This is a short story about my friend Bill.
I first met Bill about 35 years ago in Manhattan. Like me, he moved to New York City to play music in the 80s, except Bill drove a taxi cab instead of tending bar while pursuing his passion.
After a few years and lots of miles, he segued into fixing horns. I’d often visit Bill in his repair shop in Hell's Kitchen - up two flights of rickety stairs into a room full of saxophones, tools, and widgets. Over the years, I met some of the most interesting and famous people at Bill’s repair shop. He had a flatmate living in his shop who was renting the small room that was the kitchen...another aspiring horn player who was in the process of writing a book that would eventually go on to be on the New York Times bestseller list for over two years and sell more than 1.5 million copies...one of the greatest authors of our generation.
Because Bill was great at what he did, he fixed every elite player’s horn, from Dave Sanborn to Michael Brecker. Watching Bill work felt like being transported to another time and place where craftsmen and artisans were revered by the masses.
COVID 19 forced Bill’s operation out of the city to the suburbs, and he transplanted his shop of wonders to the third-floor attic in his turn of the century house. When you’re the best in class, people will travel to you regardless of the inconvenience.
I spent a few hours in the attic with Bill this week while he tinkered on my alto saxophone. Like most artists, he has an uncanny ability to shut out the noise and focus on the task at hand.
Over the years, Bill has become obsessed with a few passion projects outside of music. He inspired me to start subscribing to Chess.com. During his “keep my car as clean as possible” phase, he motivated me to buy a special cleaning product to keep my car dust free. And now, he has been obsessively focusing on the small patch of grass that is his front lawn.
He has transformed his front lawn from an unremarkable mix of grass, dandelions, and crabgrass to looking like the 12th green at Augusta.
And his neighbors have taken note, and Bill's lawn has gone viral. Every other front lawn pales in comparison, and now every neighbor is getting advice from Bill on how to grow and maintain their own lush green carpet.
This is how contagion begins. It doesn’t take something Herculean...just someone who cares enough to make a small difference, someone who takes pride in their work and is committed to making a difference. And next thing you know, a neighborhood is changed…..
Thanks Bill.
Let's do this!
Shaun