A Darn Good Point

Sup everybody!?!?!?

Back again from another Pop the Trunk road trip. This time to Morden.

It's been quite a stressful week or so. Pipe band's are all super busy, new drums etc., and among other things politics has reared up and taken a bite out of our smaller (wouldn't hurt a fly) group the grade 3 band. It's always disappointing when you watch people work so very very hard for something and somebody burns them.

Among everything else there's barely a month left of school this year, I got a new job, and Pop the Trunk is busier than ever.

I have noticed my blood pressure steadily rising everyday.

However, Friday me and the rock band piled into vans P.A. in tow and headed to the bible belt of Manitoba to spread the good word... or at least a word....

Joey and I met a man I can't quite explain... His name was Bryan, a self described "old fart" but at 61 he didn't look much past 50. While every town has one or two "characters" it's always very interesting to meet as many people as you can on the road.

So Joey and I stood outside and chatted with Bryan while he puffed on his smoke.

Turns out Bryan is one resilient fella. At 61 he has been in a coma (as a kid, parents even took him off life support at one point), he has had I think he said 4 brain surgeries and has only recently been give the majority of his skull back, recently divorced his wife whom he met in 71 I believe..., and to top it all off has Muscular Dystrophy and is losing approx. 8% of his muscle mass every year.

Yet here he was, in the bigger of Morden's two liquor licensed establishments, drinking coffee, dancing, checking out the band, loving life.

Saturday he came down and had dinner at the bar with Joey and I before we had to prepare for our second show. We sat and chatted about the B.C. music scene in the 70's and he even gave us a record (like a legitimate 33 record) of a friend of his.

Never once did he ever take a negative tone... about anything. He flirted with the waitress, kept a keen eye on the crowd, gave us advice on our show, recommended books, and finally gave me some of the best advice I have ever heard.

Don't sweat it

Remarkable, and simple, much like Bryan.

What does this have to do with pipe bands?

I think there are a tremendous amount of chances for us to take Bryan's words to heart in what we do. There are so many little things that we stress about sometimes just saying "don't sweat it, you can't change it" isn't the worst approach.

Obviously we can't completely shirk our responsibilities to our band and friends, but at the same time, perhaps there are more important things we are missing because we're so busy sweating the small stuff.

I'm gonna try it, every now and then, I'll let you know how it goes!

From Bryan, to me, to you...

Don't sweat it.

Cheers,

Sean