Last night, I gigged with Alvin Dyers at The Food Lover’s Market, and for the first time in years, recorded part of the gig (on my mom’s little cassette recorder!). For most of the night, I hadn’t felt on form, so the gig felt like really hard work. It felt like something was missing – can’t quite explain. The sound somehow wasn’t as warm as I wanted it to be, so I felt shrill. The restaurant was packed, and the people responded well to what we played, but still I felt a bit odd. At the same time, the evening went quite fast, and I hung around afterwards with my best friend, Tracy, my Significant Other and a friend of his. We sat chatting and I had something to eat, at about 10:30pm, realizing for the first time how hungry I was, and that I’d last eaten at 1:30pm! I suppose that had also contributed to my feeling out of sorts.
Today I listened to the recording and went from being mortified to being “fairly ok” with the results. Actually, the songs on Side B (the third set) sound quite good. Alvin’s a highly accomplished musician, with years of performing experience, and he adds a cool touch to my performance; there’s a lot I can learn from him. We had an interesting chat about quoting for different types of gig, and I gained new insight into that whole issue.
The past ten weeks that I’ve been performing there have been very interesting, to say the least. The restaurant owners originally decided to add live music to attract clients on Saturdays, their quiet nights. Every week that I’ve played there, I’ve seen a steady increase in the numbers. I’ve upped my own multi-faceted marketing system. In addition, I set myself the target of adding 10 new addresses every week of September, and last week I already added 17! Seeing people pitch up in response to my advertising is extremely gratifying. It spurs me on to do more, to push myself beyond my previous limits.
Every now and then it occurs to me that most of what I need in life, I already have access to – all I need to do is find the path. I started sms-ing people in my cellphone contact list, and getting their e-mail addresses. I was amazed at how many of my friends’ e-mail addresses I didn’t have! This week I’ll try to add another 10. Also, I’ve decided, based on a principle used in network marketing (aaaaargh!!!!), that if everyone who received my weekly gig e-mail sent it to just two people, that would be an interesting way to spread the word.
Yesterday morning I woke up and made a resolution:
Every day of my life, for as long as I live, I will give myself a gift that money can’t buy.
Yesterday’s gift was forgiveness. It’s so easy for me to forgive others, but I’m so hard on myself, seldom letting myself off the hook, hypercritical. Today, really critical of myself after last night’s performance, I decided I needed the same gift as yesterday! When I hit on the idea, yesterday, I immediately sat down and wrote a list of gifts that money can’t buy, and I was excited at how many possibilities there were. And nothing stops me from giving myself the same gift more than once, like I did this weekend!
As I said to my best friend, Tracy: the next logical step is to treat everyone else like I do myself – give everyone I encounter some kind of gift that money can’t buy. If I concentrated on that, imagine how bright my days would become! What a lovely way to walk the journey of life.
Kids asleep, and all’s right with my world. And now, to end this beautiful day with a delicious soak in a hot bath! And then, to sleep……perchance to dream.
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