Bad Busker Behavior

Ever do something you almost immediately regret? My list is a long one so I’ll just share the most recent incident.

I was working the City Walk, Saturday afternoon. It was hot and I had been baking in the sun for a couple of hours with little return on my investment of time and energy. The hats were lousy and my audiences unresponsive. It’s been hard to get used to changing over my performance for a show to a pitch. I make a lot less in the hat after the pitch but when I sell decks it all comes together. So, I’m out there, I’ve done three pitches in a row didn’t sell any decks and the hat’s were practically non existent. I do another set with some rambunctious teenagers, we all ahd some fun and I thought it went well enough. At the end a couple of people threw in one dollar bills. One of the kids thought it would be funny to put in a penny. I stopped the kid as he was leaving, took the penny out of the hat and said, “It’s one thing to stiff me. . . but you don’t have to be a dick.” Then I chucked the penny at him, and it hit him in the eye.

He wasn’t hurt and there was no incident. But I immediately thought, I wouldn’t want anyone throwing anything in Buster’s eye. I felt bad about how I handled the situation and wish I could have apologized to him. Well there you have it. I’m ashamed that I let that little mother fucker ruffle my feathers.

The next day I went out there with something to prove. It’s not about the money. . . it’s about making good art and people happy.

nuff said.