By Scott Coner
Nashville Recording Artist, Songwriter, Performer, and Author
In
many ways, I see my opportunity to sing and play music as an opportunity to
help or challenge people to live their lives in a more challenging and
fulfilling way. As I have said many times, we all have something that lives
inside of us that should be shared with others. I don’t think it is by accident
when I am given an opportunity to meet someone that has “went deep” and became
who he was supposed to be rather than who he had allowed himself to become. I
took a short vacation a few weeks back and met such a man in New Buffalo,
Michigan.
My
wife usually puts our little excursions together, and she often hides a nice
little surprise in there somewhere for us. If we are in Chicago, she will have
us set up in some historical hotel near the water. If we are in Florida, I may
find myself swimming with dolphins. And apparently, when I find myself in New
Buffalo, I will find myself on a sunset sailboat cruise. I love this about her.
She always finds a way to make even sweeter memories for our family.
It
was probably around 7 p.m. when we stepped on his boat. I had never been on a
sailboat before so I tried to stay out of the way. I figured he would be busy
pulling ropes on pulleys and trying to work with the wind. I was wrong about
that. He knew perfectly well how to adjust for the conditions and allow for an
incredibly smooth and peaceful ride. We probably sailed towards the sun for an
hour or so before he and I began to talk. He put on an abstract collection of
all types of music that was somehow connected to water and it was a nice change
not to hear “Margaritaville” over and over. His name was Steve, and he was
originally from that part of the world. He looked to be in his late thirties or
possibly in his early forties. He was in good shape, had a nice tan, and took
very good care of his boat. He told me that he had been in sales with his
families company for years, but the company got sold, and he just didn’t have
any passion for things in that field at all anymore. He knew he had to make
some significant changes in order to be happy, so he took a giant step in
faith. He said he had always been drawn to the water, and he decided to buy a
sailboat. His plan was solid, although there were a few seasonal issues that
slowed his business down in the late fall. In order to stay on track, he put
his boat in storage every winter and went to Florida until spring. He had found
work on someone else’s boat during that time, and it provided a nice change of
pace for him.
I
think what I admired most about the man was his willingness to take a chance on
himself. It was just him, the water, and faith. He had taken his dream and
turned it into reality. His dream is allowing other families to make memories
that they will never forget. In the midst of a problem he had found a way to
see through it and take a completely different direction. I believe that
because he was willing to take a chance, he was given an opportunity to do
something more. He accomplished something far too may of us only think about.
And his ability to share his joy of the water with others is opening eyes to
countless other people along the way.
Most
of you know that I am basing my upcoming tour around “building a legacy.” My
goal is to allow people the chance to look inward and strive for more than just
the daily grind. This man, this sailor, is the type of legacy builder I am
talking about.
Don’t you want more? Do you ever have those, “what if” moments? Do you
ever think about all of the desires that are deep within you but you just don’t
know how to act on them? I think in order to be happy in this world we need to
be who we really are. I believe that in order to maintain a long and quality
relationship that you should never stop developing and changing toward what
serves you better. By constantly challenging ourselves, we also inspire our
children to never give up on their own dreams. I have allowed my wife and
daughters to see me get knocked flat in the music business. They have seen my
struggle and I have been open about my mistakes and disappointments. I wanted
them to see me this way. I have always hoped that somehow they could learn some
lesson in seeing their dad refuse to give up when times were hard and hurtful.
Maybe, I have allowed them to see a fool. I hope not. But if I have, there was
probably still a life lesson included in there somewhere.
As
I write this article, Steve is surely on his sailboat floating quietly across
the water. He is probably looking west, watching his sails, and giving someone
the time of their life. I hope that he knows he is an inspiration to many of
us. He cracked the mold. He found a way to become who he truly is, and who he
is truly matters. He is making a contribution and building a legacy that will
be talked about for many years to come.
As we sailed back to our dock that evening, “Brandy” by the band,
“Looking Glass” was on his stereo.
Perfect.
Keep in touch!
Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has worked in the studio with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. You can learn more about him and hear his music at his music page.
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