zero360|music

The uproar is deafening… the Gulf disaster, economy, social strife. We yell and blog and tweet and shake fists. Misplace blame and resist and protest. To what end, to what good?

I talked with an acquaintance last night who in the last few months decided to deal with his demons though rehab, a daunting daily battle that will persist his remaining days. How is this different from my own chains? While my dependencies may not be the same, they exist and persist none the less, and need to be dealt with.

Looking to man for justice is like looking to the ocean for air. Why can’t we just all get along? Just my opinion, but our versions of justice, peace and freedom don’t line up, in many cases are agenda driven and certainly don’t always have humanity’s best interest at heart.

The last couple of weekends I participated in raising money for a cause and a friend. I don’t know how much was raised, it doesn’t matter. But the few songs I played and the interactions helped me see outside myself and respond to needs in a real way, not just words or rhetoric. A few short steps toward breaking chains that bind me — link by link.

Where we’re at as a people (very much including self) weighs heavily on me. I wonder what we’d be like if blaming others was not an option and accountability was more than just a catch-phrase? What if energy and time devoted to obsessing over the future got channeled to level setting for today, and to taking back control of that which is rapidly being stolen from under our very noses?

Is knowledge really power, or just a distraction precluding common sense and decency? When did trust and honesty become so complicated?

Last Sunday was Easter, and I committed to let go of some baggage that was weighing me down and holding on more loosely to life. To have less of me rule and embrace more of what I believe as fundamental to my life.

Then came Monday. SOS @ work, and I let it all get to me. I know what I’m walking into each day, a company with over 300K employees is nimble as an aircraft carrier in a river. But the problem isn’t the company, or it’s inordinate focus on making things operate in black & white when we live and die by how well we manage scope creep, the problem is me (moi).

It’s not in my nature to give up, and too often I fight battles that won’t necessarily help win the war. As I cruised the web this morning reading and looking at artwork/photos, I came across this gem, which really spoke to me both in title and image.

Each minute I get older, I’d like to think that acknowledging what an ass I am sometimes makes me wiser. As I said, I don’t see myself curling up like a pill bug waiting for the coast to clear so I can crawl to my next destination. I am who I am, and what I am, but I need to be better at that, too.

So, if I pick battles wisely, I’ll spend more time and energy on what matters, at least to me, which hopefully translates to being a better artist/writer/musician, but most importantly a better soul for the good of all things.

Thanks to Luna Park for use of photo!

Been feeling like I’m caught between the proverbial rock and hard place for a few days now… time for a new perspective!

Charlotte Music Awards – 2010 Singer-Songwriter Showcase winner is – The Cloers

Can’t say how proud I am to know John and Cate, they exemplify what it takes to get it done as an artist. Not only creative and talented, but humble and intuitive. I know some of the other nominees, all winners in their own right, so congrats to each and every one them!

Pretty nice download. If you don’t own MindManager, grab the reader off the Mindjet site and check it out.

What a great song choice and incredible talent! Nuff said.