This past Fri (4/15) I traveled to Cleveland to see my favorite band, Rush. I saw them in September at the NYS Fair, and they were incredible. On Friday I thought they were even more incredible!  The concert was filmed and will become their next live DVD, so I think that played a huge role in the atmosphere. The crowd was nuts, and Neil, Alex, and Geddy seemed especially energetic. Cleveland is only a 4 hour drive from Rochester and it was worth every minute!

I don’t know what it is about Rush that gets me so fired up. I’ve played the drums for 30 years and Neil Peart is one of the best drummers ever, so I’m sure that is a big part of it. I wouldn’t travel very far to see any band except Rush. I’ve seen plenty of good concerts in my life, but Fri night it was like I was transported to another world. I stood there the entire time completely focused on the stage. I didn’t notice the crowd or cameras or the time or anything else. For almost 3 hours it was just me and Rush.

After recent events in my life, I’ve begun to try and focus more on living in the moment and living each day to the fullest. That is no easy task with 4 jobs, 3 kids, and only 24 hours in each day, but I’m beginning to evaluate everything I do and ask myself if it needs to be done and how important it really is. I’m trying to take the long view and ask myself if I would regret my decision if I were to look back on it 40 years from now. I suspect that when I’m 90 I may not remember how many loads of laundry I did or how many times I cut the grass, but I will certainly remember Friday’s concert and many other things I experience every day. 

That being said, the laundry still has to get done and the grass still has to get cut, as do a million other tasks. The question is becoming which once ones should I be doing and which should I be delegating?  Time is becoming a very big deal in my life and I think it’s settling in that it is the most precious gift any of us are given. Like most people, I fear I waste too much of this valuable gift. I am resolved this year to change that to the greatest extent possible. In the past I would have skipped the Rush concert and spent a month kicking myself for it. Not this time – I’ve broken the pattern, at least in this one instance. Hopefully this is one step in the journey of 1,000 miles.