Meeting Thomas Olson

When we travel my wife and I stay at a bed and breakfast.  We have been staying at the Crystal River Inn near Waupaca, WI for over six years and have become friends with owners Robert and Deb Benada.  This past weekend we stayed at the Inn hoping to cross country ski at Hartman Creek State Park.  Saturday morning the ranger explained they had rain earlier in the week and the trails were covered in ice, we could hike but not ski.  We changed to snow boots and took a hike.  The rest of the weekend we spent reading and being disconnected from my laptop and all forms of social media.

Robert and Deb had gracioiusly agreed to sell a few of my books to guests that may be looking for something to read.  They set up a nice display at the entrance to the B & B.  Sunday morning we walked to the main house for breakfast and was greeted by an older man making himself a cup of tea.  We exchanged "hellos" and he asked:   "Are you the author?"  I responded, "I am" and introduced myself.  He said his name was Thomas Olson and he writes too, he wrote songs.  In fact, he had written asong already that morning and asked if I wanted to hear it.  Why not?

We sat in opposite chairs and Thomas sang a verse of a song about the sunrise that sounded like a children's song.  When he finished he looked at me with a broad grin and said he wrote mostly children's songs.  He then got up and left the room.  He returned carrying my book.  He handed it to me and asked me to write something in it for him.  He suggested I listen to him play some more songs and then I would know what to write.  He sang a series of traditional Irish songs.

Thomas told me he was visiting a friend at the VA Hospital in King.  Thomas was in the Viet Nam War and suffered a head injury.  He said he spent 10 years in the VA home and the man he was visiting had been his roommate.  I asked Thomas his age and he said 68 although I would have guessed 78.

He handed me his business card and explained he and his wife sang at churches for children. The card said:  "Music that brings joy to your life" with a picture of Thomas and his wife standing in front of the Wasington Monument and their phone number listed at the bottom.

Thomas was a simple man.  He shared his creatvity and joy through music, simple, heartfelt music.  It was important to him that he share his music Sunday morning.  When he finished I told him I knew what to write in his copy of my book:  "To Thomas Olsonb, an Irish bard in spirit."

"What's a bard?" he asked.

"You are Thomas, you are a bard with your music."