excerpt: “History of the Groove.” Russell Buddy Helm ©2014 all rights reserved
2012. Would you marry us? They asked me after experiencing a dolphin full moon drumming cruise on St. Pete Beach in Florida. The Gulf is calm and the dolphins follow us out of the Boca Ciega Bay into the open Gulf waters at sunset. They cruise around the boat, swirling, dancing, clicking and whistling. When the full moon has risen, they sometimes give us a show on the way back to the dock by leaping up into the dark sky between us and the moon. They know that we are entranced by their maneuver so they do it again. Picture perfect; glistening moon drops exploding around them as they go airborn exactly in the middle of the bright lunar pathway on the water leading to our boat. Twice. How do they know? They know what we need. Inspiration. The sweet young couple were very sincere, so I had to get ordained. I did it on line, got it right the second time, and only lost twenty bucks on a shiester look alike page, then got to Universal Life church; a legal organization that has been ordaining people for decades. I know as well as anyone that getting a piece of paper, and a legal status does not make one an authentic anything, but I felt different. I kind of had to take a part of me more seriously than I had in the past. I had to respect that part of my life. So I’ve done quite a few more marriages, met more friends, and it has always been an important event. After the ceremony we cruised out into the mellow gulf waters, the bride still had her white gown on, sitting by the railing listening to the hiss of the water moving by the hull of the vintage fifty two foot Morgan yacht. We all heard the dolphins sing to her. Three dolphins stayed close to her, starboard, aft, to my right, so even I could hear them with my good ear as I gently drummed with her new husband, a big band jazz drummer and one of my more technically and psychicly advanced students. The three dolphins stayed close to the hull, two feet from the bride, and sang in a moving harmony. It was not human harmonies, but it was so very pleasing to feel and hear. It permeated our souls. I had never heard it before. None of us had, even Captain Dan. It was transcendant and we all could do was smile and listen. There was a lot of love on the boat and the dolphins felt it and gifted us with this present. Her husband and I continued to drum looking out at the stars overhead, listening to the breeze carry our tunes with the dolphins out across the glistening gulf waters. It doesn’t really fit into any description using words, but the drum can help create that experience.
excerpt: “History of the Groove.” Russell Buddy Helm ©2014 all rights reserved