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Friday, September 18, 2015
epnews.com
SLEEPING ON THE BUS We know that it is true: time spent in only one area of our life will rob success from other important areas. But sometimes it is good to see it lived out in another’s life so we can grasp it more fully. One of my favorite western singers is Willie Nelson. I’ve listened to his songs for decades. I’ve visited his restaurant on the island of Maui, hoping to be able to get a little oneon-one time with this very busy man. Take a look at his schedule and you will know why I… and many others…never have been able to have that pleasure. Willie Nelson has been known to do 200 or more ‘gigs’ in one year. Traveling in the ‘Honeysuckle Rose,’ Willie connects with his audience in a way that few other performers do. This little 70+ year-old pigtailed guy from Abbot, Texas was picked to lead the singing of “America the beautiful” on the worldwide broadcast of a relief benefit for the victims of 9/11. He has also raised over $23 million for struggling family farms. However, this kind of ‘success’ comes at a high personal price. Lacking balance in personal areas, Willie is now married to wife number 4 and she and his 7 children rarely see him. Willie’s wife, Annie, lives with their two sons, Lukas, 14, and Micah, 12, in Maui, and look forward to the times when Willie can get there…‘when he can’. Even when Willie is back at his fabulous Austin, Texas compound – which includes a recording studio, golf course, and western film set -- he still lives on the bus. Neither this compound, nor his place in Maui is home – the bus is. If you are working more than 50-60 hours a week on your job or business, you’re probably spending too much time ‘on the bus’. Success in family, physical, spiritual, social, and personal development requires an investment of your time. “On the road again” makes for a fine country song but it will strangle your ultimate success with some of the more important things of life. We have all seen people from every walk of life falling into this trap. I know preachers who work 80 hours a week justifying it because it is the ‘Lord’s work’. Many physicians work long hours justifying it because they are ‘helping people’. Painters work under night lights because: ‘I’ve got to pay the bills.’ It’s easy to justify ‘living on the bus’ whether we are singing songs, saving souls, or fixing people’s leaking faucets. When that happens, prayers, tenderness, intimacy, relationships, spiritual growth and kindness are neglected, because they thrive in rest, not in speed. In his popular book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey laid out seven important practices. One of the last that he highlights is: ‘Sharpening the saw.’ If you are always relentlessly pursuing your dreams you may just be getting a dull blade. Thomas Edison went fishing each morning – throwing a line into the water without any bait on the hook. But it was his best time for creative thinking and coming up with new inventions. The Bible has some things to say about it. David, in the Old Testament book of Psalms gave God’s words of advice; “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) and Jesus admonished His disciples on one occasion when they had been ‘sleeping on the bus’, “Come apart and rest awhile.” Good advice from both the Father and the Son. Perhaps this is a good time to ask our partners or children to share about the amount of time they see us ‘sleeping on the bus’ and, with some of their insights, begin to get our priorities more in order. (Bob)
Silver City Bluegrass Band At Performance Park This Saturday The Fine Arts Guild of the Rockies is proud to present Silver City--the last offering of its Summer Series in Performance Park--on September 19th from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free but donations for the Lloyd Scott High School Music Scholarship will be gratefully accepted. Silver City is a new band from the Roaring Fork Valley steeped in mountain music. Eric Swanson (from Denver, CO, playing banjo), Kenny Gentry (from St. Louis, MO, playing mandolin) and Travis Blair (from Sebring, FL, playing fiddle and guitar) have been together for some time in the valley in a band called Thunderclaw. Silver City spun off as a side project when these three (and a few other erstwhile participants occasion-
ally) were joined by Philip Gibbs (from Austin, TX, playing guitar), who settled down in the Roaring Fork Valley in 2014. The band's name, Silver City, comes from a late 19th century, legendary, sprawling mining settlement. This settlement corresponded geographically with present day Aspen and surrounding area. The members of the band all contribute to vocals and share a love for Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers, Hank Williams and life in the mountains. Please grab a blanket and/or a lawn chair and join the Fine Arts Guild of the Rockies for a night of mountain music and a farewell to summer: September 19th at 7 p.m.
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A Huge Thank You To The YMCA Of The Rockies To The Editor: I am ashamed to say that I am only now acknowledging a truly gracious and generous deed…. At the end of this last school year, Courtney Hill and others at the YMCA of the Rockies, without hesitation, came to the immediate aide of a homeless Estes family. At the Estes Park Elementary School, we had been looking for ways to help a mom and her children to find a place to live. Courtney and other Y staff, were instrumental and immediate in helping this family to quickly resolve the problem. Within a week of being contacted, they provided the family with a free place to live, free meals, and access to all YMCA facilities and activities! It was
truly impressive and moving to see the efforts that were made—not to mention, the absolute generosity… The above mentioned family lived at the Y for over a month and a half, ate meals there, and enjoyed the facility activities until they were able to secure a permanent housing later in the summer. The mom has related to me that the people at the Y were extremely kind and caring—and she feels that many of them have become friends… It is really special to see such caring and generosity, and is certainly an example for us all!!! Sincerely, Holly Daley Elementary School Counselor