I find myself asking the question to this title sometimes, or at least I have for awhile? Sometimes of late, I actually feel like I’m getting closer to where I need to be. They say a sense of calm comes on you as you’re older. You put things in perspective, you have some thoughts, you make some choices, you take some chances, and you let it all play out. The funny thing about life is that it doesn’t always go exactly how you think it will. Day to day life actually has a tendency to be very depressing or mundane if you let it. The question I always ask myself is are you going to let it? I appreciate the simple things so much more now. I used to just let them pass me by. I listen attentively to people’s stories, I enjoy moments with friends, I value every phone conversation I have with my mom, there’s nothing quite like my little niece’s smile, the girl’s at the bank make me laugh, smile, and educate me in ways that I never thought possible. I’ve learned more than I probably ever should want to know about divorce, c-sections, make-up, marriage, what men do to make women mad, etc…! Actually I appreciate it. I can’t always think that my point of view is right, and I also can’t think I know everything, because the truth is the more I know the less I understand, and all the things I thought I’d figured out I have to learn again to quote the great Don Henley. Life progresses every day whether you want it to or not. You can sit and dwell on anything that you want, you can wish that something might have been different, you can think about what you might have done different, or you can embrace today. What I’ve learned over the years in my journey to make it home to that guy that I remember at 16 years old in Princeton, Indiana who I thought was so ahead of his time, is that you can take several years away from your “roots”, but the reality is that you often come back to them. I love the innocence of being a teenager, and speaking of teenagers I just Dj’ed a 13 year old birthday party last night in a small town, that was very reminiscent of a middle school dance that I recall at the PCMS gym. What do you know at 13, what’s different today? All kids have cell phones, boys are often still scared of girls, and first and foremost kids just want to have fun. Kids still love Top 40 music, but they also have a little culture thanks to Guitar Hero, Glee, Rock Band, and other games that leave older music in front of the new generation. These kids last night jammed to Don’t Stop Believin, Eye Of The Tiger, We Will Rock You, and a little Green Day. Not bad if you ask me for 13? Yes they like Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Usher, but they also have a little more depth than you might think they do. I love partying with kids, and I have one of the only jobs as a DJ, where it’s probably cool to do so. Lots of people tell me that they think I’d be a great dad or stepdad, and maybe some of these adventures have prepared me for that. I know that 13 year old girls have so much energy that it’s crazy, and if they can’t keep you young, or at least force you to keep up, then the train really is passing you by. I enjoy my times that my niece is closing in on 2. There’s something innocent about her crawling around and just having fun. I think it’s something we all need to remember in all of our journey’s home. Fun can be a lot of things to a lot of people. You don’t have to be out every night tearing up the town, fun can be hanging out with kids, reading a book, watching a funny movie, writing a blog, and fun sometimes can be just thinking. I had a lot of “fun” last night, and I realize how blessed I am to play music for people for the past 20 years. I recently decided to continue to play music on the radio for year 16. I see the light at the end of the tunnel in the mirror. I’ve promised myself I would let it go when it’s time, but I thought after all that time, that it deserved it’s ending. It’s a big part of what people want me to be, but the truth of the matter is, that isn’t necessarily me at all, ok, well maybe some of it is. The essence of real music is a part of me, and as refreshing of a conversation that I could ever have about music last night about if I could have my own radio station of what I would play is even moreso. Radio has changed a lot, there’s something called the PPM now, there’s more emphasis on sponsors, commercials, promotions, social media cross-promoting, you-tube, mobile apps, and everything else but the music. The truth of the matter about radio for me is that it always has been about the music. How do you present it to people, where they can enjoy the ride with you? I think about that often in year 16. I think a lot about music in years 16 and 20 respectively. I think of how it’s evolved, and how I can still stay relevant in it. The answer of relevancy always lies in passion. As long as I am passionate about it, it can continue to be a part of my life for a long time. A funny thing has happened though in my journey to make it home, I realized that I’m passionate about a lot of other things. I’ve been enjoying those things, and experiencing new things. A lot of people tell me that there will come a point where the things that once deemed important may not be so anymore. I already see some of that writing on the wall. Today I think about a quote from the box office dud “Win A Date With Tad Hamilton.” Even this atrocious movie had one line worth holding onto. Kate Bosworth being the little hottie that she is, threw out this line,” I know all of your 5 smiles!” When all hope seemed lost, you go to your bag of tricks, and that’s what she comes up with. It doesn’t seem like much, but if you think about knowing someone’s 5 smiles, that means that you really know them well. That means they have more value to you than something that is passing, an expiring auction on e-bay, or not going to be around tommorrow. When you think about your life, and the people you come across, how well do you really know them? How well do you want to? If your answer is, “Yes I want to know all of their 5 smiles!” Then and only then have you found the person that you want to make it home with you.
Will I Ever Make It Home?
Advertisement
