Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Comfort Zones

SOMETIMES I THINK settling in is the most dangerous thing.

We all have comfort zones. We all strive to make things as easy as possible. But I'm not sure we were created to have things easy.

I'm struggling with comfort zones right now. But I'm ready to deal with them.

Our new business, Second String Music, is definitely not a comfort zone. We went from paying cheap rent in a small and out of the way building to taking a giant leap to Fifth and Maine. It has been terrifying, exhilarating and a blast all at once. Sheryl and I face a future dotted with challenges and questions, and we are ready.

You can have comfort zones in your faith, work and relationships. I don't think God wants us to be comfortable. I think He wants to challenge us. I'm really going through the grinder right now when it comes to church, because it became too routine and comfortable. That fell on me and nobody else. So I've taken a big step back. I have no idea where it will lead.

I tend to become complacent. I avoid controversy if possible. Part of it is the newspaper reporter in me, not taking sides, trying to be as fair as possible. When somebody is angry and yelling, I let them vent. Most of the time there is little you can do. I learned that the hard way working for Gus Macker all those years. Listen and move on.

I walk away from conflict. Sheryl won't accept that and she's very good at making us face our issues. I hid for years in a basement and thought everything would work out fine. Geesh, figure it out, Hoser! I am a fortunate man now, indeed.

Big life decisions make you take a step back. I have more important things to worry about than people who use exclamation points all the time, or Facebook know-it-alls who type in all caps.

Playing music is putting yourself out there. Fun? Yes, more than you can imagine. But there's the uncertainty of it all that puts you on the edge. We have three huge Cheeseburger gigs coming up and two are at places I've never played before but always wanted to play. Friday night we're at the Quincy Boat Club Street Party. One week from Friday we are at the biggest party of the year in Quincy, the Knights of Columbus Barbecue. I have no doubt they will be epic and we'll be ready, but you never know what the weather will be like, if the crowd will accept you, if we'll have band or sound issues .... you roll with it, and it almost always works out.

There it is. "It almost always works out." Actually, it always works out, in one way or the other.

Can you tell I've got a Lake Michigan beach on the brain right now? I'm ready to do nothing, even if I have to do something uncomfortable, like drive for hours, find more ice and put up a tent.

I'm ready to put myself out there. Really, really ready.

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