Weird things happen to me rather frequently and I pretty much just chalk them up to I have a good imagination and also maybe that I just notice some
things other people may not bother with. I decided earlier not to post this but maybe it's interesting to someone so here it goes...
Back in 1987 I was playing a lunch time christmas show in a busy, visible, touristy spot in town. I had my best friend with me who wasn't performing
but came with me so we could hang out after. After the performance I was breaking down my equipment. As I was cleaning my instrument I looked up
and noticed an odd man heading straight for me. It was a common joke amongst my friends that I am rather "approachable" and odd people seem to feel
comfortable with me lol....so I didn't pay too close attention or think much of it at first; I remember just sort of bracing myself for the encounter
and hurried myself so I could scurry away as quickly as possible. The next time I looked up the man was directly in front of me. I immediately got
chills and felt embarrassed as I knew I must have made some sort of face when my eyes met his.
He was dressed very "odd" but I hardly noticed the clothes at the time. What was most remarkable to me (before he spoke) was his skin color. I guess
I would have to say he was a black man but he wasn't really black, certainly not white.....he was gray - that's the best way I can describe him. Not
the gray that someone who is mixed may have like just being more light skinned it was an odd, creepy, kind of gray. I thought maybe he was sick, and
felt a sort of empathy for him. Then he started talking and he spoke with an
unmistakeable southern accent. He started asking me if I was in
the Union.....I still get chills when I remember the way he said the word. He drew it out really long with emphasis on the "u".... anyway, I asked
him to repeat himself so I could gather my wits and think of some way to get out of there and asked me again if I belonged to the union. I assumed he
meant the musician's union so I started to answer him and as I was answering him I just knew full well that wasn't what he meant. Then he started
talking something about angels and the union and how important it was to be in the union......Lots of people associate flute playing with angels so I
just figured that was why he made the reference (I am a flutist) and thought maybe it was his way of complimenting our playing. By now it was like
blood was rushing in my head from the adrenaline and I don't even remember what he continued to say. I did become what I suppose was rather rude and
excused myself as politely as possible and (probably almost ran) to my friend who was watching the whole thing. We got out of there and he followed
us. She kept saying to me why would I even talk to him and was more freaked out by then than I was. She mentioned his clothes and said matter of
factly that he looked like someone from the civil war. I don't mean matter of factly like she thought it was normal but rather there was no doubt in
her mind that he was dressed from that time period. When we got outside he was still behind us following us down the street and we both heard him
whistling (don't remember what) - we both heard it. It went on long enough that we knew it was him whistling and we were discussing it. After a
point we both turned back to see how close he was and the whistling stopped and he was gone. Just poof! Nowhere to turn off and he was no where in
sight.
Edit to add: I guess it might be significant that this took place in Pittsburgh by the point.....near the old fort.
edit on 26-1-2011 by
glad_to_be_His because: (no reason given)