Another reason I'm having a hard time "quitting" Seattle

People that know me well know that I struggle with the Seattle winters. I don't mind the rain, its the absence of sun. But something about the weather here also produces some amazingly creative people. This is a story of how I met one of them.

In January, it snowed pretty hard here. I was off work because my building was literally not open. I knew I had the day off, so I picked up my acoustic guitar and walked carefully down the hill to 15th Avenue in Capital Hill where a bar called the Hopvine has a Wednesday night open mic. I arrived early to a nearly packed bar. Lots of 20 and 30 somethings were using the weather as an excuse to party on a school night. I knew I was literally twice as old as some of the bar patrons, but I care less about that the older I get. I had some soup and signed up to play.

Since I was early, I led the night off. I opened with Neil Young's "Out on the Weekend," then played a cover of a friends song and one of my own. The crowd was attentive and receptive, and I was pleased. The next up was a lovely young woman with a great voice. Third up was a young man that introduced himself as Jonathon and said that he had been writing some new material and wanted to try it out. He played a mahogany Guild guitar and I noticed right off that he was not only an exceptional singer but that even though he was playing to a room where half the people weren't even listening he approached the songs like he was singing in a stadium. He was intense and focused, and the songs were amazing. The next thought I had was that he was very young, extremely good looking and that he was probably going to be famous some day.

Jonathon played three songs. The person running the open mic asked him if he wanted to play a fourth and he considered it, then said, "no that is all I have worked on." He took a seat next to me in front of the stage and we talked for a while. I asked him how he liked the Guild he was playing, complemented him on his songs, and he said he liked the original I had played. I finished my "Arnold Palmer" (yes I drink the same thing that 10 years old's order) and walked back to my apartment.

Last night I went to the Fremont Abbey Arts Center to see Jonathon Blue (from Motopony) Gregory Paul and Jonathon Russell (from the Head and the Heart). Jonathon Blue was amazing. I don't quite understand how he makes three guitar strings sound so good, but the effect is that every syllable of his thought provoking, clever and oftentimes hilarious lyrics can be heard. Gregory Paul was also incredible, much more laid back but with songs that soar and harmonies from his female back-up singer that were flawless. Finally, Jonathon Russell took the stage, and that is when I realized that it was the same person who I had met at the Hopvine that snowy night two months ago. He held the 250+ people mesmorized for over an hour as he played one gorgeous melody after another. He ended the night by bringing his band up on stage to sing one with him. Finally, he put a record on a phonograph sitting next to his guitar stand and said, "thanks for coming, now I'm just going to hang out." I would have enjoyed the show anyway, but remembering how unpretentious and kind he had been the night I met him a couple of months ago made it all the more memorable.

Money isn't everything

I was having dinner with my niece Selina from Las Vegas the other night before the Star Anna show we attended at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard. I shared with her that the same morning I had turned down an offer for a job that would have paid me more money than I've ever made in my life. The job was interesting and important. I would have been working with people I respect and they promised me a lot of autonomy. They were guaranteeing me a month of vacation each year, a relocation allowance and performance bonuses. So why did I turn it down? The true answer is probably too complex to write in a few sentences, but I can lay out the broad strokes here. First, I love what I do right now. I manage a mediation program that touches peoples lives in a powerful way. I have been in the position for 2.5 years, and I feel like I am just hitting my stride. Second, while I could always use MORE money, I make good money, enough to provide for my means, save for retirement, even travel and buy things that support my passions, like playing music. Third, and probably most important, I have a support community here that I have fostered for 11 years that would not be easily duplicated, especially in a small community like the one this job was going to be in. I realized going through this process, that my reliance on a support system that allows me to stay sane and serene and to serve people who are in true need forms the base on which all of the talents and abilities that I bring to the table is built on. If I take away the base, all bets are off on the rest. I felt a lot of grace as I made this decision. Doing things for the right reasons seems to solidify my faith in myself and in the people and things around me. Life is a gift, and I was given a little snapshot of how blessed I truly am.