Delayed By The President

Wednesday August 22nd, 2007 - Memphis, TN

It sure didn’t look like 688 miles from Topeka to Memphis on my map but that’s exactly what it was. Maybe I should have used mapquest.com but if I did I might have not taken a gig all the way out in Topeka in the first place. I really need to check more carefully before I say yes from now on. It was an all day haul to get to Memphis and when I pulled in right before midnight I was tired, sweaty and wishing I would have popped for a plane ticket.

Coming out of Topeka I headed to Kansas City where traffic was a total nightmare. The freeways were all backed up in every direction and the whole town was a big parking lot. I couldn’t figure out why. There was construction but it shouldn’t have been that backed up so I got off the freeway to have some lunch and find a way out of town. I stopped to get a plate of barbecue since I was in Kansas City and found out the reason for the delay. It was because President Bush was in town making a speech today. Sure he was. Mr. Lucky is in traffic hell because of the President being in town. Hilarious. I’ll have to keep that premise and expand on it. Also, it was funny to get directions from the owner of the barbecue joint because he must have had me going in six different directions and each time he kept saying ‘No, no WAIT! This way is better…’ and then he’d send me a totally different direction.

It was good that I hadn’t been out on the road in a while because I have some gas in my own personal tank but it was also not good because I wasn’t used to the long drives as if I had built up my tolerance. It’s an endurance test and I am out of shape so I felt every mile. Good thing I had the Lucinda Bassett tape series from Max to keep me company today. It helped me get through the day and it really is something I needed to hear right about now.

Her basic message is that depression and anxiety can be lessened by doing several things such as changing diet and exercising more and also by focusing on positive things. Again it isn’t anything I haven’t heard before but hearing it again is never a bad thing. Whether it’s ‘The Secret’ or Tony Robbins or Wayne Dyer or Norman Vincent Peale or this tape series the message is basically the same - what one programs into the mind produces the results.
I have been really out of the groove lately and this is helping to bring me back. I loved to hear about the stories of others who succeeded and that’s always encouraging to know the fact that I’m not alone. Depression can be brutal and when it hits it feels like I’m isolated.

It doesn’t help that feeling to have to make 688 mile drives to get to work. Today it was fine but there are times when I’m on some lonely highway somewhere trying to make it to the next gig when I feel like I’m the only human on earth. Even UFOs won’t abduct me. It can be very overwhelming and this tape series talks about that. I really felt it talking to me.

Filling my head with positive things like this can only help me to keep going and defeat the darkness that surrounds us all. It’s easy to get into bad habits and it takes effort to change.
For right now I’m on a good path. I’ve got club work this week and next and I love the people I’m working for both weeks. Memphis will be fun. I have to be up early to do radio in the morning but I don’t feel like sleeping right now. I’m sure I’ll pay for that tomorrow.