“I need to hear live music once a month…to be…legitimately happy.”
This morning these words came out of my mouth without thinking twice, including appropriate pauses.
My students laughed.
As I forced them to listen to my Avett Brothers station while we plugged away at photo shopping custom headlines for our yearbook (I am lucky to teach a bunch of technology geniuses) I realized it’s been more than a month and I am feening.
LUCKILY this Friday I have the opportunity to see a local HERO come back for a show in his home town. Tony Lopacinksi, of Earth to Andy, Train and Josh Gracin musical fame, is now part of Tailgate South out of Nashville. I was blessed to work with his adorably spunky wife Sarah at my first school who also did the calligraphy for our wedding invitations. She is the tiniest little firecracker and really inspired me in my first years as a teacher. They came to our wedding and all the girls went wild over the long-haired, rockstar guitarist from Train. We felt like celebrities. It was awesome. Well, these lovely folks are back in town for one show and I can’t wait for an amazing LIVE MUSIC fix and to see some old friends.
On a side note, Tony is currently going through the fight of his life as he battles Stage 4 Small Bowel Carcinoma.
“Through it all, Tony has kept his hair and positive attitude. He looks at this as an opportunity to “grab his megaphone” and speak out to other cancer patients and caregivers. He continues to perform shows with Tailgate South and to use his music as a tool to uplift others. He continues to write, to perform and to live because he has a dream to share his music with the world.”
BEAUTIFUL.
(Tony and his wife Sarah have a Caring Bridge site. On this site, there is a box you can check to receive an email every time they update Tony’s progress. There’s also a “guestbook” you can leave messages on for Tony – which he reads nearly every day.Please feel free to show Tony some support as he battles to “Kill the Beast!”)
This morning on the way to work a random Bob Seger song was playing on the radio and it didn’t get my attention until I heard the last lines.
“Those are the memories that make me a wealthy soul.
Those are the memories that make me a wealthy soul.”
And that, my friends, is why we need music, and people like Tony and Sarah in our lives.
To inspire,encourage, lift up, push on.
To give wealth to our souls.
Thank you for the inspiration to not only
continue the FIGHT
when things knock us down….
but to continue to
make things BEAUTIFUL.
And if that didn’t do it, something more to make you smile:
I’m contemplating first birthday ideas for AJH (coming up before we know it!). Here are some of my possible themes:
-rockstar
-Wizard of Oz
-Superhero
-Cowgirl
-Toy Story
I’m envisioning music, dressing up, tutus and capes because those are some of my her favorite things…Right? I mean, what kid doesn’t love capes and tutus?
From Punk Rock Lullaby. Might be too big for a one-year-old, though.
From Punk Rock Lullaby. How can I resist the temptation of this costume?
What’s your vote?
I’m thinking ROCKSTAR 😉
*Thanks Tony and Sarah for the special inspiration*
2 thoughts on “Not Tools and Topics Tuesday: Just random thoughts on music and babies”
The girl in the pink tutu and cowboy boots is so AJH! 🙂 I definitely think that look is fab. And PS – If you need a babysitter friday night, I'm in! 🙂 Haha.
You described Sarah and Tony like I met them, and I loved hearing ETA at JMU and watching the young girls fall all over him. Oh and then he "talked" to us [Aaron's preschool teachers] those girls were so jealous! 🙂