Show #246

Hello Friends of the Garden!

Super sized cinnamon twist!

Ok, back to the breakfast of champions, donut, coffee and the newspaper! This routine is one that is easy to get behind! 

Fun times at the Fox!

I want to thank my friends Jerry, Kevin, John F., Jen, John and Debi, Mark and Lee, my brother David, and my beautiful wife Robin for going to see Robert Earl Keen with me in Hanford. I'd seen him many times before but this was a first for most of them! He put on a GREAT show but I'm prejudiced when it comes to Robert Earl! I'm putting that memory in the safety deposit box of my heart and cherish it forever! Thanks guys!

Keith & Mick before blood
transfusions and collagen!

It is a mysterious and curious thing how people come in to your life. You never realize from the onset how your path in life gets altered by the influences of the people you come in contact with! I can't say specifically what it is in the people you meet that makes you want to linger a little longer or move on, but I know it starts from deep within you. I know for me it is something that identifies a need of some kind. It could be knowledge or affirmation or simply the friendship of truly talented people that I admire are all things that I seek. Everyone of my friends fulfill some or all of those things or more! Man, am I thankful!

Clearly some deal with the Devil
to have lived this long and look
that good!

Trouble is, you never know when these worlds are gonna collide! What makes this even more peculiar is that every time I get together with friends it seems we keep finding odd connections with other people in our lives! Tiny circles! I'm beginning to believe that in Fresno it's "two degrees" of separation! Still, when you least expect it, you meet somebody that makes you stop and listen. That's so cool because it doesn't happen as often as you would like it to!

Migrating west with the family!

The other thing is you never know who these people are! They come out of nowhere! Having lived a migratory life for my formative years, at heart I have always felt like an immigrant. Being new and meeting new people becomes more difficult with age. When circles are established it's naturally difficult to break in to them and feel accepted. This happens on a much wider scale than we realize, kind of like, a not seeing the forest for the trees thing.

I was reading my newspaper about the executive order for the extreme vetting of refugees. I get that there are bad people out there but, the blanket way this is done seems counterproductive. You have no idea who you are turning away, good or bad! Albert Einstein, Joseph Pulitzer, John Muir, Irving Berlin, are all examples of immigrants that have made significant contributions to our country's legacy. With the exception of Arnold Schwarzenegger, there's a lot of good ones (just kidding, I liked Kindergarten Cop)!

I wish there was a way we could get to know these people. I know it's not practical but, I can't help but feel there's some jewels in there we're missing. Other than the true Native Americans, I have a hard time with this notion of being "native". In 1958, John F. Kennedy wrote, “Every American who has ever lived, with the exception of one group, was either an immigrant himself or a descendant of immigrants,” That really undermines the idea of being "native".

No spell check for hand
painted signs!

Entitlement through legacy and garnered influence smacks of exclusivity. The blanket way we address these and other issues always confuses me! I always wonder where are the super intelligent, savvy, innovative, kindhearted, generous people that should be representing us in our government? Aren't those the guys we're supposed to have? Instead, it seems, we are divided by individual "litmus test" type issues. Circle established! Both sides! Stop thinking! Done!

I'd say, that the general populous and my friends that agree with me and disagree all acknowledge that the traits of kindness and generosity exist in the American populous much more then selfishness and intolerance. Call me Pollyanna, I'm fine with that! I know I'm not alone in my thinking! Minds far greater than mine are way ahead of me! It may take time but that kindness and generosity will prevail, as it should naturally!

On to Show #246! I had a lot going on this week, it took a little before I could settle down and focus! Once I did it was easy! First off, we lost another great one in Butch Trucks this last week! So, Allman Bros. seems appropriate. First timers this week include: Mike Beck, Athena Andreadis, Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band, Nikki Lane and Ian Siegal & the Youngest Sons. Eventually, I wander back to my roots at the end! Fun times, can't wait!

Hey! I'm so pleased we got to see REK together Jerry and Robin! That was awesome! Great show! Great company! Thanks for being there!

Thank you kind listeners and readers of this blog! Please know that I am only searching for my own truths and not intending to claim to have possession of it! This has always been an expression. Please if I seem pretentious or inane disregard this and just enjoy the music! Call me!

Peace and love!

Mike