As I have posted before, this three weeks of "time off" hasn't felt much like a break or a vacation. For me, "time off" generally means catching up with things that didn't get done while on tour, such a forgotten bills and cleaning house. There's nothing like coming home to a bunch of unopened mail . . . yeah! what fun!In addition to the rountine maintanence of home economics, I have had to balance the work load that comes with buying a home and moving into it. I'm so excited to finally invest into some property after years of renting; however, being my first home, it's been a lot of work learning and researching about what this whole process means. I'm happy to go through it nonetheless.
So another year has gone by and I find myself again packing and arranging a move (fortunately, this time it's only about 15 miles instead of 1000 miles). It's an arduous process and one of self-reflection or self-purging. How is it that I accumulate so much crap in one year! And why can't I convince myself that it is unimportant and should be thrown away?! We fill our lives with junk and don't even realize it. It's always around the second day on packing that I just want to throw it all away, become a monk, and live in hut in some remote forest, meditating, reading, and praying.
In about three days, we are going to start rehearsals for our fall tour. It will be great to play music on a daily basis again and see how the new set will develop. We usually practice for about 8 hours a day for about a week. We are going out with a light show; so the whole thing should go up to the next level. The first show is September 19th in Seattle at the Showbox and the last is November 19th in Ft. Lauderdale at the Culture Room.
Two months of touring will go by fast, especially since we are playing almost every night. I really prefer it that way. If I'm going to be out on the road, away from my family, I want to be playing and playing amazing shows. If not, I'm just wasting time, and that is why I hate "days off." They are usually wasted away in some remote place on the earth . . . I guess there goes the monk idea.
2 comments:
"How is it that I accumulate so much crap in one year! And why can't I convince myself that it is unimportant and should be thrown away?!"
Laughing at this to myself. . . I am still in need of unpacking from our apartment move to our first house in 1994! The day we moved into our house, I announced to Eric that we were going to have our third child (Maria). "Morning sickness" took over and I could only unpack the "necessities."
Later, I found out I was pregnant with the twins. Bedridden, unpacking or purging became increasingly harder. Moving in 1998 when the twins were 6mos old and trying to maintain normalcy for the older three was definitely a time I was being refined by fire.
Time has passed. . .the fog has lifted from my head. . .the twins are 8 years old. . . David is preparing to make his own way. . . Doug and Maria are fairly independent . . . so NOW I am preparing to unpack those boxes from 1994!!!!
Gayle Erwin, author and speaker, tells of a time when he and family had moved several times, taking the same unopened boxes from 3 moves before that were stored in the attac or garage. Finally, he decides to open one of those boxes and finds that it was filled with trash.
I've only been at my place near college for about 2 years now, and I feel like I've accumulated plenty of stuff. Not to mention, all that I have left at my parent's house.
I thought I was trying to live simply.
In some ways I wish I could remove technology (mainly my computer) from my life. Even though I gain lots of enjoyment from it, and of course all those wonderful things like papers and research for school. It seems to distract me more than anything though.
Blessings on your home, and blessings on your tour as it's already in progress!
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