5 Reasons Why
If we read, watch, listen, even talk to friends, family, neighbors, we might think, GOOD GOD! Why bother? People in the States are extremely divided in their thoughts on everything from guns to vaccines, religion, and responsibility. Inflation is happening. Homelessness is continuing, and, at least here in Los Angeles, morale and confidence in the city is low. With so much uncertainty, why do we even celebrate or begin anything?
Here are five thoughts:
There's something in us creative people. We don't say DIE. We say MAKE SOMETHING. And most of us, whether we made money or not, made art, whether it was songs, paintings, stories, photographs, poetry, essays. And we will keep on creating. Because it is who we are, and what we do. And we may bitch about a lack of funds , even attention. Yet we won't stop. If one person listens, the world changes. We continue to believe in that ONE.
We continue to care. We feel for others. We read about the loss of artists, and we mourn collectively. We celebrate Robbie Shakespeare, and Lina Wertmuller, who we lost this week. We call attention to them on our pages, and we don't feel alone. When someone loses a pet, we are there. When someone needs a surgery, when someone is depressed, when someone loses a family member. We hear, we express and we connect. This means something. This means that EMPATHY is very much alive. People at the core need this. We reach for it and we find it.
There are people in the world working on solutions. Yes, there is violence. there is war. There are unhappy people out there committing crimes and hurting people. But there are people working to make vaccines better. There are people working to making testing for viruses easier and more affordable. There are people who are researching , looking for cures. And not every one of these people is doing this to make a buck. We can hope that there are people out there who are working on solutions to help us with Mother Earth and her management.
And think about the people who are working really tough jobs who get up every day and do the work. Clean the toilets in the public parks. Keep the hospitals open and going. Nurse the sick. Feed those without food. Make calls on people who can't get out of their houses. People who are good neighbors, people who help with no need of recompense. People who wait tables. People who clean streets. Who deliver mail. People we might not even see. The helpers can be invisible, but they are there, even in big cities, even when it feels like the City is not in a good place. There are people fighting to preserve history in a city, keep movie theaters open, keep music venues alive. People fighting to keep culture going, against all odds. Whatever media you view and subscribe to, chances are that these people are not featured. They are not dramatic enough, and they don't get the adrenals pumping, keeping us tuned to the network, the stream, the channel.
Finally, if you read this far. You are the reason. And for those of you who have participated in GIFTEMBER, thank you. We all know that every purchase means something more than money. It is a new connection. It is a potentially strong bond. It is the beginning of the building of a bridge, a crossing into a new network. The listener means as much as the creator. And I don't stop believing in creativity or in people, because of THE LISTENER. I thank everyone who has been there for me, who has had curiosity about my musical work, who has taken the time to listen to what I have dedicated my life to, my music. It's been amazing for me to immerse myself as a listener in lots of great music this year, too. From Kevin Campbell to Fernando Perdomo to Aireene Espiritu and Earl Kayoss, Neil Rosengarden, KP Hawthorn, I have learned so much about how musicians I love work their craft.
One reason kinda piggybacks onto another. I find myself repeating these thoughts, in the morning, when I focus on the day ahead. I keep remembering that I am never really alone. I am going to be ok, because I have you. And I hope you know I am pulling for you, too. Because together, we have a lot to look forward to. Please keep in touch. You know I will.