BUSY DOES NOT MEAN IMPORTANT

I'm talking to my busy, important friends.

SJ: "How you doing?"
Reply: "oh I'm really busy"

SJ: Talking to another friend. "Hey, how's it going?"
Reply: "Hi, very busy around here!"

Busy. I don't like that word. I have one friend and whenever I phone, they always tell me they're busy. What....?  Like YOU'RE so busy that I should feel lucky that you even took my call?  Maybe they're very, very important  - that's why they're busy.

Gimme a break. Everybody's busy. But when you tell me you're busy, I feel like you don't have time for me.

Am I busy. Yes, we're all busy. I'm managing a radio station, I'm managing a band, I'm publishing a magazine, I'm playing on a worship team at church, I'm riding my bike - I have lots going on. But I try not to answer "I'm busy" coz it might sound like "I'm important - why are you bugging me?"

I try to come up with other answers - "It's all good" or something similar.

Anyway, this blog is long enough. And I have many other more important things to do, much more important that rambling on to you. Bah ha ha!

I LEAD A DOUBLE LIFE

Last night, the band I manage, Anthem For Today, played a show at Bethel Camp in Rodney. "How was it?" you ask? Thanks for asking - it was awesome. The boys played well and the tech team and organizers were outstanding.

As we arrived at the venue near London, Ontario for soundcheck about 4pm yesterday, I felt like I was stepping into another life. Like, someone else's life, except it's mine. My other life, shared with five young guys in the band, who are both a bit like a second family and a bit like a staff because I work for them. There's hundreds of fans at the show, sound and lighting guys, promoters - all these people are part of putting on a rock show.

When I got to the show, I felt my LIFE 100.3 responsibilities in Barrie fade away about 200 miles into the background, as I put on my AFT t-shirt and persona as the band manager.

As the manager, I'm like the guy in the middle of the fun. The guy with contracts, merchandise, money, and a lot of decision-making - which I love to do. Watching the soundcheck work through the bugs, the merch booth go up, the stage costumes go on.

Today, the day after the show as I drove into the LIFE 100.3 signal range, I heard our DJ Andrew Robertson introing the Newsboys, drawing me back to the radio-world and leaving the band world somewhere down the road.  LIFE - a different team of people - DJs and sales people - some whom I love like family, plus listeners, clients and associates. 

A world of contesting and fundraising and of course ministry. A different portfolio than turning the lights on rock stars.

LIFE is my vocation and my passion; Anthem For Today is my hobby.

I am really blessed to have two exciting jobs that I love, that oddly enough, sometimes meet in the middle depending on the situation.

Two lives. No wonder I'm in therapy.

DEAN, JERRY AND MOE

I finished reading "Dean and Me" - the biography of the Martin and Lewis comedy team, written by Jerry Lewis and now I'm on to "I Stooged To Conquer" - the autobiography of Moe Howard.

"Dean and Me" is sub-titled "A Love Story". From Jerry's point of view, he really admired his partner and the compliments are very honouring. I guess that's what happens when your friends pass away; you remember the good times, even though in their case, their break-up was messy and mean.

Admittedly I didn't know much about Martin and Lewis. The stories of the glory days and the early days of their careers are very interesting. It even gets into their attitude toward their marital affairs and involvement with The Mob. (Jerry seems well-connected)

Overall, I'm left with the feeling that Jerry was/is a bit of an egotistical guy. He repeatedly writes about how wonderful, how incredible, how funny - they were; how they were the number one act in entertainment; how he (Jerry) was so incredibly funny. Funny - sure. Ego- plenty!

Now I'm into the autobiography of Moe Howard - the leader of The Three Stooges. It's a 1977 release, repackaged with a new title and foreward by his daughter. Apparently the rest of the book is unchanged so it reeks of a money-grab.

Regardless, so far, at chapter 7, Moe sounds like a really sweet guy who liked to poke people in the eyes. (actually they're eyebrows, not their eyes)

Excited to start chapter 8!