"Wrote a song about it, wanna hear it? Here it goes."

Waking up from a dream and looking at the clock to see that the late night had turned into early morning happens so many times. Helping hazy thoughts surface. Those that linger between sleep and awareness of being awake. I have effortlessly tossed things around that I know are the things that are always on my mind. Subtle thoughts that sometimes become prayers or something to laugh about. That is the way my mind works.


It's funny that it's always people that have intrigued me and over the years I have met some interesting people. Interesting people that have helped to make me interesting, if in fact I am. I know why that is to. With roots in a small town I have never met a stranger and in many ways I think I was trained to be that way. Later on in a college sociology class I learned that that I was not trained or taught but socialized. Words.

From my roots in Western Kentucky to Austin, Texas and all the places in between. The little pieces of life that I have left out there. All the times well spent, the laughs well laughed, all those people and all the words that I could use to describe them. Who thinks of things like this?

I was talking with someone a few nights ago who said something that really resonated with me. Something to the effect of: "If you don't have good friends what really matters?" And here I am being so damn considerate that I think to myself…"what about family?" But they are already there, from the very beginning and for life. Essentially we become so interconnected that even if we wanted to break ties it would be so difficult that we would probably just give in and stop. But friends on the other hand don't have all these ties going back to our birth. Those distant handshakes and introductions can be forgotten if need be. That particular thought make me even more happy that he said that. It almost validates my thoughts about life and things happening because they are supposed to at certain times and in certain places. And although this may not make a lot of sense…it does to me.

I guess some morning in the haze of another night's sleep I might think of my family and how they socialized me to want to meet people and know people. I mean really know them. People that would later become good friends of mine. Lifelong friends that sort of understand who I am and why I am the way I am. A cycle that we can be describe so simply but is so difficult. Life. Who could do it without friends?

Maybe I should write a song about it.

Happy New Year

From a balcony overlooking Lady Bird Lake, while fireworks boomed, I rang in another New Year among friends. As people cheered and yelled out when the clock struck midnight, I for once was at a loss for words. This year went by so fast and with each day new things, people and ideas came into my life. Joni Mitchell's brilliant song "Both Sides Now," describes it so well. "But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads they say I've changed. But something's lost and something's gained in living every day.

Of course I thought up some usual New Year's resolutions including aspirations to eat healthier, exercise more and save more money. Blah, Blah, Blah. I say that every year. But I go farther than that this time. One of my resolutions or goals this time is simple and should be easy to achieve. I hope that in 2011, more than any other year of my life I allow myself the freedom to experience more of the goodness this world has to offer. I am going to make a huge effort to infuse more of our local music into my schedule. I also hope that I can continue to meet awesome people that fill the homes and streets of this city. And this is just part of that list. However, with these continued additions it should be inevitable that my life improves and that I grow. That’s corny, right?

Yesterday afternoon I spent the day with a couple of friends downtown. The sun was shining and there were many laughs. At one point before the night ended I thought to myself - this is great. Life is suppose to be great , it can't be all of the time. How about most?

I welcome a GREAT 2011!