Now What?

It's a glorious day, an unusually warm, clear, sunny Ohio Saturday. It's the first Saturday in quite a while that wasn't chock full of activity although it's been a fun run. By the time I delivered the kids unto their father yesterday afternoon, it was time for some recalibration. An actual workout (without interruptions or kid-related delays), a healthy salad, some serious catch up and an evening with the neighbors was a good end to the week.

Here it is the middle of April already. At some point I had kept the month of June in mind as The Month of Change. The question is, change to what? With circumstances being what they are, is that really such a good idea? What would be considered "stable" in this economy? The other day in an interview, a candidate proclaimed that her job was "secure." Ultimately she pulled herself out of the search because she felt a move at this time would be less secure. That's kind of how I'm feeling now. I'd be no more "secure" in a new job with what's available in a 40 mile radius than I would be hangliding without a helmet.

I wish I didn't love my work so much. I enjoy it, and I'm quite good at it, at the research, the people and relationship building part. I wish we had a ton of work, I would love to be as busy every week as we were last week.

Musicians feel the same way, I imagine. Their entire world is like one long recession -- sometimes you're doing well, and sometimes you're living off your rainy day fund. What the rest of us are experiencing has been somewhat a way of life for a lot of people in the entertainment business. Bluegrass folks are accustomed to living pretty simply as it is, so when times are thin, it's just a matter of ingenuity. I dunno, maybe Doyle Lawson isn't golfing as much but my sense is he's doing ok, too.

With all the distractions of Yarn Slut's wedding and the holiday out of the way, it's crunch time, reality time, what-next time. I hope that things pick up where I am, so that I don't have to pick up and go. Unfortunately though it's time to get my life back, which isn't going to happen unless I go out and get it. There are classes I can take, spare jobs I can pick up (Shameless turned me on to the perfect part-time remote job with the Change folks and I haven't followed up yet), and also fun to be created and had. Either it's time to reinvent myself again like much of America is doing, or a new more profitable day will dawn in the world I live in now.

In the meantime there's plenty of music to play and listen to, especially Bluegrass, and most especially on a downright beautiful day like today. My daughter proceeded to tell me earlier this week how they had learned a dance to Cotton-Eyed Joe. So I played her a version by the Freighthoppers, and then another version by Big Mon which she recognized as the one she had learned. I ended up listening to that old Monroe-Bluegrass Boys recording the rest of the way through. I had forgotten how much I like this particular barn-burning butt-kicker and so I share it with you all now. Here's one to get you going, called Wheel Hoss.