Doing Something Else

I am amazed at how much can be accomplished by following the principle “do something else.” And how often nothing gets done because I don’t follow that principle. I must admit that I am still trying to get comfortable with doing less. I fear that I am not succeeding.

This month has been yet another month of craziness with too much on the schedule. Looking back at the last few weeks, I sure have crammed a lot in there. It’s in the rearview mirror now, literally.

One of the things I did in May was a road trip from Seattle to Nashville in 3 days. I rented an SUV and loaded it up with my son’s guitars, trombones, keyboard and numerous boxes and hit the road. I stopped in Minnesota and picked up my daughter. We then drove the rest of the way to Tennessee together and saw my son. It was a great trip, no doubt about it. Well worth getting to see both of them. And 30 some odd hours later, I flew home.  

But there’s more…

But that’s not all. The day before I started this road trip, I was in NY city and I played at a jazz club in Greenwhich Village, Mezzrow.  Mezzrow and Smalls are wonderful small jazz clubs. If you are ever in NY, make the time to go there for a show or two. That was part of the plan. I had planned the NYC trip months ago.

A Lesson in Drop Everything

This whole road trip was another Danny adventure in the “last minute, drop everything to do this” category. I tend to do this stuff for family and friends, especially family. It was awesome. And I am so thankful to those that are patient with my schedule craziness when I do that. This includes some 30 students I had to cancel lessons on, and gigs I subbed out, and other volunteers that helped run the club for me. I am so thankful for these people. They are the best. I think I am going to try to keep doing that when an opportunity comes up. Drop everything and do that thing. Especially for family and friends.

So May included 12 states, 2523 driving miles in 3 days plus a flight from NYC to Seattle. Now that it’s the last day of the month, that seems so long ago. Funny, most of the things I have done, that are in the rearview mirror, they too seem so long ago. But now what? What lies ahead? 

Do something else instead…

I think that’s my new mantra for the summer ahead. Instead of falling into my old habits, I am going to try to do something else in its place. Instead of eating too many potato chips, eat something else, or walk or something. Instead of watching too much tv, pick up one of my projects.  Maybe I’ll just turn it off and do nothing. Nothing is something, or at least it should be.

Doing nothing instead…

I think that’s another thing. I am going to work on being okay with not doing anything. Just sitting outside and relaxing. Watching the grass grow, watching the shadows. Watching the little things in the garden. Just trying to enjoy it, notice it. I’m going to work on that. I bet that could be nice.

It’s a nice day today, I’m going to give it a try and for the next little while… do nothing. 

Good enough for now, time to do something else, maybe nothing.