The official reason behind my brief excursion today to the ferry terminal in Woodside, Nova Scotia was to get a good cover photo for my website and social media. In all honesty, though, I've been wanting to come back out here for a while, to revisit one of my most precious memories.
The last time I visited Woodside, and tinkered around on this piano, was in January 2017, during my very first week spent together with my (now ex) girlfriend. Traveling to new places often gives me new musical ideas, and the inspiration that struck me at this ferry terminal would be the end of a long dry spell for me, becoming the main theme of my first classical composition in over a year. I called it Woodside Whimsy, and dedicated it to my girlfriend, celebrating what was the happiest week of my life, and what would be the beginning of many more wonderful adventures together.
Revisiting this same piano a year and a half later, by myself, and performing the finished version of Woodside Whimsy, provided me with some much-needed closure. Finally, a suitable ending to one of the many unfinished chapters of our relationship. Looking back on our time together has always been painful for me, and I was prepared to confront that painful nostalgia again today, but when the moment came - there was none of that. Instead, I was hit with a sudden, powerful wave of elation.
Maybe I realized for the first time that our relationship wasn't ultimately pointless. I mean yeah, it provided me with life experience and emotional growth and all that stuff, but also - Kim was my muse, and the music that came out of our relationship is no worse for having outlasted it.