2004-03-02 - 2:17 a.m.

God Rocks

Is there a mood setting above euphoric? Because I really need to find one that is several steps up. Those who are going to be disgusted by someone getting a bit spiritual and gushing about how wonderful life is should give the rest of this entry a miss, and most likely the next several.

I really can't explain it. I didn't do anything to deserve anything this good. I hope someone wrote down the alignment of the planets last week, because if it ever gets that way again, I want to be ready. Someone up in heaven this week pulled the lever on a slot machine (can you tell I've spent some time in casinos this week? I don't think God will be offended by my suggestion of virtual slot machines in heaven) and it came up with my name in all three windows. So God said, okay, that one, right there - give her anything she wants. Give her the stuff she thinks she can get, and give her the stuff she never thought she had a shot at getting but was wishing for. As long as she does her part, give her whatever she wants.

And man oh man, has it been good. And I have been thanking God every step of the way. For the big stuff like keeping me safe on the road and in the hotels, cheesy and non-cheesy. For not letting any of the late-night elevator people be predators, and not letting any great big trucks run over me during my 2600 miles on the road (that's not a typo). For keeping me healthy through all of this and guiding me around the little bit of ice and snow there was so I didn't fall and break anything. Also for the other stuff like all the cool people I met. For the patience to deal with the people who weren't so cool. For making people who have no earthly reason (which is how I know God did it) to be so very nice and caring to me go out of their way to do wonderful things for me and help me stay safe and happy. For aiming so many beautiful smiles in my direction and making some dreams I barely dared dream come true.

I don't live my life by the wisdom of Barry Manilow and Oprah Winfrey, but they do have some quotes that I always remember and that run through my head from time to time. Oprah has an expression that goes: Luck is opportunity meeting preparation. I believe that. I've been saying this week I am the luckiest person alive, but you do have to help a little. When God throws you cool stuff, you have to reach out and take it or it goes right by.

As for Barry, there are a couple of quotes I picked up from his shows several years ago. One was: "USE the good china." Life is short, what are you waiting for? Permission to be happy? This is not sound check. This is the show. The other thing he said, I'm sure I'll get a little wrong, but I'll tell you the basic idea. I wrote this down and had it stuck on my mirror for years. It was something like, "No one knows what you want as well as you do; no one wants you to have it as much as you do; and no one is going to do more to help you get it than you are." In my case at least, I'm not sure I agree completely with the last two parts of that. I have some wonderful friends who for some odd reason think I deserve good things, and would go out of their way to help me get them. But it goes along with the general "God helps those who help themselves" theme. I don't think it's selfish - at least that's not my interpretation of it. It just says, if you're not willing to take a few extra steps to do something for yourself, don't be surprised if no one else steps out in front of you to take the lead.

While I'm being all philosophical, there is an unattributed Swedish proverb that also fits well. It goes:

Fear less, hope more;
Whine less, breathe more;
Talk less, say more;
Hate less, love more;
And all good things are yours.

And it may seem odd coming from someone who just spent nine days roaming around following a rock band, but to get back to the ultimate source:

Praise be to God, from whom all good things come.

Or in my vernacular: God, you majorly rock, Dude. Thank you SO much.

my mood -

the mood of the whole world wide bleepin' web -