Taking Stock and Looking Ahead

I always get a little reflective this time of year - even more than usual for me. The Christmas spirit faded in me almost like flipping a switch this year.  I got flu symptoms early in the morning Christmas Eve day (Tuesday morning), and I was mostly resting with the flu through Friday.  Sometime on Christmas day I felt a definite change in my mood that indicated that the Christmas spirit had just changed back to my normal outlook.  That was disappointing since I love the Christmas spirit and usually bask in it at least until the 27th or later.  The mood soon changed to thoughts of what had happened in the year and where I am headed in the next season and year.  One of the methodologies I’ve tried to practice in the past few years is that of David Allen’s “Getting things Done” or “GTD”.  That method encourages one to take stock on a regular basis and look ahead at least for the next two weeks.  I don’t practice this method as rigorously as I have in the past, but the end of the year definitely is a time when I come back to it.  So looking bad I had a pretty good year.  I had some fairly high-profile gigs that were a blast to be involved with.  Hy health was good for the most part with the exception of several months of troubles with veins on one leg that have been fixed now.  Jen and I had some fun and meaningful trips that brought us closer together.  There were several other high and low points like every year, but at 53 life is pretty good.  Looking ahead this year is a little up in the air.  Several of the places I have played over the past years may not be open to me this year, but several new places have appeared to take their place.  I'm feeling the creative spirit in a good way and am headed for an instrumental album that will open me up to melody and composition in new ways that are exciting.  I am always excited about the future because I see the magical possibilities that are always there - both seen and unseen.  I hope you do too.  The world is a wonderful place to spend this life!

What’s up this week?

Well, not much, and that’s okay.  Firstly I get New Year’s Eve off.  I know you may think that musicians would always want to be working on New Year’s Eve, but that’s not necessarily true.  It’s nice to not be out and about and be able to enjoy a holiday evening at home.  Then I would normally be at Magpies this Friday with it being the first Friday of the month, but Magpies won’t be open this Friday evening, so we’ll just do the third Friday of the month for January.  That’s the 16th.  Please plan on it if you can!

So that’s it for this week.  Please have a very Happy and safe New Year, and keep on keeping’ on!

Best always,

Tom