Carnegie Hall (Almost)

The one that got away

I was recently asked to sing at New York’s Carnegie Hall but had to say no because I was already booked for a cruise ship. Ouch. It’s one of the few places I would really like to work.I could have begged the cruise line to let me off, but over the years I’ve learned the importance of honouring commitments and not letting people down.The same thing happened when I was invited to a reception at Downing Street and again when the BBC asked me to be a part of a big concert at the Royal Festival Hall. Sometimes you just have say no and not think too much about it.My dad once shared a great bit of life advice: "You can have everything you want," he said, "but not necessarily at the same time." When I was young, I was hungry for everything and I wanted (actually, needed) it all right away. I was driven by a great sense of urgency. I’ve no idea why. These days, thank goodness, I’m a bit more thoughtful, more circumspect. I suppose that’s normal as we get older.I didn’t loose any sleep after turning down Carnegie Hall. It’ll probably come along again another time and if not, at least I’ve got another story to bore people with in my dotage.