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