Work Hazards

It's funny, everyone has some sort of hazard on the job. Though when the phrase 'job hazard' is used we tend to think of jobs like construction workers or firefighters or maybe inner city school teachers, but musicians is probably not on the list, unless you consider personal drug and alcohol abuse a job hazard.

Today, I encountered multiple job hazards and my day is only half over. Most of them are just embarrassing really, but still...

So far I've managed to drop my bow on stage during a performance, not because I was clumsy, but because my hand was damp and therefore slippery. Luckily it didn't break and also luckily it didn't fall completely of the small stage or go flying into the audience. I was able to pick it up, run my hand across the hair to get off excess water and keep going.

Then I was walking backstage on the two foot wide ledge that circumnavigates the dolphin pool when a dolphin decided it would be fun to leap out of the water. This behavior is cute and desirable when one is seated in the audience and merely might get splashed, but I'm waiting for the day when I get knocked down or knocked into the pool. Today I just got scared out of my gourd and soaking wet and waylaid while I waited for the dolphin to go back in the water so I could keep walking.

And apparently where I work, physical violence is also a hazard as I've now been the recipient if this although that was a couple of days ago, not today. Now I'm more watchful and wary at work and exercising my alertness skills.

There are also good tripping hazards I attempt to avoid every show and have done so successfully except once where I caught myself. Definitely not looking forward to the day I trip in the dark on one of the ropes and fall in the water or fall on the rocks, either if which will sufficiently destroy my violin.

As I'm writing this entry during my lunch break I must close and go play the next show. Just wanted to share these thoughts while they were still fresh!