It's taken me a bit longer than I had planned or promised, but I've finally taken some time to collect my thoughts and post them to this blog. Meanwhile I've been so busy with other projects (i.e., the SDSU Festival of Cultures, rediscovering my love music, etc.) that I've gotten even lazier when it comes to updating this blog. But the time for getting back to writing has finally come.
So much has happened since I last wrote - really wrote - here that it's hard to know where to begin. With that in mind I think I'll start from when I started making some important changes in my life.
A couple of months ago, I was where I am now; I was in Wiky visiting Dolly and her family. That was a great trip, just as all my trips to Wiky were great. Unfortunately that trip didn't have the best ending. But the less-than-ideal ending turned out to be a blessing because it spurred me to make some positive changes in my overall health.
The illness I experienced during my last few days in Wiky wasn't severe, but it was bad enough that I didn't feel normal for the following three weeks. I was sick on the road and felt ill when I returned home. Meanwhile I started thinking more seriously about steps I can take to keep myself as healthy as I can for as long as I can. Among the largest changes were improving my diet and incorporating even more exercise into my life. I haven't been as faithful to my new diet as I would like, but I can say I've found a happy medium. I've adopted a policy of moderation in all I eat and drink. Such a policy of moderation along with greater levels of aerobic exercise and weight training has yielded benefits already. I feel better in general and I sleep much better at night. I no longer struggle in getting to sleep and staying asleep.
Apart from changing my diet and exercise habits, I've also done a lot of experimenting in the realm of music. More specifically, the fire of my love for music has been sparked again. And the sparking of the flame has come from the fact that I've enjoyed playing music a lot more lately. The diet, exercise, and musical changes I've made lately may be interrelated, but only time will tell.
Much of my musical experimentation has dealt with the more physical or ergonomic aspects of playing drums. In jamming with my buddy Dan, rehearsing and performing with the First United Methodist Church Praise Team, and jamming with The Lilacs, I've been paying more attention to how my body feels and responds to the ways I have my drums and cymbals positioned. For a long time I've struggled with finding comfortable playing positions despite the fact I've played drums for 22 years now. Lately, though, I've been working on putting my drums and cymbals within easier reach so that striking each doesn't require as much effort or putting strain on my back. I don't have my "perfect" setup just yet, but I've been more comfortable playing drums of late than I have been in years. And increased comfort has led me to much greatest satisfaction in playing drums in a variety of musical situations. My enthusiasm for drums and music has returned, and I'm really grateful for that.
A third and final change I've been working encompasses virtually ever aspect of my life. I've worked on not taking the events of my life quite so seriously and have been working on being more relaxed as I go through life. A big part of relaxing and enjoying life more has involved not worrying or thinking about the future so much. It's part of my nature to always look ahead and to try to anticipate what may be waiting for me on the horizon. At the same time, I need to do a better job of taking things as they come and not worrying unnecessarily. One thing I have been doing better lately, though, has been in being more optimistic and having a "can-do" attitude. I certainly wouldn't call such an attitude arrogant, but I really am starting to see the value in being confident in one's ability to handle what comes one's way. Life is easier when one has such an outlook on life, and I think it helps make one stronger. Time will tell if my thoughts and feelings on the subject are true, but something within me already tells me that they are. Life is already better, and I'll do all I can to continue moving forward and living the best life I can. For every challenge, there is a solution.
