I missed doing my blog last week. I started it several times and actually came close to something that I was almost satisfied with, but it lacked depth. I could make all kinds of excuses but the absolute truth that I have to accept is that it didn’t have as high of a priority of some other things I was trying to accomplish last week. I simply am not going to publish a blog just to publish something. It should make you think, possibly respond. It should say something to you that will lift you up through the week and not drag you down. It should move you to action and simply get you to invest in yourself and God. It can never be just words on a page.
Having said that, I want to talk a little bit about garbage moments. There are really two types of priorities; those that feed you and those that drain you. We all have to do things on a regular basis that require us to put a priority on them just so they can be accomplished in a timely manner. Did you ever forget to take out the garbage on time and then miss the garbage man? There’s a real down side to that. At some point you have to make taking out the garbage a priority so that it will happen in a timely manner and you won’t have to suffer the consequences of not getting it done in time. In the comic Rose is Rose, Roses husband is often pictured having a garbage moment. It’s kind of a unique perspective because his garbage moment feeds him. He takes out the garbage at night so that he can spend time alone gazing at the stars. It’s a positive experience. When I take out the garbage, I get to see the sunrise. It take the drudgery of the moment away and it becomes somewhat of an inspiring moment. Most of us look at our garbage moments as a drudge simply because we have let our own perspectives take us there. You have to find the positive in those moments or they will bring you down. They will devour you. If you have too many garbage moments in your life that provide you with no positive feedback, you will most assuredly be depressed and feel put upon.
Okay, we are all human and we are simply not going to look at every garbage moment with a positive attitude. I find it real hard to be in a positive mood when cleaning the bathroom. Still, what you have to do it make sure that you have more positive garbage moments in your life that negative ones. You have to be able to feed more than you are being fed upon.
What has that got to do with music? Writing music is hard work. Those who say it is really not difficult, haven’t written much or don’t stretch themselves to write things that are outside their normal scope. Writing music is putting all the notes down, adjusting tones and harmonies, adjusting tempo, adding instruments, taking away instruments, adding and adjusting dynamics and sometimes it means throwing out the garbage and starting again. It really is hard work. Often it is painful. I don’t know about you but I can tell you that writing music, as difficult and time consuming as it is, feeds me. It is one of God’s gifts to me to bring renewel. It always gives me back more than it takes.
That is one of the main reasons that I continue to write music. I have come to the conclusion that I have got to have more positive garbage moments in my life where I can stare into the soul of the universe and see the face of God than moments when I am cleaning the bathroom and just want to stay focused and get it done. I think I would go crazy if I didn’t have my music. I know I would be depressed.
How about you? Do you look for those garbage moments that feed you? I encourage you to find a balance that is a little off center, where your garbage moments are feeding you more than they are taking away. These are little Easter eggs from God, totally unexpected full of joy and wonderment. Embrace them for what they are and let God feed you. It will give you the energy to get past those moments that pull you down.