Today, at 12:30 at Paddle Zen (1620 E. Riverside, ATX), I'll be playing at a fundraiser to help people fucked over by the Texas wildfires.
This has been the summer of natural disasters.
It began August - when through thick & thin & the perils of Craig's list - I bought a van with only 85K miles on it in my price range just in time for tour. Trying (just this once) to be responsible, I got the brakes replaced. And coming home from the brakes place, that's when the shakes started.
(In that headstrong Capricorn way, we made it. 3 mechanics and $650 later, the van's cruising over highways across the country.)
Then the real disasters hit. The *earthquake!* in Pennsylvania?!?
And the hurricane that almost took out New York City.
Wednesday, I came home to smoke in the air & 1,400 homes burned down from wildfires in Bastrop, TX, about 30min from Austin. This is the worst drought possibly in history for this region.
And today is the 10th anniversary of Sept 11th.
One thing I've learned as an artist is to be grateful -- for my survivor streak, for the ability to persevere, to navigate the emotional boulders in the road, to keep one's eyes on the prize. And no matter what shit you're facing... if thousands of people can go down in the towers, and a whole city lives on.... if thousands w/ no money can lose their homes (upstate NY, New Orleans, Bastrop)& find a way to build again... then so can I. So can we.
So light a fire in your heart today for everyone going through it. Do what you can do... even if it's a little eentsy thing, like send a card or pick up the phone or drop $40 at a fundraiser or become a Red Cross member or volunteer 1 afternoon.
And don't forget to make some beautiful music art food poetry along the way.
