I am extremely humble to the fact that I am one of the lucky ones, traveling the planet in search of the perfect beat, the call and response of our base tribal nature that transcends spoken language, and to clarify to myself what and who I am going to be before it's my time to push up those proverbial daisies.
I've seen life at its highest and lowest points: repeatedly narrowly avoiding death, creating life, surviving on ramen and stale bread, tasting caviar with dignitaries, trumping superstars in front of their fan bases and being humbled by upstarts with no bad habits to unlearn…all my personal sunshine and rain, the lifeblood of the green grass on my side of the fence. To say that I've lived a charmed life would be an understatement. By the same token, to say that I've arrived is the stuff of unraveling humility and the loss of the plot, that very same stuff that many of us have watched become the undoing of many of our peers, idols and family members, once blessed with good fortune, foiled by the elixir of arrogance and the inability to admit fault. Point being, it is the long, arduous and perpetual trip that makes us who we are, not arriving at the next physical destination. It's the routing of the trip between our respective ears, and the songs in each of our hearts that give our nature to the world, and leave our bread crumbs to be followed by those who see them before the next rainfall.
Today I feel blessed, more than I have in the past, despite growing up in an avid Baptist church-going family. Today's feeling comes from within, rather than the praise for and belief in a higher being. Today's blessings come from recognizing that I am far too old for luck to guide me, yet she keeps me in her line of sight, so many years past my need for her to protect me. I feel like I'm on the right track now, under the power of my talents, desires, humility, family, and guidance. And I'm more thankful than ever to any and all who think that what I have to say is worth even a fleeting glance. Tenacity and single-mindedness has given me the world's ear. Nothing more, and nothing less. Thank you for being here, and welcome to Week 43. UAE Bangin' Part 1...