By Scott Coner
Nashville Recording Artist, Songwriter, Performer, and Author
It’s a Sunday morning. It’s quiet around here, and I wanted
to take a few minutes to write this week’s blog before everything takes off at
full speed. We all suffer from this fast flying world, don’t we? It’s hard to
know when and where to demand a slower gate. Anyway, Miles Davis is playing me
a cut from 1959, and I feel pretty peaceful. I think we give too many other
people and things credit for disrupting our lives. Isn’t it up to us what we
allow in? Isn’t it up to us to build our own hedge and only allow what we deem
necessary to deal with?
I ask
myself sometimes how in the world I even landed here. I was lying in bed this
morning holding my wife next to me. The sun was up, the birds were chirping,
and I took the time to count my blessings. I thought how wrong it is that we
take so much for granted. We buy new cars that we love, but the new wears off,
and it becomes just another vehicle. We build the house of our dreams, and we
forget to sit in that special spot and take in the beauty of the structure. We
marry that person we have wanted for a lifetime then just walk by them without
acknowledging how we feel every time we get a chance. And life just passes us
by. Before long, it’s too late. The show is over. The sun has gone.
I
don’t tell others how to live. It’s none of my business and Lord knows I am no
authority. But let me share this part of me with you. When I was about 40 years
old, I was given a new lease on life. I changed. I found peace like I have
never had and I have held on to those feelings. I consider every day and every
minute it holds. I tell my kids I love them every single day. I tell my wife
how beautiful she is many times a day and how much I love her. I give my dogs
and horses time every single day. I call my parents almost every day. And I
even attempt to be nice to the guy in the gas station buying lottery tickets
and cigarettes standing in front of me wasting both of our time. The thing is,
there is more good than bad. We just have to groom it and nurture it, if we
want it to stick around I think.
This
last year has been a good one for me. My music has done well, but there has
been a disappointment. I have had someone representing me that didn’t do what
she promised. Honestly, I’m not sure how we are going to handle it. It’s awful
when people you believe in let you down and then step as far away as possible.
But it will be dealt with one way or another. The thing is, it’s out of my
hands. I have done my level best. Now it will be up to someone else as to when
and where I take another step in this business. I feel confident that the
proper course will show itself, but for now, I won’t be playing on the road
anytime soon. It hurts pretty deeply. But, there are some good things too! I
get to spend more time with my wife, my kids, my animals, my gym, and the ones
I care most about. How can this be all bad? I plan on writing and recording
more music. I want to go ahead and release a book I have finished. And I want
to enjoy every minute of every day.
We
all get hurt sometimes. We step back from the flame feeling the hurt from the
burn. But sometimes, there might be a reason for the infliction. Maybe we
needed to learn something. Maybe, God Himself was sparing us from something we
know absolutely nothing about. Last week, an old friend from high school
messaged me about my weekly blog. (Thank you, Theresa Woodall) I told her I was
taking a break. I was too embarrassed and hurt to tell her that I was reeling
from the fact that the bookings I had expected were not coming. But there it
is. I took a hit. We all do every now and again. I am trying to figure it all
out. If we allow it, the pain will make us stronger. It makes us wiser. It
makes us better.
I
love going to the gym. I love chest and arm days the most. I enjoy the burn. I
like taking myself to failure. I love the extremely loud rock music in my
headphones. What am I doing? I’m tearing small parts of my own muscle apart. I
eat well. I rest. And like magic, my body repairs and replenishes itself. In
the meantime, I’m getting stronger as I tear myself down. That’s what it comes
down to. We find a way to repair ourselves as we take the hits life likes to
throw every now and then. Just go outside today and listen to the birds and the
breeze if it’s all going south on you. Don’t give in to despair. Turn up some
real rock music and tell the problem where to get off.
Yes,
I am aware this blog went all over the place. Since this will not be graded, I
think it’s cool. The blog is like my mind today, going all directions. But it’s
okay! I feel like the old snapshot of Johnny Cash as he flipped of the record
industry. Sometimes you just get to laugh a little bit as you throw your arm
around the prettiest woman on the planet and say screw it anyway! .... I
already won!
P.S.
If you are reading this blog, do me a favor and
share some of my music/videos. I truly appreciate it!
Take care,
Scott
