Jazz & Poetry

Times they are a changing

December 26, 2008 at 4:02 pm 1 comment

I admit, when the “xmas muzak” starts playing I want to run and duck for cover. I was trained from youth that those songs signal when the stress level starts rising. The world becomes a obstacle course of trying to stay pleasant and keep moving while my body wishes to hide under the covers until things get brighter. This year I survived the crash just barely and feel a sense of relief heading into the new year. I believe one key factor was remembering that my time was the most valuable gift I could give to most of the people I know, as long as I kept my own self together.

I also realized that I know more people than I have time to really visit with in one short month of holiday-ness. When it came down to the “big day” I gave myself a good solid 12 hour long winter nap before spending the next ten hours communicating one on one with those who fed me in many ways this year. Oddly, the one person who literally and figuratively fed me the most through the year (including cooking the food I reheated for my dinner) was one I did not exchange any words with yesterday. Perhaps the greatest gift we could give each other was the time to share ourselves with others. I still haven’t talked to everyone I’d like to and hope this blog will suffice for now.

I’m looking forward to a new year filled with many new adventures. As the financial world slides into chaos, I’m still juggling a odd assortment of tasks to keep the roof over my head. The trick is to find those tasks that feed both my spirit and pocketbook and not worrying over the dollar signs. More than anything this year, I discovered that when I keep myself busy putting my talents to good use, the rest seems to balance out and take care of itself.

Ukulele Rockstar Ami Worthen posted a blog about picking a word for the new year. The word that keeps returning to me is “joy.” When I am writing, singing, and playing I open up the gates and let my joy out into the world. I also find that joy floods back to me in ways I could never imagine.

I offer to you joy through this blog today and hope that whatever changes are rocking your world shift you to a place where your joy flows freely. We are all stars and can defy the shadows of our fears when we share our light.

Entry filed under: reflections.