Why does it always happen at Starbucks? Well, that's exaggerating a bit but it's funny how it so often does. I've been reading lately how when we get *out*, we get into inspiring situations… I'm a person that can have a tendency to *cave*, as the guys in the band call it. Stay *in*. I like that… I like quiet. There's nothing like the still of the moment. I've always liked that. Maybe it's because I play music and sometimes it's aggressive, loud, in your face… but there's something about those little pockets of quiet I love.
I'm starting to see what that is now… it's called *reflecting*. Taking a moment to take it in. Not just being on full tilt all the time.
So anyway, I'm out in Starbucks this morning kickstarting myself for the journey to the Philly airport having wrapped up a very fun leg of the tour. I have to say, I felt like we took it up a few notches this tour. Getting warmed up for Europe… co-headlining with Foreigner. I've never been one to get too caught up in the competitive nature of the co-headlining but I will say, and most of them we've packaged with acknowledge the same feeling, there is a great, friendly competition that happens when you're packaged with great bands like this. Maybe not a competition in the sense that you're battling it out to be better than the other group but more of “I've gotta bring my A game since I'm walking out after (enter any world class singer here… Daryl Hall, Philip Bailey, Tom Johnston, etc.), has just sung his pants off!”
Not that I don't, and we don't bring our A game anyway, any night… that's one thing I've always been very proud of with this band… nobody is phoning it in. The original members have been together for what, 44 years now? I've been with them for, coming up on, 26 years? Nobody is phoning it in. We all go up every night trying as hard as we can. We still care. We still get angry when it's not right. That's because we care. I'm proud of that. It's the ultimate example of not letting the things that don't matter take precedence. I/we all want to be great and strive for it. Do I make the mark always, nope… but I'm grateful it still bothers me when it's not right.
So getting back to Starbucks… I'm sitting there waking up with my first cup, which turned into my 2nd cup, and I hear a familiar voice. I hear Roy Orbison… and remember seeing his c.d. in a Starbucks a few cities ago. I glanced at it and thought, “Nice… one of the greats… here's a greatest hits from one of the greats…” and I kept walking.
But then this morning I hear his voice and there is an extra element of familiarity… a little more magic to the sound, the song, and then it hits me! I'M ON THIS TRACK! This is the one that I sang on that my Dad played on!
I RACED up to the speakers pressing my ear next to it and got this incredible rush… Here was one of those amazing moments in life… this is your life, right? haaaaa In a Starbucks, letting my hair down after a nice tour and getting a little icing on the cake. A little reminder of the club I got asked to join.
And now as I type this see that the club is big… whoever wants to come around… whoever wants to read. Whoever wants to contribute. I love this stuff… everybody's invited! Pick your poison… music? health and fitness? family? Whatever… it's on…
I went up to the counter to see if they had the c.d. I'd buy it in a minute… part of me was thinking, “I wonder if my name is in the credits?” haaaaaaa ahhh, the old ego… what difference would that make anyway? For ME to see it? I know, I was there… and there was actually a little question on whether I made it onto the final mix of the record anyway.
Steven Soles, who produced the song, I spoke with a while after it was done and I told him I'd heard it and didn't think I made the final cut and he said, “Yeah you are… you're on there.” so I took his word. It was a bit hollow of a feeling, because I couldn't hear it. I just chalked up the experience as one where I was in the studio listening to this amazing track my dad played on, Roy Orbison is singing, a PHENOMENAL song Elvis Costello wrote that Roy cut, and hearing the playback in the studio… hearing my voice next to Roy's.
But in my packing of my things when I moved last time, I found the record, put it on, with headphones, listened very closely, and heard it! It doesn't come in until the last chorus, and it's buried in a lot of reverb, which makes it even a bit more eery and old school, but I'm there, just as Steven said.
Today? When I went up to the speakers in a Starbucks listening to the song… could I hear myself? Nope, but I knew I was there! And the experience is the most important thing. As what I just described… it was one of those moments where your life is revealed, and you're reminded, and you're proud, and you want to tell somebody, and that's what I'm doing.
One thing I'm really starting to get comfortable with is sharing this stuff. I've always been self conscious about not going on and on about accomplishments I've made. Always thought it was sounding like bragging but I know what my truth is… I'm sharing because I want to remember. I want to share the joy of these experiences… I'm getting too old to puff my chest up and talk about my trophies… but I also see where the generations after me might need a little hope and encouragement, so that's why I share. It can happen to you… it happened to me.
Follow that dream. In my last year of personal development I've been reading a lot on the laws of attraction. At first this stuff sounds a bit hocus pocus but then you think of how it's been working in our lives, for our entire lives. You want a new car? What kind? Amazing once we're in the market we see TONS of them on the street, right? What is that? It's called planting a seed. A seed of desire. So we start *seeing* this stuff. It MANIFESTS itself.
Same thing with attitude. So simple… I want good, I want to be better, I want improvement, so I look for it… and it comes. The opposite is true as well… I look at nothing but the negative, there it is, in living color!
This stuff is too easy… where it gets hard for us is when we try it for a day, and our lives didn't change overnight. How about trying it for *2* days. THEN, we're *building* on something. And then let's go to a 3rd day.
I'm also reading a lot lately on how the art of mastering anything has gone out the window. Our society wants to be good and successful at things overnight… sorry, doesn't work that way. And you may be able to fool people for a minute but those who put the time in, work at something, that's who prevails… and what I'm finding is for me, personally, what is it that I'm prevailing over? It's changed to not be anything exterior anymore… It's not about competing against Foreigner this summer… it's competing against ME. I am going to be the best. I AM the best. The best ME possible right now, but it's not good enough… and that's not self deprecating… that's just knowing there's room to improve, plus, I LIKE the journey of improving.
It's not about not being content where I am. I actually am right now, and that's because the expectations have become reasonable. I'm just doing my best, I really am. I fall short, but luckily, I have a team of people so I'm accountable and can course correct. You see, that's where I get into trouble and I see a lot of people getting into trouble. No support system. Then suddenly, the tiniest misstep and it's down the drain… all the old tapes of how, “I'm worthless… I'm a fraud, they're going to FIND OUT about me!” haaaaaaa
Maybe it's getting older but it all becomes so silly… and I guess that's one of the message I'd like to send to the younger generation… tough it out… stick it out… believe me, it all passes. All the stuff we think it SO important, later on, when we realize how much time we wasted worrying over things that don't matter… other people's opinions of us, especially the people we don't even like of respect! How stupid is that? haaaaa but it's human nature.
Nahhhh, I'll just take my little spot in this world, do my best, love my family and friends, not pay attention to things that don't have anything to do with me, forge on and feel lucky to walk into Starbucks and hear I remember being in the studio recording, for an icon, Roy Orbison.
The longer I live I see one very profound thing… If I could change ANYTHING in my past, one little thing… if I could change anything, EVERYTHING changes. Let me think about it for a second…….. not thanks… I'll take it. I'll take this… this is incredible. Signing off from Atlantic City… Jason
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