There are so many expressions that people throw around, almost without sincerity, that messages and intent almost seem watered down. Sadly.
Notice how many times people will use the expression, “Thoughts and prayers” when someone is going through something difficult. If you haven’t been through it yourself, you don’t realize that even if you honestly are thinking about and praying for that person, that saying has gotten over saturated at this point.
I remember many years ago when I was going to be having my second open-heart surgery. Someone I did business with broke it to me gently that, “The bad news is, the people that you expect to be there for you won’t be. The good news is that the people that you least expect to be there for you will actually be the ones to step up.” He was speaking from firsthand experience, having battled cancer.
I often think of the scene in the movie “Wedding Crashers” where Will Farrell is faking sadness at a funeral to try to get the girl he’s next to. Meanwhile, Owen Wilson looks at the widow and her very real tears and the reality of the moment makes a real impact on him.
One element of the pandemic that I’m disappointed has gone away is the fact that everyone became very aware of their own mortality. Almost as a result, everyone started treating each other a whole lot nicer. It was an organic shift in behavior that was quite refreshing to see. With the lockdown long in our rear-view mirrors, however, people have gone back to “me first,” entitlement, and cussing each other out.
Life is too short, folks.
Last September I interviewed legendary songwriter Brett James for my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast. Exactly one week later he died in a crash of the private plane he was piloting. He was only 57 years old. We even talked about meeting each other in November at the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival what would’ve been two months later. I never got that chance.
Two weeks before that episode of NHTE was released, my interview with Ronnie Bowman came out. As seen in the accompanying photo, two months later I did get to meet him at the famed FloraBama. Eight days ago, he died in a motorcycle accident at just 64 years old.
The sad part is, I can go on and list others who have been on the podcast that are also now up in heaven with James and Bowman.
It must make us think about how we want to be remembered and then move us to do a self-audit to determine what we’re doing to achieve that, “If tomorrow never comes,” to quote lyrics from a Garth Brooks song. After all, there are too many instances now of people that I’m sure we all know “Gone too soon,” to quote lyrics from a Michael Jackson song.
Trust me when I say that I’m just as busy as the next guy, if not more so. I recently told someone that I work seven days a week and that that’s not an exaggeration. Let this be a wakeup call to me, personally, as we’ve all heard the expression, “No one on their death bed ever said, ‘I just wish I would’ve worked more’.”
There seems to be a move that people are making late in their career now, starting to move away from “Let’s see how much money I can make” to “Let’s see how many people I can help.” I love that and hope that we see it turn into a movement.
If you’re reading all this and thinking, “Hey, I’m young. There will be time for that later. Right now, I’ve got to make every dollar I can,” then be reminded that Taylor Hawkins died four years ago, one month after turning 50 years old. Heck, pop star Christina Grimmie was fatally shot when she was only 22 years old. There have also been Hollywood types who have passed away at young ages as well. (James Van Der Beek died last month at just 48 years old.)
Fame is fleeting. Without even trying I can think of two people who were or are all about their work, to the point of their family life being for all intents and purposes non-existent.
So again, if you were to go tomorrow, are you comfortable today that you would be remembered for what you really want to be known for, or is it all about fame, glory, awards, money, and attention?
A Member of the Recording Academy, I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more for over twenty years. What challenges are you having in your creator career that I can lend some insight to? Connect with me so you can take advantage of all my experience, and I can help and keep you moving forward.