Sunday, September 20, 2020

TCATS #350 - Peripheral Thoughts

It seems like post #350 should be something really grand, don't you think? It's interesting our society puts such emphasis on the numbers they do. This phenomenon shows up in anniversaries, reunions, and birthdays--just to name of few. If you think about it, what's more special about your 50th anniversary than your 49th? A year is a year...

With that said, I wish I had something grand to say for this post. But alas, I do not. It's true that when the "choir train" slows down (at least for the singers themselves), there is time for introspection, appreciation, and gaining new perspectives. But after 190 days of that, at least for today, I don't have a lot of insights to offer. I think, then, I'll just write about the things I'm thinking about. And you can decide if they are important enough to you, to keep reading this blog entry.

I made a decision...

I made a decision, in conjunction with my wife and heaven, not to go on the 2021 tour. It really came down to family priorities vs choir priorities. And family won out (as it should). I let the person who was going to be my roommate know about the decision. He was understandably sad about it, but was very supportive nonetheless. The positive things about the decision (aside from the family priorities it supports), is that I won't have to think about tour any longer--wondering if it will actually happen or not. I won't have to think about adjusting to a new time zone, or eating strange foods my stomach is not accustomed to, or potentially getting seasick from living on a ship for a couple of weeks, or missing my family, or figuring out who to spend free time with, or wondering if I spend time with person A, B, and C, will D, E, and F feel left out or sad; or how COVID-19 might affect this, or this, or that, or getting sad that the will of heaven and the realities of money and other commitments prevent my wife from going with me, or stressing the week before that I might get a cold or something, or a hundred other things. 

I need to promote...

I need to promote the Choir's soon-to-be-released CD/DVD of our Christmas show last year. Do I feel like promoting it? Not exactly (it's just the mood I'm in--sorry). But to be perfectly honest, the show last year was truly great IMO and I have no doubt you'd love to see it/listen to it during the upcoming holiday season. Check out the choir's website for more info or just go to Amazon or Deseretbook or the like to pre-order it. I promise you'll be inspired.

I'm thinking of friends...

I'm thinking of friends because I've come to realize that some of my choir friends who I believed were more than just choir friends actually ARE just choir friends (think friends of circumstance vs true friends). It made me sad. I fully realize that all of us are going through difficult times right now and some might even be struggling just to make it through every day. And keeping in contact with selfish Ryan is not at the top of their priority list. I get that. But that said, there are several who, despite their personal difficulties, actually DO make it a priority to stay in contact--even it if it's simply a weekly or biweekly text of "Hello--how are you doing? How are you holding up?". So I'm thankful for those friends of mine who take the time and the effort. And for those who don't, I still admire you and appreciate you and am grateful for you and look forward to when I can sing with you again so that our friendship can resume.

I'm thinking of today's broadcast...

I'm thinking of today's broadcast because it was actually a rerun of a rerun--haha. I'm not sure what happened (since there are plenty of past broadcasts to choose from), but if they wanted to repeat one, they picked a really good one to repeat (it was last week's). You can check out my original blog entry regarding that broadcast, HERE.

And that's all I'm really thinking about. Mostly. 

Until next time, God be with you.

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