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Driving back tonight, I'm rolling through some pretty bad weather--remnants of a hurricane, it turns out. As soon as I get back into Arkansas, I watch power go out to an entire town--I can see the whole grid fall from this vantage point. For the next forty minutes, every time I come to a lighted area the power cuts out--usually accompanied by brilliant blue explosions here and there. Yeah, maybe it's the storm wreaking havoc, but in the back of my mind I know the truth--for three days the forces of rock n' roll stirred up a cauldron too powerful for heaven or earth to contain; this was always going to be the aftermath. I'll carry it with me the rest of my days.
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So, what did all this have to do with healing and redemption, you ask?
A year previous to this event, while the first Gonerfest was in full-swing, my Mom was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. It was near the end of her chemo when the fest was supposed to occur. Unfortunately, she hit a rough spot a day or two before I was to depart. Mom had to be hospitalized for several days and, needless to say, rocking was for once the last thing on my mind. I'll never forget how upset she was a couple weeks later when she found out I missed the show--I was hoping she had forgotten.
There were no sad tears this time around, though. Only smiles and healthy bodies full of energy. Some things in life will probably never change, like music's dominant role in mine. Walking through that door as the only bald one in the room? Joyous..
From this home, deepest thanks go to all the Gonerfest organizers as well as all the great bands that played. It truly was one of the happiest and most fun times of my entire life. Afterward, everyone around here felt more back on their feet that they had in a year, thanks to those contributions.
One last time, extra-special thanks to Cameron. During those rough days of extreme exhaustion and concern when the chips were down, there wasn't a "friend" or "brother" to be found anywhere. Lots of people step forward when they want something out of you but very few can be seen when genuine kindness and sacrifice are required. This was the best gift of all. Cheers.
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