Looking for new wonders this Fall?
I rarely run across a song and a group that I have never heard. And not bragging… just when you make it your business to notice and know music, it is a shock. Recently people have given me the tagline “… and his encyclopedic knowledge of music” It is why I love listening to Sirius XM Deep tracks… and Wikipedia 😉 Between them, I can still occasionally reward my brain with something that it has to process for the first time… and, wonder is something that only gets better when you use it… often…
Holding it lightly
The deeper work I have been doing for over 3 years now is digging into what voices in my head are actually serving me… and those that are not. It is a life struggle for most of us, me included. Like music, my knowledge here doesn’t mean I have mastered DOING it 😉 Actually, to continue that analogy, for the amount of time and money I have put into guitars, I should be able to rival these guys… and… well. You know where that goes…
Talent and foundations may not be enough
If you know music, you will recognize many of the players in this band. The bass player and drummer are Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton – Double Trouble – the foundation that Stevie Ray Vaughn used to change blues forever. The singer is Charlie Sexton who performed on many studio albums but also toured often with Bob Dylan. The side man is Doyle Bramhall II, who you will often see playing with Eric Clapton… frankly anywhere you need ripping leads.
Out of the ashes comes the wonder of Angels
They formed after SRV was tragically taken from us almost exactly 32 years ago, leaving the foundation (Tommy and Chris) without the building. Charlie had been a guitar prodigy playing in his teens with Dylan, pissing off the music establishment… and never really found a voice of his own. Doyle after being born in Texas was raised in Northern California and started out on the drums. And by this point had already discovered Heroin
Failure and breakdowns are wonderful teachers
This leg of my own journey started with a startling revelation – what I was doing wasn’t working. For me, for others, for those I cared about, and even those I didn’t. Yelling is not a helpful coaching stance, and at least I had enough training to realize that. And – that pit of despair, as it always does, led me to take stock and dig deeper and wonder – where I had I gone?
Planning for the wonder of the Fall
I will spin out pieces of that story through the Fall with a loose plan. I may write every day, I may not… this one just felt right as a way to end the summer and begin the pivot to the time when life’s pace picks up, and many are starting to make plans. This song was playing as I was discussing Strategic planning with one of a dozen leaders that were contemplating the “right way” to do that. The irony was not lost on me, having been in and led countless Fall Planning Retreats that… well… you can guess again where that one goes.
Don’t be afraid to Fall
I am mesmerized by watching Chris maintain the solid foundation with Tommy… as they glance back and forth, and both smile as different lead breaks from Charlie and Doyle are enabled by their years of partnership. And the courage it took for them to start again after the ashes. I have no idea where you are in the journey you are, but one clue I will offer – Falling is not a bad thing. The world doesn’t talk about it much, but in realizing you can’t do it is the beginning of a wonderful Change. Even watching the leaves “fail” so that we can have the beauty – reminds us that Fall can and should also be a verb. Savor that picture and the Arc and wonder – are there Too Many Ways to Fall.
