Keep Your Head and C.Y.A.

Driving a horse, namely Rumor, in downtown Indianapolis during Labor Day weekend reminds me of very important and specific life lessons. No matter what happens keep your head. You literally have no control. Remember that when there are a thousand cars all pushing and shoving to keep you out of traffic, skateboarders jumping around the corner, fireworks going off at the stadium, and loud musicians under the Arts Garden to simply focus on what is directly in front of you. The only factor you have control over is managing the actions of the 2000-pound horse in front of you. But more importantly remember that you can’t control her actions you can only manage her decisions. She will make choices and each of those choices have consequences. Finally, keep your head. This sounds simple, but the truth of the matter is that if you freak out and lose your head, your horse will fly off the hook.

There are always surprises around the corner that will throw your world into chaos at a split second, the key is to adapt and adjust quickly. You can’t expect the unexpected but if you know how to keep your head everything will be okay. With nothing more than twelve dollars between my savings and checking accounts, I’m reminded of an idea from the movie “In Time.” “I’ve never had more than a day.” In a world where time is the currency and when your time runs out you die, having a day left means you’re constantly working and running to get more.

I’ve never had a true savings as people have suggested with multiple months of income. Even now with a move to Orlando pending at the end of the year every penny goes into paying rent, tomorrow. Even so, I’m not worried. I know that I will be going on tour in Europe for six weeks that will pay for the move as well as the rest of the bills through the remainder of the year. The point being that I’ve never had more than a day’s worth of money in the bank, yet I endure. I keep my head.

Security in life is such an illusion. We work long and hard hours at jobs most of us don’t even like to create some sense of comfort. I’ve managed to work enough jobs to know what I do and do not like for work. Here in the middle of my life I am capable of finding the work I love to do as well as work that I can do to survive that will not make me hate going to work everyday. Between drumming, stage-handing, and driving horses; I’ve got my bases covered.

As they say in the barn here at Yellow Rose Carriages, C.Y.A. Cover Your Ass. Exactly what happens every night whether I’m cleaning my harness, my carriage, or taking rides on the way home even when the other drivers suggest otherwise. I am covering my ass not only physically, making sure that I do what I do to the best of my ability, but also financially by ensuring that I take as many rides as I possibly can; all on top of endlessly striving toward a career in music, creating and performing. There’s no such thing as time off.

Everyday I’m hustling, practicing, learning, working, and teaching. As with my horse at work and when I walk Minnie, Madison’s dog, we are always training always learning something new and reinforcing the old. This is how I live my life. I still have a lifetime of learning to do, let’s get started.