So in my blog about the details of the tour, I said I would write about what I learned about myself. So here it goes.
When I first said Iwould take the gig, I was nervous, so much so that I thought that I might back out. After talking with friends, they convinced me I would have a great time. I am so glad that I decided to listen to them. What an experience!
The drive to Naples, alone in the car,3 hours on the road, heading to a city I had never been in, to spend time with people I had never met, was a long one. I put on some music and drove. And cried, and cried and cried. I just let all the frustrations of life, work, home, etc out. It felt so good. No one to answer to. No one sitting next to me giving me advice. No reason to talk. Just drive and cry. It felt so good. I was renewed in a sense. I didn’t cry for all 3 hours, just the first hour and a half. After that God and I had a nice long talk. It had been a while since I had some real one on one with Him. I needed it. I quickly learned, that that was the purpose for the trip. For those 3 hours. And for the 3 hours on the road back. The way back was spent talking to a man who had a fabulous career as a pianist. The wisdom of someone of his age is like that of none other. To be able to “pick” his brain for 3 hours and ask questions that you usually dont get to ask. I learned so much on the first journey that I knew I could learn more.
One my favorite conversations was over dinner one night with Arlene, Robert and the Jane’s. They talked to me about their careers and working with Marilyn Monroe, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers. To here Jane talk about being able to walk over to the Singing in the Rain set and see them film it was incredible. To here Arlene talk about filming Journy to the Center of the Earth was phenomenal. To here Robert talk about his unveiling of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was fantastic. To know that I was eating dinner with some of Hollywood’s BIGGEST Stars was overwheming. These women had paved the way for women on the big screen. They are the reason Hollywood is what is today for women. To know that I was sitting with women, who probably would never perform again, due to their age was sad in a way. To know that I am currently the age they were when they were at their “brightest” was a reality check. They spoke about their families, their lives, their regrets. It made me think about what matters the most to me. For awhile I was consumed with having the next best thing and “keeping up with the Jones’s”. Who doesn’t have those temptations? But I had never looked at my life like they had looked at theirs. I had never been asked questions like they were asking. It was an eye opener. Another thing that the Lord had used to show me why I was on this show.
Now the whole show wasnt like that. There definately were some CRAZY fun times. Drinks and parties, dinner and drinks drinks and drinks. You get the point. But I was so worth it. I showed me who I was both personally and professionally. I have a new respect for myself. There were situations that I walked into and wasn’t sure how I was going to handle it. But I dug down,deep. I remembered what I had been taught in class, and what I had learned else where, both of which helped to solve problems. I learned that major MAJOR mistakes happen and how to deal with those too. I learned how to handle HIGHER management at Record Companies and how to handle irrate production team members.
Overall, all the way around, all encompassing, however you want to put it, I had a blast. The Lord showed me alot, I showed me alot…but hey…that’s what life is about.
