(Sitting
in a less-than-crowded airport at BNA)
It’s
been a while since I’ve posted anything here. And, there’s a good
reason for that. This summer, I have been about as busy as I can ever
remember being in my life and career. This season always used to seem
to be the slowest to pass by, but this year has turned out to be
different. June, July, and August are rushing by at the speed of
light. When I take off for Detroit in a few minutes, it will be the
fourth out-of-state trip that I will have taken this summer. Between
that, doing a radio show, working on my usual articles and such, I
have been blessed tremendously – all my life, actually, but it
seems that things have really kicked into a higher gear this year.
And,
for that I am grateful.
This
summer has been one of healing, discovery, and a little bit of
acceptance – a little bit. I won’t go into the details on the
first, other than to say that one of the trips I have taken this
summer had nothing to do with career. But, as it surrounds someone
else I love – who doesn’t post their lives as freely as I do, I
will digress. But, let me say that even as a Cowboys fan, I only
think warm thoughts about the state of Pennsylvania – fifty weeks
of the year! It was a trip that I needed to take, and I’m glad I
did.
Whether
it be flying to Myrtle Beach to cover a festival, going to Bristol
for an event at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, or going to
cover one of the top artists in the format this weekend in the Motor
City, I am getting to spend a lot of time on the road this year. I
hope it continues, although I have to admit that I am going to have
to be a little smarter about planning those runs. I stay about one
inch from the poor house at all times anyway, but I can usually place
the blame on the sometimes-erratic world of freelance payments. You
might get three in one week, or go a month without any. That being
said, I realize that I have been burning through my travel like
Sherman through Atlanta. At the very least on these trips, there is
car rental, food, etc….and when you do as many as I have done
lately, you look at your bank account and think ‘Why?’ But, as it
is this time, I only have myself to blame. I’ve never traveled this
much in a short amount of time before. However, I am grateful for
those – editors, publicists, record companies, that have given me
that chance. So, there are no regrets.
I
have prayed to be taken seriously in this business for many years
now. I am beginning to think that maybe I am getting there. One of my
good friends in the industry told me one day recently that he
wondered why I have this feeling of inadequacy about my work. I joke
with people that I feel that I just kind of snuck into the back door,
and as long as the “real journalists” don’t realize I’m in
the room, I may be able to stay a while. To answer his question, it’s
partly because I was never trained to do what I do. When it comes to
radio, I pretty much learned it on the fly, and the same with
writing. I do what I do not because I can sing music, or I am the
best at putting words on paper – or a screen, but because I always
have had a passion for music – and telling the world at large about
it. It can be about Don Rich, The Blind Boys of Alabama, or Brantley
Gilbert, and I’m passionate about all three. You have to be a
self-starter to stay in this business, and it took me a while to
realize that. While I have nothing but fond memories and love for
people I have worked with in radio, there wasn’t a lot of positive
re-inforcment about my abilities doing it – until I started working
for Steve Turner at Kix 96 in 2009. I won’t say it was negative,
but I never really felt supported. One owner – whom I never worked
for – told me that I needed to work on my interview skills –
after I had done well over 300 interviews eight years ago. It’s
easy to take that stuff to heart, and I wear mine directly on my
sleeve.
But,
this summer, there has started to be a shift in my attitude about my
place in life. There are writers that I still feel a little less than
when I am in a room – but that’s getting better. I guess that
after fifteen years of writing – and close to 1500 pieces for
Billboard, I’m still in the game because…...I am actually kind of
good at it.
Damn,
that was hard. Not as hard as asking a woman out, mind you, but still
difficult. Please don’t take that for overconfidence or cockiness.
Heck, I am about as insecure about my talent as it gets from time to
time. When I see another writer with a story that I’m not doing, my
first thought is too often (sadly) why isn’t that me? But, to quote
the sweetest soul in Nashville, Deborah Evans Price, “There’s
enough for everybody.” I guess that includes me. This summer,
between trips, special features, and my usual profiles, I have gotten
more opportunity to prove myself. I think I’ve done ok with it.
Enough that the chances keep a’coming! And, between all of those,
Kix 96, the Dickson Herald, and football season beginning next week,
it looks like it’s going to be more of the same for this fall. At
least I hope so!
So,
I’m about to grab my kindle, and unwind as the plane taxis out.
It's been a crazy week, with work, and caring for a sick cat.....but she is doing better - enough to fight with her brother over catnip and claw the heck of me when I gave her liquid vitamins! Life is in a pretty good spot right now, and if I can just keep it
up, I think I will be in a good place!
