It makes me sad that doing everything is impossible. The mid-life crisis seems a taller order than ever to actually live out, mostly because of work. While, as I mentioned, my wife’s MBA program is taking time I would love to use to pursue some of this, the greater barrier is that work is stressful and exhausting right now. I come home feeling completely beaten. Add to that I want to be as attentive a husband and father as possible when I get home. With all of that and health goals and church callings, when exactly was I expecting to squeeze in writing a song, let alone an a cappella group, even after she graduates?
Considering this now, I’m totally spent, and all of the goals that make up the mid-life crisis look ridiculous, as though I was expecting to suddenly explode into ten people, all with a lot more energy than I feel I will ever have again. I remember feeling the truth of an old saying the first time I heard it: “If you chase two rabbits, both will get away.” I’m chasing like 5-6 rabbits, some of them particularly fast. Should I really take them one at a time? Should my mid-life crisis become my whole life’s bucket list?
The problem with that seemingly reasonable counteroffer is the urgency I implied when I discussed the soup metaphor. What I had intended was that this would all just be a prerequisite, a threshold to cross, before entering into new level of living. I only meant for this to lay the foundation.
In the midst of all this, Christmas came. In my stocking amid a great many things, I found a leather bound journal, which my wife explained was exclusively for story ideas. Well, for whatever I wanted to write in it, really, but that’s what she had in mind. A writer’s notebook. Of every Christmas gift, this has meant the most to me, because it says that she wants and expects me to follow my own dreams. What is overwhelming to consider is much different when considered through the lens of a supportive and understanding spouse.
Hanging on until her graduation in March. In the meantime, some miscellaneous aca-updates:
1. I just had the opportunity to sing the low bass line in “Homeless” for this year’s performance of The Forgotten Carols in Las Vegas, starring Michael McLean and Jordan Bluth. At least two Vocal Point alumni were in the same group. Sure, I know they do that with a backup track to make sure we sound the way they want us too, but it felt good. I’m not sure what it could mean, but it seems like it was not only a fun chance to sing a cappella on stage, but a neat little a cappella networking opportunity, too.
2. Trinity and I are sharing a Christmas gift this year, the Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Master Collection, which includes some fairly sophisticated sound editing and mastering software. It will arrive mid-January and I’m psyched to see what comes of it, if only I have enough computer to run it. And musician buddy Milas just recommended an Android app called PocketBand that he would like to use for collaborative recording (says he had me in mind when he saw it), so I downloaded the free version to give it a test drive. I hope these developments turn out to be useful and significant.
3. Pennsylvania buddy Chris and his family have caught the acabug. We’ve been discussing lots of things for some time now, and I sent his son, Max, a copy of Mouthdrumming, by Wes Carroll. I see there’s a video on Facebook of Hultsatonix, which would be his three sons singing an a cappella Christmas message to their grandmother, with tribute to Pentatonix, winners of the Sing-Off this year. Haven’t checked it out yet, but I’m happy to think I’ve been a successful acavangelist.
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