Early Friday Morning Report

It’s very early Friday morning.  I enjoyed a day at the office sandwiched around a dentist appointment that I did not enjoy as much.  I didn’t get as much done today as I would have liked, although I did get a lot done.  Next week will be pretty busy before I check out for the holidays.

The big news around the office was the plane crash less than a mile away from the conference office.  A small plane with two passengers went down as it was arriving at the Scottsdale Airport.  Unfortunately there was loss of life—the pilot, with the passenger in critical condition as of this morning.  That anyone survived is a miracle in itself.  I was busy getting some work done so I did not know anything had happened, but my administrative assistance heard a loud crash and assumed it was an auto accident in front of the conference office.  I guess they have happened before, since Scottsdale Road in a very busy street.

The cacophony of sirens was the first clue to the office staff that something unusual had taken place.  By the time I joined the observation party, the residue of smoke in the air was the telltale sign of something more serious.  I took a serendipitous route to the dentist and stopped to see the remnants of the plane on a street between homes.  None of the homes had been hit.  The wreckage was charred and mangled.  The news choppers were hovering above and cameramen were already staking out their prime location.  It made me feel sad to know that a person had perished and was still lying under the tarp that covered most of the fuselage.  My discomfort at the dentist did not seem like anything of which to complain.

After returning to work for the rest of the day, evening took me to Glenview Academy for their Christmas Concert.  It was a memorable and delightful evening.  The contingent of students numbering close to one hundred was dressed in Christmas colors and standing as would an experienced and trained mass choir.  Bells and piano pieces by students ranging in skill and ability preceded the vocal portion of the concert.  I must confess I was not totally prepared for the sound of all these children singing as only children can sing—with gusto and enthusiasm, but also on key and harmony.  They began with “O Come, All Ye Faithful”—“wow’ is the only word that comes to mind.  Other renditions included an arrangement of “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” and the “Hallelujah Chorus”—neither of which seemed to be typical elementary school pieces.  It was amazing!  There were harmonies, echoes, with small group ensembles singing counterpoint to the melody of a much focused mass choir of children. 

The large group was made up by students ranging from kindergarten to 8^th grade!  Every singer was doing their part with discipline and skill.  The church was filled with sound that registered loudly on my soul.  I was blessed.  I cannot see how any parent present was not either extremely proud to have a child as part of such a marvelous program or wondering what it would take to have their child be part of it in the future.  I will remember that concert for a long time!  Good night.