happy Lady

Judging from her moves, she was no practicing professional.  I couldn’t figure out why she was dancing and belting out a unique rendition of Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" in the middle of the street on a scorching hot summer day in downtown St. Louis.  Was she mentally ill?  Was she selling something?  Whatever it was, it made me smile and I thought she would appreciate knowing that.  

At first, I was hesitant to approach her, but ultimately my curiosity got the best of me.  Wearing a bright blue dress and white sneakers, she was a full-bodied, African-American woman with a radiant smile, and sweat dripping down her face.  I couldn’t tell you why, but I wanted to know her story.  She was warm and outgoing and told me her name was Erica McElrath.

Erica explained that after 15 years as a hospice nurse, she had been let go.  And while she was struggling financially, she did not miss living in a world dominated by death.  She went on to explain that after 15 years of helping people die, she now wanted to help them live.  Her simple objective was to bring a moment of joy to those who drove by.  I noticed we were standing in front of the largest stock brokerage in the city and I realize now that her location was no accident.  That day, the stock market took a tumble and people were on edge.  However, most people who passed couldn’t help but smile. 

After knowing Erica’s story, her message became loud and clear.  She reminded me the importance of putting things into perspective.  Even though she was in a difficult situation, she was able to put her troubles aside and just be happy.  Even more, she was able to help others do the same.

This event exemplifies the power of music to influence emotions.  Further, this is a perfect example of semiotics of music.  Erica's singing and dancing acted as a sign which indicated happiness and lightheartedness as the object, which then influenced my smile (physical) and carefree feeling (emotional) as the interpretant.  While Erica's bright smile was an iconic sign for happiness, her dancing served as an indexical sign to me because I associate dancing with happiness and carefreeness.  Even more, Erica's lyrics to "Don't Worry, Be Happy" served as a symbolic sign for a happy and carefree lifestyle.  Additionally, Erica's timing and location in front of the stock brokerage set a powerful frame.  

Time and time again, I find myself thinking about Erica and what I learned from her.  Erica's ability to look past her difficult situation and just have fun takes me back to my previous post in which I expressed my desire to live in the moment.  When life gets rough, I hope I’ll never forget the image of the happy lady in the bright blue dress and white sneakers, singing and dancing like she didn’t have a care in the world.

http://www.markkatzman.com/#projects/happylady/0

Above is a video my dad created of Erica that day.