Happy New Year

Let me run this past you first...

"When people say, 'I don't understand your music,' I say, 'Don't try to understand it: just try to feel it."

-Dizzy Gillespie

I cribbed that from a book review of Studs Turkel interviewing musical greats and watch me contradict myself throughout this post. Many things get lost in both blogging and posting, mostly tone. This why I know I have a long way to go as a writer because I do not always get my tone across and I will rarely resort to emoticons because they do not convey the variations in emotions and I find them a little...silly, for lack of an expletive.

Now, I can be something of a curmudgeon and unfortunately it comes across too strong sometimes in this medium. My mother was the type of person that either she liked you or she didn't, period. My father and most of that side of the family are of the Don Rickles school, don't say something nice unless you can say two hurtful things to compensate for that slip-up or a least one mean aside just loud enough for the complimentee to hear.

So when I say something a little gruff or come across a little too agro, I don't mean it that way. That is not where my heart is and unfortunately only the Missus seems to realize that. I am Prometheus with sandals soaked in gasoline, I burn every bridge I cross whether I want to or not.

So when I say I want every one to have a prosperous New Year, I actually mean that even though most would or should doubt that from my previous behavior. For those who don't have love in their lives? May you experience it and find twice as much as you found lacking the previous year. To those who have love in their lives, just as much if not more.

Health? A lot of bad things have happened to my co-workers, friends, family, and a bout of pneumonia ruined my family's summer and humbled me. My mother-in-law, her sister and the second to youngest sister-in-law have all escaped cancer within last sixteen months. So I've always wished good health to everyone, but on this New Year's Day? Even more so.

Prosperity. I want every one to be prosperous but especially those in the creative community because I believe the world is built on dreams to a larger degree and there is enough money to go around despite whatever a certain political party cries or what pundits say.

And if you don't believe me about dreams, go back to the cave and turn away from the light. Every facet of your life was created by a dream before it came to fruition including the spark between your parents that brought you into this world.

Happy New Year!