May Days
Camped at the Walmart Resort: Walterboro, South Carolina - 5/31/17
I almost let May get away without a blog. And I really should be trying to do a number of blogs each month; short ones. Not just one really long blah-de-blog. So, that's going to be my aim for spring and summer tour, starting now.
It was a fabulous month of music and memories. My final shows at Homosassa Riverside Resort until the fall, a sweet house concert at The Habitat, a quick trip up to Wiggins, Mississippi for Dulcimer Day Fest, prep for tour, lots of "Dulcimerica" production, some dates with my honey leading up to our anniversary celebration on the 30th (spent them both at Disney, natch) and that weird whirlwind feeling that there's something you're missing and hope to God you find out what that is before you leave town. Oh, I remember. VIDEO CAMERAS. They're being shipped to Wisconsin. I'm such a dork sometimes.
Last month, April 4th was my mother's birthday. Today, the 31st of May, it's my dad's. They both passed quickly and very close to each other in 1991 and 1993, leaving me to figure out this crazy world on my own. They've been gone so long that I feel a little bit like an orphan, and I miss them both so much. I wish they could've seen where I was heading. Maybe they did. Yes, I'd like to think they did.
Jae and I've been married for 13 years and it's been the defining relationship of my existence. It says a lot about us that every year since 2012, we've celebrated our marriage and then I've hit the road for several weeks. We can exist together as well as we can exist apart. It's not easy to be apart, but there is purpose in the separation. Instead of being the tech guy who has to travel to Tokyo for a few months while working on some IT installation, I travel the country making and teaching music. A little closer to home than Tokyo and a bit more suited to my peculiar talents than working with computers in service of some company somewhere. To have that kind of support from your partner is astounding and it's the only way that I could ever possibly go as long as I do. I'm blessed to have the career that I do which creates the bookings that I get, and that takes me all over the country and, soon, will take me overseas. I used to dream of this kind of life, which is just proof positive that dreams do come true. If that ain't spoken like a true Disney fan, then what exactly is it?
So, I'm in Walterboro, South Carolina, not far from Pedro and his South of the Border tourist trap, heading for Janesville, Wisconsin and charting a course through 12 weeks of here and there, willy and nilly. Though I'm not touring the west coast this time around, this year is shaping up to be the most successful that I've planned since going full-time with the music. There's a lot of new tunes about to be released, some new breakthroughs that I'll be passing along to students, and new operational clauses that I've initiated in order to save money and pay down my credit card debt. Imua is running fabulously, so I'm thinking there won't be a repeat of last year's spend-a-thon on mechanical issues. I'm eating differently, exercising differently and using my spare time (what little there is) to continue bolstering the influences that inspire me so. My life is probably more than halfway over at 50; time is flowing, clock is ticking!
Watch for more blogs of lesser volume next month. Bite-sized pieces are bite-sized for a reason. It's easier to enjoy your favorite whatever when you're not gagging on it. For someone who totally digs food, this is a comparison that makes an awful lot of sense. Hopefully, you feel me on that.
I have no idea where I'm sleeping tomorrow. It'll be at the end of at least 8 hours of driving in the silence, watching the country slip by the window and seeing inspiration drift inwards to plant the seeds of next week's revelations. I miss being at home with Jae, but, man, do I love being on the road.
You may notice that I don't dish on current events in this space a whole lot and that's because, due to the ubiquitous nature of the internet and social media, you've had it dished out to you through increasingly heaping doses already. I think we all need a little beach-time. A little tiki-bar time. A little get-away. Come away with me in June. Hopefully, I'll see you in person somewhere super-fun and if not, then let me take you there through music, words and images. Thanks for coming back by to take the ride and be sure to buckle up. This will get fast!