A Post From Willie, 'Something Donna'

A few weeks before the last Christmas of the twentieth century, my brother Mike and I stepped out into a cold and gray winter day for holiday shopping in Chicago.

Mike informed me at the out-set that he was on a “mission” to find a Christmas something for Donna.    “Something really unique,” he said in calm, almost reverent voice.  “Something Donna!”

For the entire day we visited several used vinyl record and CD establishments, Mike, as always meticulously combing through tightly packed bins throughout the cramped stores.  What was extremely notable and different this day was observing Mike veer from rock n’ roll LP’S to check out the classical music inventory.  At a few used music stores, he would ask my thoughts on classical CD’s he found, most piano, violin or quartet.   Thereafter, he would seek information on his selected CD’s from store employees and listen intently to a selection or two on each.  I do not think Mike cared much about who the composer was, rather the possible strong connection the music would have with Donna)

It truly was later in the day, at one of the last used music stores Mike found his treasured CD for Donna.  It has been 20 years and I can’t recall exactly the composer nor whether the music was piano or violin but do remember it was a box set that truly pleased Mike.  The store owner did share with Mike that was a “hard to come by” collection he had just acquired a couple days before.
 
On the way home Mike shared that he felt it “a good day”, lucky to have found the special music of this classical collection for Donna.  

Willie