Uncommon Common Sense

So, I have a cold/flu thing. Not so bad that I'm down and out for the count, but bad enough that I feel lousy, have sinus congestion, that little tickle of a cough, and ache all over. It has seriously been over 2 years since I've been sick with anything like this. You'd think that what with working in a retail store, all those people in and out, plus the dearth of sick co-workers -- somebody was always sick...cold, flu, strep, bronchitis, malaria, bubonic plague...you would have thought I would have caught something there. Nope. I managed to dodge that bullet for over 2 years. But 4 weeks at my new job, in an office setting? Yup, I've caught something. And I most certainly blame my co-workers. But being sick has reminded me to appreciate the times I'm not sick. It has reminded me to be thankful for the good things that happen. Did you ever notice that we only remember the bad stuff and share that with others, rarely the good stuff? Think about it. If somebody men...

First day of Spring! Seriously, yesterday, last day of Winter, the temperature was in the mid-60's. It was a beautiful day. The lilac bushes are starting to shoot new leaves, the grass is getting green, you can see new leaves on the tops of trees, the neighbors have some sort of early spring flower shooting up from the ground...and the darned rabbits are still trying to dig holes in the yard and make places to leave their little offspring. But enough about those wascawwy wabbits. Spring. A time of rebirth, of newness, of fresh air. When the weather turns nice, I like to open the windows, let the fresh air into the house, blow some of the stale, boxed-up winter air out. It's invigorating. In all fairness, I only got the snowblower out once this past winter, but it will feel good to put it away in the shed, and drag the lawn mower out, and get it prepped for the grass-cutting season. Quick aside: is there anybody else out there, like me, who really likes to cut the grass...that ...

Some quick insight into how my mind works. (I know...be afraid...) I'm standing at the kitchen sink, filling the coffee pot with water. Out in the back yard, I see a rabbit, starting to do what rabbits seem prone to do in our back yard. Dig. Specifically, dig a burrow in which to birth baby bunnies. For some reason our back yard is the preferred neighborhood bunny nursery. Makes no sense to me. We have a dog, the neighbors to the west have a dog, the neighbor to the east does not. Why don't the bunnies have their baby burrows in the yard to the east? I don't know. So I'm standing at the sink, thinking, "I should go get Jazz and she can chase that bunny out of the yard." Except Jazz is still upstairs, sleeping on the bed with my wife. Then I got to thinking, "If Jake was still around, HE would be up with me, making coffee. He'd go out there and protect the yard from those evil bunnies." Then it hit me...Jake has been gone for over a year now. My...

I have absolutely no idea what to write about this morning. I mean, there are lots of things I suppose I could delve into. It's not like the world has suddenly either come to a screeching halt, or miraculously come to its collective senses. Maybe it's time for some "musician humor"? You know...jokes that only a musician will get. Like:  "What is the definition of a minor 2nd?" Answer: "Two 6th-grade oboists playing in unison." Follow-up question: "How do you get them to actually play in unison?" Answer: "Take the oboe away from one of them." One of the funniest things I ever saw was at a music contest. Two little beginning oboe players were going to play a duet. Of course, before you start playing, you need to tune your instruments so that you are in tune with each other, and with the piano (if you have accompaniment). Fortunately, there wasn't a piano accompaniment, or we might have been there all day. So these two li...

I started taking Taekwondo classes at the tender age of 23. Actually, it was July 21st, one week before my 24th birthday. There was a little TKD program at the local community center. I had always wanted to study martial arts, never really had the time/money/opportunity to do so as a kid, so I jumped in. I'm standing in the back row (which is where the brand-spankin' new white belts stand), and I distinctly remember watching the students in the front row. They were all green belts. One of them, Mike Reidhammer, had the most awesome side kicks. Clean, precise, powerful, targeted. And I told myself, "I don't care if I ever get a black belt, I want to be just like that green belt in the front row." Mike didn't know me from Adam at the time, but he was leading. He was leading by example. I watched Mike constantly. Probably even more than I watched my instructor. I mean, I had no aspirations at the time to actually be a black belt. I wanted to be like Mike Reidha...

Yesterday, I was writing about being "me". Authenticity. Not putting on a performance unless that's what I was really doing. As I think about that more, it brings me back to a foundational character trait:  Integrity. In Taekwondo, we talk about the 5 Tenets of Taekwondo. At least in our taekwondo family we do. Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control and Indomitable Spirit. Courtesy (or respect) is the first thing we teach the brand new student. The first technique we teach them is how to bow properly. How to demonstrate respect. To themselves, to others, to the flag, to the room they work out in...everything and everybody in every place is worthy of respect. Simple courtesy. The other Tenets are taught along the path of the student in a variety of ways, usually through sweat and working out, in one way or another. Integrity is something that grows on the inside by making a series of choices. I've written before about "doing the next right thing"....

I'm a performer. I'm one of those crazy people that actually likes being on stage. I like performing for a crowd, be it 3 or 300. Seriously? 3?  Of course. Haven't you ever heard, "3's a crowd"? Sorry..couldn't resist. Do I ever get nervous? Yes, sometimes. I get a little nervous if I'm trying out new material, be it new music, or a new topic for a seminar. Or I will definitely be nervous if I don't feel like I'm totally prepared. I also get nervous if I forget why I'm there. For instance, as a musician, I'm there to entertain, to encourage people to come along for the ride, to engage the audience...it actually depends on the venue. If I'm playing in a dance band, the "goal" is for people to dance and participate in that way. If I'm playing with a rock band at a bar or nightclub, the "goal" is to fill the room with people, and for them to buy lots of food/drinks. That's the measure of "success...