Girl About O-Town

Earlier this week, my very best man friend and I stopped into Cafe Paradiso for a quick bite to eat before heading over to see a heart-warming, provocative show at the Ottawa Fringe Festival.

If you’ve ever been to Cafe Paradiso, you’ll know that it offers a friendly atmosphere, hip ‘retro’ influenced decor and great live jazz.  What you might not know however, is that they make a killer mojito.  I still don’t know what possessed me to order one up, but it was an inspired choice.  

Originating from the legendary La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba, the mojito is reputed to have been the favoured drink of bar regular Ernest Hemingway.  A delectable combination of white rum, sugar, mint and lime…this celebrated cocktail can cool, quench and satisfy in one slow sip through a straw.  On a hot night, so close to the summer solstice, what could be better than that? 

Just as the jazz was getting started we had to dash out to make it in time for an early performance at the Fringe.  We were lucky we did, as we were to be treated to some genuine music appreciation when we arrived. 

Singing at the Edge of the World, is an autobiographical solo performance by San Francisco based Randy Rutherford. There are still a few of his shows to go, and this is definitely worth seeing if you like to leave the theatre feeling good but with a little something to think about for the road. 

Randy, a singer-songwriter in 1970’s Alaska, tells the story of his premature progressive hearing loss.  Still accompanied by his guitar, he vividly describes the onset of hearing loss, chronicles its impact on his personal relationships, and reflects on the shift it imposed on his life’s work.  With quiet humour, Randy reveals his determination and slow acceptance, testifying that “good things do happen after bad”.   His most poignant and powerful insights are shared with his audience like lyrics in a folk song, including the observation that blindness for some might mean a loss of connection to things, but for him, hearing impairment has represented a loss of connection to people.

Taking the advice of his then girlfriend Molly, it is clear that Randy Rutherford has not given up anything he didn’t have to.  He made a strong connection with me.