The Traveling Salesmen?

I was fortunate enough to be home last week when my dad called one night and said he needed a hand with a job he was doing. We’re off the road and not doing any touring for a few weeks so it worked out that I could help. There I was the next morning in the Toyota minivan on the way up to Michigan feeling reminiscent of the last time I was in that seat - probably well over 10 years ago at this point. My dad is a photographer, one of the best in my opinion of course, and he had a routine job lined up to shoot a vip for some automotive corporation near Ann Arbor. The woman he was shooting had apparently been awarded with an industry honor and needed some shots to go with the press release. So they called in Jim, my dad, and they got what they needed. His full-time assistant was on vacation in Europe so when they called for Jim they actually got Chris as well. Ha! I think it’s kind of funny. Anyways, as I was carrying gear and unloading tripods and lights, hanging seamless and running cables I realized a few things all at once. I’m watching as my dad sets up his gear to his liking, and listening as he’s sort of talking himself through the process and it became very clear to me for the first time ever really - that we are the same person. I mean that figuratively of course, but I’ve thought this before and my wife will attest to it. I thought we just sneezed the same incredibly long number of times in a row or that we clear our throats the same way, but no it turns out we travel around from gig to gig setting up and tearing down in random rooms, just getting the job done. Making the light, or the sound in my case, do something special for those who care to observe. And the packing of gear, traveling, untangling dirty cables, shaking hands and saying cheese bit are something we both do to get the picture taken and the song sung. I don’t mean this in a brash or belittling way - I mean I’m way cool with it for once. Because for some time I’ve doubted to some degree the real significance of what I do, or should I say the things I do in order to do what I do - you follow me? I mean it’s just six strings and a beat up piece of wood - and beyond the bright lights and the sixty minutes or so spent on stage it’s a lot of open road and running cables. But I’ve realized that somewhere out there I’ve probably lost some of the wonder and the amazement that just maybe God made me for exactly this. And not only do I mean the traveling gig part, but to raise a family and be a dad too. And of course I can’t forget that He gave me a heart to share and a life experience to encourage others with. So I’m doing my best to understand that every good and perfect gift comes from him above. That these gifts are something I have a responsibility to use for his glory. I mean that’s a pretty big job in itself.

So we packed up all the gear that day, shook hands with the clients and drove the minivan to jimmy john’s for some lunch. Was a fun day - and it reminded me of how I got to a place in my life where I believed I could be the traveling musician in the family. So here’s to my dad - the original traveling snapshot man. The one who makes art out of work - or is it the other way around? Either way, thanks dad for letting me use the Rickenbacker, showing me how to work hard and wrap a mean cable, and last but not least for showing me what it takes to get the job done.

*for more on my dad's work visit www.jimrohmanstudio.com

The Way The World Turns

Let's just start this one off big... so Dominique and I are happy to announce that we are expecting a little sibling for Josiah in August. Crazy right? Yeah, so we're unbelievably blessed and can't wait to see if it's going to be a little sister or a little punching bag for Josiah. So that's pretty big news. So big in fact that we decided to finally build a room in our basement for the little guys. Dominique's dad is a builder extraordinaire and has already started building out the downstairs into a playroom/place where dad can crank the stereo a bit ;) The news is bigger yet, so much that when I found out before Christmas I decided the perfect gift for Dominique would be a vacation. She's been pretty much tied down to the house since Josiah was born and hasn't been able to travel hardly anywhere with me. I found a cheap cruise to Mexico, snatched it up an booked the flights. We left last week and had a great time despite some unusually cold temperatures. It was nice being able to fly without a laptop, guitar, pedalboard or drummer. Ok - that last part I exaggerated. But it was a great time to relax and try to recharge. I had been helping my father in law demolish our basement the week prior. Tore out everything - including the basement sink. He had the walls framed and the concrete floor broken into in only 4 days before we left and continued to work while we were gone.

So that's what the past few weeks were like. Things were great, the new record is finished and the year is off to a good start.

I give a little bit of the weeks history to help explain why I was in the Caribbean on Tuesday when the earthquake hit Haiti. As if living on a cruise ship out in the middle of the ocean in a perfectly miniature sized room isn't surreal enough - I happened to turn the tv on to see the sobering news of devastation that was simultaneously occurring in a world not so far away. Being away from home and family had me already feeling disconnected. We left Josiah at home and were definitely missing him. I just couldn't sleep that night at all. Just thinking about how so many in Haiti, already living without the basic daily essentials I had at arms length in this vacation la la land we were living in, were missing their loved ones as well because of a deadly earthquake. Not much makes sense in a situation like this. Here I am safe and sound - able to make phone calls and eat a freaking cheese burger at 1am on the ocean while people in Haiti had lost everything. I guess I prayed my way to sleep that night... praying for those in need and asking God 'why?'

There's just so many questions I don't know I'll ever have answers to. I've had heartache in my life for sure and I think I'm learning more and more that there will always be a plentiful supply of it.

So where does it lead me? The only place I can really go... that is if I choose to, and that's to God's mercy. If I can somehow be grateful for what I have - and I don't mean a flat panel tv or a cool cellphone but things that really matter - and at the same time mourn for those who have lost then I guess that's what I am left to do. All of this in hope to somehow feel human.

I've read through a bit of Ecclesiastes tonight since I'm still not much for sleep and I can't say I have any explanation still for how to keep things mentally tidy while these things happen, but maybe a bit more understanding of how things play out...

Ecclesiastes 3 verse 10-11
I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

I know there's at least some truth in that I don't know the beginning or the end in the sense of tomorrow say, but I do believe I know the 'end' that is made possible through God's grace. Salvation is what I have through Christ and I guess in these times it's what I should be focusing and sharing more of. I suppose we relay this hope through our music - and I'm excited for you all to hear new songs in just over a month - but I think I finally have my new year's resolution... To whole-heartedly try to live in a God fearing way - so much so that I'm completely reliant every day on his Grace.

And that's that for tonight. God please bless Haiti.

Give EPACE a chance

Can't sleep tonight. I think my schedule has been out of whack since the ball dropped. So, thanks to anyone that came to our hometown new year's show by the way. I must say it was a jolly good time ;) Still unbelievable to me how Toledo has been and continues to be so supportive. It was fun playing some new songs for everyone. The band stayed up super late the night before rehearsing the new tunes. I even had a tambourine solo planned, but was foiled by a faulty kickdrum pedal setup.

I must also say thanks to everyone that wrote in response to my last post. Sorry I'm a bit late in giving an update... We managed to get the transmission fixed thanks to some family help ;) Not sure the technical terms, but basically a part had blown causing the leak. My dad and I were able to drive it to the shop instead of getting it towed, just had to make a few stops to fill the transmission fluid. While it was in the shop though they found a few more things that needed replaced. Everything was fixed though and we made our shows in Florida later that week. By the time we got back home it was the 23rd I believe and I had some major Christmas shopping to do. Christmas was great, but wow it went by fast. Got to see some old friends so that was nice. And here I am now finally recovering from it all. Which means I should really be in bed.

HappyNEWYear!