The Elevator | Roseau, Dominica

The Elevator by Michael Patrick Vitale

I was on the elevator a few days ago, which just occurred to me, makes this little anecdote of mine even more ironic: a beautiful young lady said to me how big of a shit hole port our previous location was. I audibly gasped.

I have garnered that reaction from people before—not from saying the identical thing as my elevator companion. It was from something else that I shared that was honest. Something I did to someone else, which my historically removed audience felt was socially faux pas. I imagine my audible gasp was coming from that same place.

She was being honest about how she felt. It reminded me of an old Twilight Zone episode I watched as a kid called “Eye of the Beholder” (Season 2 Episode 6).

Perhaps we filter our own outlook of beauty on what we see every day. However, I come from the same place as her and I personally felt it was gorgeous. Or perhaps, what was to be found there in shopping was not to her expectation.

Whatever the case: it was certainly not a financially prosperous locale, but it was rich in so many other ways.

She got off on deck 4 and acknowledged my gasp in a very nonchalant manner as she continued on her journey, after elevating with me on our mechanical contraption, yet, her dour outlook sunk my heart a bit, while we physically moved upwards, hence the irony I was talking about earlier.

So, I kept going up, to Deck 9, as high as I could go, and tried to get back to the frame of mind I was in, before we shared that elevator ride together.

The next morning and day and evening were amazing. We visited Roseau, Dominica. I pushed myself to go for a run, as I have been walking for several years. The run only elevated my mood further, and I appreciated how beautiful of a space I had, to earn my endorphins.

I occasionally stoped and marveled at what these folks get to call home. Me? I’m sort of a tourist. Sort of not. I’m here working. Doing my work. Trying to spread positivity and levity and honesty and stories—even when I don’t outright feel that way.

I want so badly to be an elevator. Sure, in the purely mechanical sense of contraption: it goes both ways. However, I can choose what direction I prefer, and that is to elevate.

WHO IS MIKE VITALE?

I am a storyteller, songwriter, singer, music producer, traveling musician, Jungian dream analyst, all-around curious fellow (Spiritual, Mathematical Historical, Scientific), Taoist, and much much more, based out of Los Angeles, California. I’m constantly releasing new music, in all sorts of different genres. You can listen to me below, on Spotify:

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Dominica and Saint Kitts

There is an island where tour guides named Sugar, tell you about a spot where the Caribbean Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean converge on one another. It’s a beautiful spot (I took photos). However, it’s even more gorgeous when one is not worried about being left behind by the cruise vessel one is working on, because two over stimulated musicians are running late and stayed a bit too long.

My friend Paulie and I took a cab out to a remote beach on the edge of Saint Kitts. It was beautiful. I was full of gin—and bathed like a Sun God, surrounded by scantly clad women throwing tiny pickles at me. All of this is true, aside from the pickles (that’s a line from the movie Real Genius in which Chris Knight is recounting a dream).

The fact of the matter is that in terms of posting photos and recounting traveling stories to anyone who is even remotely interested, I feel a bit behind, just like I did that day, trying not to rush a good time.

We got back to the ship with one of the navigators, wagging their head in deep disappointment and disapproval. She told us she would leave without us it ever happened again—and that we were lucky because one of the passengers had been injured, and they stayed behind to retrieve the injured passenger (not for us).

She looked like she meant it. She probably did. Not planning on testing her resolve.

The passengers have been so lovely to me. You can drop a pin (and hear it) at a lot of these shows I’m playing. What an honor, to be heard—to be given the opportunity to express myself and play my songs and entertain folks and make some new acquaintances that will hopefully develop into friendship.

Celia Cruz’s voice dances around in my head, daily. I stayed in and practiced today, and got to where I can sing the lyrics and play the montuno on “Toro Mata.”

Toro mata y, toro Mata. Toro mata, rumbambero y toro mata, toro, torito…

WHO IS MIKE VITALE?

I am a storyteller, songwriter, singer, music producer, traveling musician, Jungian dream analyst, all-around curious fellow (Spiritual, Mathematical Historical, Scientific), Taoist, and much much more, based out of Los Angeles, California. I’m constantly releasing new music, in all sorts of different genres. You can listen to me below, on Spotify:

SOCIAL MEDIA

UPCOMING TOUR DATES

INSIDE my HEAD RSS