Serenaded by a 92-Year-Old

And he sang one of my favorite songs.

A 92-year-old docent at the zoo where I volunteer recently sang to me, and I was mesmerized. 

This gentleman, who I will refer to as John, has been volunteering at the local zoo for 30 years, mainly at the elephant exhibit (which is where I also have been volunteering for over 10 years.)

He told me he had been an actor in his career, and traces of that were still apparent in his speech. I could see the performer that he had been, and still was. 

I ask him about his life. He seems eager to talk. 

He lost his wife, as well as one of his four children, years ago. The deep grief is still there. I can see it in his eyes when he tells me about them. I can hear it in his voice. I reflect to him how painful those losses must have been for him. He responds with his voice, his eyes, and his very being. 

And there is so much more to him. 

I had heard from other volunteers, as he is famous among all the volunteers there, that John also sings. I asked him about his singing.

To my complete delight, he immediately broke into a beautiful version of one of my favorite songs ever. Although the sound of Louis Armstrong’s unique and wonderful voice will always be one of my timeless memories of this song, I now have another version to add to the list. John’s version. 

What a Wonderful World

(composed by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss) 

I see trees of green, red roses too, I see them bloom, for me and you..and I think to myself…What a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue, clouds of white, the bright blessed day, the dark sacred night. And I think to myself…What a wonderful world. 

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky, are also on the faces of people walking by. I see friends shaking hands, saying “How do you do?” They’re really saying “I love you.”

I hear babies cry. I watch them grow. They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know. And I think to myself…What a wonderful world. Oh yeah, what a wonderful world. 

Can you imagine the feeling and emotions coming from a 92-year-old man singing this song? He sang from his heart, from his years of wisdom and years of living life in this world. It’s apparent that he still has the love of life inside of him and still sees the amazing beauty all around him. It’s not that he has not struggled, or felt pain, or deep loss. It’s not that he is not so befuddled by some of the things going on in our world today. We talk about all of that. He shakes his head and says he just cannot understand it all. 

And here he is at the zoo. Almost every day. 

He still is in awe of our elephants. He loves to tell people about them, shouting out “Would you like to know something about elephants?” as people come up to the exhibit. Most people respond with a resounding “Absolutely!” 

And, delighted, he begins his speech. A well practiced speech. Full of laughter and anecdotes. Like the true story about the little boy, who upon seeing our well endowed male elephant, shouted out “Look at the baby elephant’s trunk coming out of that elephant!” Laughter all around, the deepest from John himself. 

His song was such a heartfelt tribute to this wonderful world. He was singing his truth, wisdom, and wonder. Gifting me with one of the best concerts that I have been to. Gracing me with the love and joy of life that still radiates from him.

He talks openly about aging. He laughingly tells people that although he may not look 92 from the neck up (he doesn’t at all), if they were to see him from the neck down, that would be another story. More laughter, with him leading the chorus. 

He talks about his skin, and how must be careful as it tears so easily. He wears long sleeves all the time to protect his arms, is glad that he doesn’t ever really feel too hot with those long sleeves, even when the temperature rises.

 He compares his own now more fragile skin to the sensitive skin of the elephants that he so loves. 

Elephants don’t wear long sleeves, but they do throw mud and dirt on their skin to protect it. He relates to this. I relate as well, surprised these days upon noticing the occasional deep purple bruise on my arms and having no idea or memory of where I got that. My skin is thinner, more sensitive. 

As is my heart more sensitive to all that is around me. As I also sense is true for John’s heart. 

I have his song in my head and in my heart now, with his voice and face. And that magical moment that came out of nowhere. Because I asked about his singing. 

What might we learn from others, further ahead on the path than we might be now, if we only ask? What delightful gifts might we be given? What surprises might come our way if we only stop, ask, and listen?

And what gifts might we also have to share that we may not realize the preciousness of? What things might we discount about ourselves and our own life experiences that others might want to hear and cherish?

John volunteers at the zoo 6 days a week. He talks about not wanting to stay home and do nothing, when he could be at the zoo, sharing knowledge and community. He has a purpose. He is needed, and feels significant. He is seen and heard. And enjoyed. And he is even still able to drive himself there. 

I will always hear his song in my heart. And I will forever be inspired by him as I continue my own path of aging. 

I turned 70 this year, and that has felt significant to me. And here is this lovely man who is 22 years ahead of me on the path. The years that I am now aware of will go by in the blink of an eye. Time seems to pass so much more quickly these days. 

Let’s take time to listen to each other along the way. There is, amid all the pain and suffering in our world, much beauty still to enjoy and appreciate and stand in awe of. Including in each other. Let’s hear each other’s stories and enjoy each other’s heart-songs. 

What a wonderful world….. oh, yeah.