There was really no knowing what to expect for a dedication of a mural by an American artist in the outskirts of Tiraspol. The school director spoke for a while. The representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took a turn, as did the Cultural Affairs Officer from the U.S. Embassy. Most moving of all was when a few of the students spoke. I might not have understood the words, but I could tell they were from the heart.
When I attend a ceremony like this, and maybe for you as well, all of the words tend to blur together. Everything gets repeated several times. But, I have a sneaking suspicion that the students might remember what I had to say for a while to come. Not that I had anything all that amazing to share, but I didn’t say a word. The unexpected moment in this dedication came as I signed everything that I wanted to say. That made an impression. My message was very simple, “Welcome, I’m F I L L I P. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Goodbye.” Like I said, it was nothing spectacular, but it was my first time to string so many signs together. And, my fellow painters really appreciated the unexpected effort.
Then, there were presents to go around. Everyone got a T-shirt that I designed. (So cool!) And, the honored guests present for the dedication, that somehow included me, were invited back to the director’s office for champagne and caviar. Not your every day kind of expected celebration treats.
The representatives from the embassy were so pleased that I added to the mural, “Phillip Martin, the U.S. Embassy and many friends” and the people in Transnistria were probably very pleased that I wrote "and many friends" in Russian.