On The Road Of Life, Stop And Eat The Birthday Cake
Today, November 15th, 2020, is my 46th birthday, and like every other day, it is an opportune time to take a moment, look around, and smile in appreciation – yes, even in 2020.
Fortunately, I was still a young man when I learned one of the secrets of happiness – that I was ultimately in control of whether I was happy or not. As Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Life is a journey, not a destination.”, and I truly did learn to enjoy that journey. I learned to not keep yearning for that day in the future when I “got there”, or “did that”, or “became this”, but rather, to just be happy that today I was taking a step in that direction. But mostly, I’ve learned to enjoy the people around me – the people with whom I am taking that journey.
And so, what I want for my birthday, is to let you know how much I appreciate every interaction that we have. From the biggest physical hug to the smallest little “like” on social media. I enjoy just getting to rub shoulders with all the wonderful musicians and artists that I am surrounded by. I enjoy playing music for familiar faces and new faces alike. I enjoy the conversation with my students taking music lessons.
2020 has been a trying year for all of us, and obviously there are those among us that have lost the closest people in their lives. It is normal to “not be happy”, in fact to be absolutely devastated for a period of time during such a time. But there are great books out there to help you understand how even the events that we may perceive to be the worst thing ever, such as the death of a loved one, can eventually be the seeds for very meaningful, wonderful things down the road. For me personally, I am grateful that technology was at such a place in 2020 that my work as a music instructor was able to go online instead of disappear altogether. I am thankful that the same technology allowed my old rock band, Nostalgic Distortion, to do our annual reunion benefit show online this year instead of having to cancel altogether. In the process, we were able to perform for old friends and fans spread out around the country that would have never been able to make the physical trip to the usual in-person event.
Now I would like to bring things a little closer to home. My wife, in-laws, parents, brother and sisters, nephews and nieces, and all extended family. I want you to truly know how deeply I love and appreciate every one of you. My family are the people that get “the rest of me”. The me that’s all used up after shows, after teaching, and after working on my countless websites and other little business projects that take up so much of my time. Thank you for still loving me, even with all of my self-absorbed interests.
In closing, I want to say to all of you – thank you for being part of my journey, may our paths cross again soon. And remember, on the road of life, stop and eat the birthday cake.