Looking Out My Back Window #129

Originally posted on Facebook HERE

This week we feature the first visit from Tyrone D. Rooster to the “Looking Out My Back Window” series of posts. So we got that going for us. In the meantime – this week I’ve been thinking a little about “longing”. It first came up for me as I was thinking about years ago, in the mid-70s when I was first learning how to play bass guitar. I practiced like two hours a day on most days. I had the time. There were no cell phones, no internet, only three channels… so, it’s what I did. How awesome to have the time to play music just because I loved it so much. I wasn’t doing it because I had a deadline, or needed to get things done to play a show or anything – I just did it because I loved it. And as I was thinking about that time in my life I felt myself longing to be that free again. Funny, but during that time in my life I probably longed to be where I’m at now – an adult, able to make my own decisions, etc. There’s a reason we long for things, though. Longing is different than wanting something. It’s an inner pull. My longing for that freedom is rooted in how complicated my life is right now, way too much stuff packed into way too small a window of time. I’ve posted before about needing to unclutter, simplify and uncomplicate things. This is longing for something I had in the past, but we all have things we long for in the present and for our futures, too. My whole life I’ve wanted to be able to sing better. I’d hear a song like “Oh, Darling” by the Beatles and just get chills. What a great vocal performance. I’d long to sing even half as good as that. But that longing never translated into any serious action. Well, when it comes to longing – sometimes our wish is our command. We’re so good at squashing the things we long for – but in so doing, what are we doing to ourselves spiritually? I’m done doing that. The things we long for often would pull us out of the “norm”. We need to set our own version of normal that has nothing to do with anyone or anything outside our own hearts. So, yesterday I met with a vocal instructor and took a lesson from her. I can’t even begin to describe the emotions that went along with that. Very scary, but also exciting. All kinds of self talk questioning why I would ever do this. I mean, for God’s sake – I’m sixty years old, why spend the time and money? What are you ever going to accomplish from this? Don’t you have better things to do with your time?… No. No, I don’t. I basically have longed to become a better singer for sixty years without ever giving it much effort at all. And I’m not doing that anymore. The wish I’ve had my entire life to become a better singer is a command to take action. And I’m taking action. I can’t even begin to tell you how awesome it was for me to take that first step. What do you long for?… search your heart, then take action to fulfill that dream. Live your life according to the inner compass you’ve always had but might be denying. “I’ll get to it later” is guaranteed to no one. On this one thing (singing) I’ve been saying “I’ll get to it later” for basically sixty years. Later is now. Longings are commands. A command to action. Take action. Be the best you you can be. There’s no time to live any other way.