Be Prepared

In my life I’ve always been told to be prepared. I’m thinking about this now especially with wildfires in our area. I don’t remember if my folks instilled this in me, but I definitely got it from being in the Boy Scouts with their motto of “Be Prepared”.  As a result I’ve often taken this to heart in an obsessive manner. This isn’t all bad in that it’s allowed me get out of trouble and to help others when they’ve needed assistance. I know that obsession can be taken too far, but a little of that along with compartmentalization can also be a good way to cope when you get overwhelmed. At the best it becomes a way to avoid worrying because you’ve already planned ahead and have contingencies for different scenarios. I tend to live my life this way. I really like to be carefree, and thinking ahead and having a few tools at hand makes this easier. Many times my preparedness has been in reaction to a fix I’ve put myself in or have read about. When I read about a family who got in trouble in the mountains of California in the winter several years ago it made me create emergency bags for our vehicles. When I’ve realized I didn’t have a spare cord handy when one failed on me at a gig I made a bag with spare gear. When I realized I was often forgetting things I needed on a trip or on the go I created lists for different occasions that I could keep handy and modify as needed. I even have bags with what I need for different situations ready to go for many. All these things were on that fine line between obsession and normalcy. I must admit I also have kind of a gear fetish where I appreciate things that are useful and well-designed for their purpose. There is also that fidget factor that’s fun in some items. But back to the main topic, being prepared is usually a good thing. Would I love to be in a life where I never had to be prepared? You bet I would! But I’ve learned to have a peaceful life by being prepped as much as I can, and I like that too!

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What have I been up to?

I had 14 senior facilities last week, and the one that had been isolating their residents with a respiratory breakout was able to have activities again. I mostly played Irish songs with St. Patrick’s Day and beyond. It was a fine week of tunes with a lot of joy and participation.

My Wednesday online show was doing spring songs, and it was a wonderful night celebrating the change of seasons with lots of good folks tuning in. I love playing these online shows.

My Sunday online show was playing favorites and requests, and there were some really good ones. It’s always a mix of old and new, and everyone seemed to have a fine time.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 10 senior facilities this week, and I’ll be mostly playing spring songs to put everyone in the wonder of this season as everything greens up again and the cycle starts once again. It’s an uplifting time of year.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be playing songs from CCR - Creedence Clearwater Revival. I am surprised I haven’t done a night of their songs before. John Fogerty has been touring with his sons in his band lately playing many CCR songs on the road, and he has also recently recorded his own versions of some of these classics. It’s inspiring to see him still playing almost 60 years later, and he sounds great! Come on out and celebrate him and CCR.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as usual, and these show are always exciting with great folks and great tunes. Please tune in if you can.

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That’s it for this week. I’m always left a little at sea after concluding a season of high-energy songs like St. Patrick’s Day brings with so many great Irish tunes. But spring is so invigorating, so I’ll bounce right back with the same enthusiasm. I hope you are healthy and happy.

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of CCR songs

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Wednesday, March 25, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of favorites and requests

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Sunday, March 29, 7-8:45 pm mountain time