Where have I been?

That is a solid question. A guy writes weekly (sometimes more!) and suddenly just doesn’t write anything, like some pen pal on Unsolved Mysteries¹.

Let me account for my time, then.

I celebrated a birthday in which I turned a rather large number. It didn’t hurt so much. I had been calling myself 50 for months in advance. The literal hard pill to swallow was when I took my daily Centrum 50+ vitamin and finally matched the age.

Holly took me to see songwriter Josh Ritter who, like he does every time I see him play, convinced me that he’s the Great Lyricist of our time. I don’t know how you argue that anyone in 21st century music has told better stories in song than the 1-2-3-4-5² punch of The Temptation of Adam, The Curse, Getting Ready To Get Down, Another New World, and Truth Is A Dimension (Both Invisible and Blinding). To say nothing of his incredibly poetic distillations of modern times in songs like Girl In The War, The Torch Committee, All Some Kind of Dream, and the unreleased Father’s War. And love and lost love songs like Joy To You Baby and Come and Find Me. If we’re friends, you probably already know Josh’s stuff, but if not, GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME with this convenient playlist I made of some Josh Ritter favorites.

Other things I’ve been doing?

I had a child turn 16. That’s big. I can’t speak for whether or not said child took any Centrum 16+.

She is a force of nature. She is weather itself.

I try to keep up.

Sometimes I actually do.

What else?

We did the George Harrison show again, this time adding two songs: Awaiting on You All (sung by Ryan Innes) and End of the Line (sung by Morgan Snow from Triggers & Slips).

Every singer and band member brought fire, but I have to call out Within You Without You (sung by Tiny Desk winner Little Moon) because Little Moon did something with the song that only she could and it was transcendent. And then also Debra Fotheringham’s take on “Something” was a marvel, but…she always is? It’s not fair to saddle someone with that expectation, you might say. But it’s also not fair for Debra to be so unbelievably great at singing all the time.

And then Jenn Blosil brought me to tears on “Isn’t It A Pity.” Small tears, very wipeable. But tears nonetheless.

In a time when the world seems to be falling apart and my nervous system is shot and nothing insane in the news seems capable of shocking me, of penetrating my cynical worn-out shell….it is no small thing to have a piece of music evoke your tears.

I’m grateful for that. I did a lot while I was out.

Beyond all that. I rooted for the Mammoth.

I watched Lebron James defy time.

I spent $15 to dispute the corrupt data center getting built just north of me.

I got into a mild email spat with a condescending school administrator. I lost faith in her, but she shouldn’t sweat it, as my heart keeps losing faith in all kinds of things. It makes keeping faith all the more precious, I suppose.

I got taken to lunch by a friend who told me he loved me in the most off-the-cuff way that I’ve thought about it for days.

I went to dinner with a couple who are navigating grave diagnoses and chemotherapy—and not for the first time—and got to hear them joyfully relate in romantic detail how they fell in love. Faith restored.

I was the busiest this particular job has ever been, was inspired by my coworkers. And exhausted to the point that I dozed off for a millisecond on my commute the other day, which scared me straight/awake.

I brought doughnuts one day. Sweet rolls another.

I ate my feelings, which is to say pints and pints of ice cream. My waistline reflected it. Still does, I must say.

But I won’t go into all that. I think the best use of our time is two quotes from George Harrison.

The first is the last thing he said to his wife Olivia and son Dhani—his final message to this world—before dying, and what I read to our audience at The State Room before Jenn Blosil made me cry:

“Everything else can wait, but the search for God cannot wait, and love one another.”

I have had a Love One Another sticker on my music stand for years, made by a good friend. I’ve wondered if it comes off as preachy or “too religious” to people, but standing there at The State Room, realizing that it’s not (or should not be) unique to any religion. It’s a simple call to love others, with zero asterisks.

Then Jenn sang these words, which apply to that quote and to every day in this mad world:

Isn't it a pity?
Isn't it a shame?
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity?
Some things take so long
How do I explain
When not too many people
Can see we're all the same
And because of all the tears
That eyes can't hope to see
The beauty that surrounds them
Isn't it a pity?

1. Did the tv show Unsolved Mysteries give anyone else an irrational fear of backlit fog? Just me?

2. You realize that most people stop at 1-2 punch, right? WE WENT TO FIVE.