I'm not sure what the picture of the Redwood tree has to do with this post except that I like it and it reminds me of the wonderful trip Abby and I had to San Francisco last week.
Recently I've been doing a lot of reflecting on my life. It all started with the Pete Seeger birthday concert televised on MPT a few weeks ago. (Well, MOSTLY televised because a big chunk of it was cut out for the perpetual pledge drive.) The concert made me think about the years I spent writing and performing in the folk community with my singing partner, Molly, in Tucson. And then of the short time I spent doing it on my own after I moved to Maryland. Folkies are an interesting breed. It was something I did well and I was very committed to it.
And then my shoulder gave out and I had to have surgery on it. I could hardly hold a guitar for nearly a year. During that time, I found other things to fill up the time and my interests shifted. The next day after watching that Seeger tribute concert, I picked up my guitar and found that, although it felt good to play, it didn't feel like it was a part of me anymore. I had trouble remembering music I thought I'd know for the rest of my life. It was very strange.
But that's the way life is, sometimes. Life changes. People acquire new interests and leave old ones behind. There is no longer room in my life for the hours I used to dedicate to my music. I feel some sadness over that, but not as much as I would have expected. The music is a part of my life that shaped me. It took me to places I would not have otherwise gone. I met a lot of amazing people through it. But now my life is filled with library work and my life with Abby and our two cats and MBA classes that will lead me in who knows where.
I guess the Redwoods are kind of a symbol for me to keep on keepin' on. That the important thing is just to keep growing and reaching for the sky. Hmm.... there's a song in that somewhere. Someone else will have to write it.
