I’m thinking today about friends and their influence on our lives through the years. I’m anticipating talking to an old friend this afternoon whom I haven’t talked to in 40 years. I was corresponding with his wife, and I told her that there are things I still do every day that reflect a conversation or an experience I had with this friend, and that amazed me. Part of this is because we are so affected in our formative years by all the things we see and take in, and part of this is that wise habits and lessons we learn from our friends become lasting as we see their value in everyday living. Of course, it’s hard to see in the moment that these things are what will stick with us for all time, but when we reflect on them we can trace them back to a moment when they struck us in what might have been an ordinary situation. I’m in the midst of writing a song that will include this old friend’s name with a lesson of helping others instead of playing a trick on them. At the time I thought that he was missing a chance to have some fun, but he saw through to the core of the matter. Fun at someone else’s expense doesn’t really build and encourage the other person or the friendship. Even when it’s playful it still runs the risk of alienating the other person and is really unnecessary. That’s a valuable lesson to learn at any point in our lives, and is one that I am reminded of every time I try to be “clever” instead of just doing something helpful in the first place. Thank you to my friend “Grinner” for teaching me this lesson, and I’m looking forward to catching up with him.
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What have I been up to?
Last Saturday was great fun playing a concert at Wildwood Sounds in Del Norte. Steve and Konnie have a wonderful and comfortable listening room that is a musician’s dream to play in. Thank you so much!
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What am I up to this week?
Friday 6-9 is the first-Friday evening at Bistoro that I look forward to every month. The food, atmosphere, and vibe that these folks put out is so special, and if you haven’t experienced it I encourage you to! Call 719-696-9672 for reservations.
Sunday 7-8:15 MDT is my First-Sunday Online Living Room Concert on Facebook Live. The first outing of this on Facebook went really well once I figured out the interface, and this month I’ll do it from a larger screen so I can follow the comments better. Please tune in if you can. facebook.com/tom.munch
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That’s it for this week. Cherish your friends, and thanks for your friendship!
Best,
Tom
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Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing
Where: Bistoro, 109 Central Plaza, Pueblo. 719-696-9672
When: Friday, November 1, 6-9 pm
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing a concert from my living room
Where: online at facebook.com/tom.munch
When: Sunday, November 3, 7-8:15 pm MDT