On a former contract, I had to present a briefing to senior federal staff. This was my first time updating the brass so I wanted to make sure it went off without a hitch. My undiagnosed OCD kicked in and I did several hours of prep work for a 20-minute presentation. I made sure all data was accurate, slides were in order, and tried to anticipate any questions that might come my way. At the end of the meeting, our federal lead came up to me. "Wow, Wayne. You just dove right in and weren't nervous at all."
Pfft. Why would I be nervous? I just nodded my head, smiled, and thanked him. He didn't know that in a prior life, I'd received a couple of thorough dressing-downs by Marine Corps gunnery sergeants and Navy captains. After those experiences, I assure you, there are very few things that can make me flinch - a certain redhead being a notable exception.
Sometimes, though, stress does build up and I've found music to be an excellent salve. I once had a CD single of Pachebel's Cannon in D that I'd queue up before heading into college finals. Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" is another song that's earned a permanent spot on my "Chill" playlist.
However, it was years before I even knew the song's name. This was of course way back in the last century before YouTube, Google, and apps on smartphones that could identify a song by sampling snippets of a tune. Elusively, I'd catch it mid-chorus on the radio but I never heard the DJ announcing the song or artist. The most infuriating instance was me walking into a record store and the song was being piped over the store's PA system. I ran to the only store employee I saw and asked if he knew what was currently playing. "Naw, man, sorry. It sounds like an oldie, though."
Thanks for nothing, uninformed record store dude.
Somewhere along the way, I eventually overcame the trickster gods of music and discovered Dobie Gray. When this tune was first featured way back on Day 7 of this blog's first year, I cited "noise" in our lives from everyone and everything demanding your attention. In the last 10 years, the noise has been aggravated by us being constantly tethered to our smartphones. We're always connected and the noise never abates.
I'm thankful I have the wherewithal to be able to step away when needed. I'm hoping you do too. Perhaps with a good bourbon and maybe a cigar, just as I suggested in the original post.
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