One of my favorite albums on my iPod is one done by John Prine and Mac Wiseman. They do a song titled, “Don’t be ashamed of your age.” The jist of the song is, as you look back on your life, be satisfied that you have lived it to the fullest, that in the “old book of time you haven’t missed a page.”
Tomorrow, I will flip yet another page in the old book of time, a milestone birthday; I’m not ashamed to tell you that I will turn seventy.
I don’t think of myself as an old lady. I have not taken up needlepoint and settled in a rocking chair. I am more likely to settle into the bucket seat of our Polaris RZR; strapping on the six-point harness and heading out into the dunes or exploring the desert. In lieu of orthopedic shoes and polyester pants, I’ve opted for jeans, T-shirt and boots. On bad hair days, I have a hat for any occasion. I’m not going down without a fight.
It’s important to keep mind and body busy as we age. I enjoy learning new things. In the last five or so years, I’ve spent some time improving my guitar skills, learned to play the upright bass and mandolin. I have found that if you want to learn humility, you take up the fiddle. I think it will be the challenge that will prevent me from getting Alzheimer’s disease. I try to learn at least two or three new songs each month, I believe that memorizing song lyrics is good for the mind with the added bonus that you can sing from the heart and not have to carry along a notebook and music stand.
I realize that some folks have a forced sedentary lifestyle due to illness or other conditions. Oftentimes, it causes them to look inward and focus only on what is “wrong” in their life. It would be hard not to become depressed and cranky, and we know that depressed cranky people do not make good company. It has been my experience that if I get down, the best thing I can do is reach out to someone else. I don’t like talking on the telephone but I do enjoy making greeting cards and sending them out to folks, especially those who need to know that someone cares. The nice thing about cards and personal notes is that the recipient has something tangible that they can read as many times as they want. They can prop a card up on a shelf and each time they pass by it, they are reminded that someone loves and cares for them.
It’s been a busy month for me, musically speaking. If you’ll indulge me, I’ll do my version of Harmony Road in memory of our friend Regina Bartlett.
As an early birthday gift, my husband took me to see Vince Gill and the Time Jumpers at the Bob Hope Theater in Stockton. I’ve been a Vince Gill fan for years and became familiar with the Time Jumpers by watching Dawn Sears videos on You Tube. She is one of my favorite singers. The Bakersfield album by Vince Gill and Paul Franklin is one of my most frequently played; it’s a collection of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens songs. Paul Franklin can get more emotion out of a steel guitar than many singers can get out of vocal renditions. Vince Gill sang all my favorites and Paul Franklin had me mesmerized. My only disappointment in this concert was that Dawn Sears wasn’t there; she is bravely fighting a battle with lung cancer.
I went to the monthly jam/open mic at Armando’s in Martinez. In addition to the house band; Bruce Campbell, Jonathan Bluemel, and Alan Bond, the usual “suspects” were there. The Redneck and Redhead, Bob Bonovich, Colin Sacks and several others all had their chance to do three numbers from the stage. Tom Bailey did a great job of filling in for Lynn Quinones. I met a wonderful fiddler named Art Kee, it turns out that he lives near me here in Brentwood, almost within shouting distance of my house. I brought my friend Bonnie Grace with me, she didn’t sing this time but we are going to work on a duet or two for next month.
The day after the Martinez jam, I loaded up my Jeep and went to a big jam hosted by our friends Burl and Doris, down in the Central Valley. They own a beautiful old Arts and Crafts period house that is a bit like visiting the Winchester Mystery House (without the creepiness). There are three levels with many nooks, crannies, and closed doorways to explore. The attic was really fun, like taking a trip back in time. The basement was a warm, welcoming place for friends to gather and jam. The main jam/party was held on Saturday at the Senior Center. I knew many of the attendees but I also made several new friends, too many to name. One person who particular stood out was a vocalist, Joanne, from Tracy. I’m not easily impressed but this lady left me with my mouth agape as she sang Patsy Cline’s “Sweet Dreams.” I look forward to getting better acquainted with her.
I spent Friday and Saturday night at the old house and we jammed almost non-stop. I got up early Sunday morning and had breakfast with Jim and Carol Johnston. I made it back home in time for church then I was on the road again. This time, my friend and I headed to Livermore to the monthly jam at the Veterans Hospital. What a blessing! Many thanks to Wes Spain for coordinating this event and bringing pizza for everyone. As I said previously, if you want to avoid depression, especially during the holidays, there is no greater joy than to bring a smile to the face of another. In other words, “Keep on the Sunnyside of Life.” Have a blessed Thanksgiving.
