Disgruntled again. Or is it "still"? It seems like I've been unhappy about all kinds of things lately. I've been reluctant to write lately because everything I can think of is negative. But then it occurred to me that I get to teach and play guitar for a living. How lucky can a person be? To be able to do the thing I love for an occupation. How can I possibly be discontented?
A friend asked yesterday how old I am. When I told him he said, "I had no idea you were that much older than me." You can read it anyway you want but I took it as a compliment. I'm well past the age that most people retire and I'd be lying if I told you that the thought hasn't crossed my mind. The problem is that I can't think of anything I'd rather do. I could sit around the house and annoy my wife, but I'm already pretty good at that and it doesn't require extra time.
I suppose every career has it's down side. There are always going to be things to improve. But they should not define the person or the work. And it's easy (at least for me) to let them cast a dark shadow.
So in this short post today I'm taking a moment to remember to count my blessings. Yeah it's a cliche, but it's a pretty good one. I get to provide music for someone's special day or happy event. I have the privilege of teaching others how to make music and, hopefully, improve the quality of their lives. The few inconveniences that attach themselves will be dealt with.
Two other cliches that I'm reminded of are, "All good things must come to an end", and "Nobody lives forever". At some point my time will be up and I'll be able to look back and say, "What a lucky life I've had." But not today. Today I have students to teach, a wedding to practice for, and a church choir to prepare for. Yep! Lucky.