Contentment

Posted by Beki Hemingway on Nov 12, 2016

“I find myself so excited I can barely sit still or keep a thought in my head.
I think it’s the excitement that only a free man can feel.
A free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain.”

-Red
Shawshank Redemption

This is how I felt in September, when we boarded the plane for Dublin. Since then, the weather has turned colder and every day we are going through more firewood.

It’s cozy and we spend our days drinking lots of tea, practicing, perhaps a walk to the beach, trying to make good demos of our newer songs, and working on travel plans for 2017. Occasionally, we get to town to run errands. Some days, there isn’t much to do and so we don’t do much. It sounds boring, doesn’t it?

There are days when I think we ought to be out and about, doing more and seeing more—checking out all the pubs, going to every session, seeing all the museums and tourist attractions…but honestly, we have been coming to Ireland since 2001, and we’ve done a lot of that already. Lately, alcohol gives me migraines, and we’re happily tired out from a wonderful summer/fall house concert tour.

Truth is, I’m content.

With upcoming travels to Scotland, plans for a Christmas in Romania serving at Vis de Copil for a month, followed by visits to friends in England, rehearsals in February, a joint UK tour with the Sweet Sorrows in March, and more European adventures April and beyond, I am beginning to think we’re doing exactly what we ought to.

The opportunity for quiet time is scarce in today’s modern and tumultuous world, and it’s easy to pressure ourselves to think that making the most of every moment is running around, spending money, going places, etc. but there is something beautiful about staying home, spending time together, sitting by the fire, and just BEING.

Soon enough, we’ll be seeing and doing plenty—final recording plans, more touring, challenging volunteer positions—and we are looking forward to that time too, but for the moment, I am able (and happy to be free) to sit still…at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain.

Regards from the couch,
Beki (and Randy)