Peace in Your Heart

Two guys helped me bring my busking gear up all the stairs to the subway station. When I got to the turnstile, I found 3 pennies. So – it felt like a lucky day.
As I was passing through the turnstile a lady said “SawLady!” and smiled hello at me.

Two MTA construction workers were standing on the platform in a yellow ribboned area, discussing how to fix a pipe in Russian.

As I was setting up to play at the 14th street subway station a guy stopped to ask me about the musical saw. He has seen me before and was intrigued. Somehow the conversation turned to Poland. His wife is from Poland. He wants to go to Warsaw to see the Holocaust remnants. I told him that I was there last August.

Margot, the mime, was on her way to Central Park.

Albert, the messenger, came to say ‘hi’. He told me he did 28 deliveries last week. That’s 5, sometimes 6 deliveries a day. He said he lost weight from all the walking, which makes him happy.

Photographer: © Aaron Porter

Somebody put a red paper heart in my donations box, with the words “Peace in your heart” on it.

A lady put a card in my box, with the words “I knew it was ‘The Saw Lady’ without looking”.

A guy said to me in passing: “My grandfather used to play this tool”. I didn’t get a chance to find out when & where it was or who his grandfather was.

Two cops and a paramedic were wheeling a guy in a wheel chair out the station.

A contortionist named John stopped to talk. He is originally from Norway but hasn’t been there in 18 years. He first saw a musical saw player in Amsterdam – it was a lady from France. He is moving to Las Vegas to further his solo career. Until now he performed in a duo with a lady contortionist. He told me that there is a bus ride that costs $20 from Las Vegas to Venice Beach, CA, which is a great busking place.

At 3:20 Don Witter, the guitar player, came for his permitted busking spot. He has been married 22 years. He is now working on J.S. Bach music with a jazz twist.

On the platform the “I Love” artist was selling replicas of his “I Love” canvases. He was just selling an “I Love Brooklyn” one as I came out of the elevator.

On the train 4 Nortenos were playing two guitars and a very small guitar. The 4th Norteno was not playing but just walking around with a hat in his hands.