15 Seconds of Fame (6 Years Later)

    Whoa. Here we are 7 years later but it feels like a thousand. The information age has expanded exponentially. When I said adios to blogging, social media was still new enough that our parents hadn't signed on yet. CDs, flashlights, calculators and paper were still in the game. Artists still had a chance to make a little money doing what they loved. It was all still manageable.  Today, news cycles occur every half hour. Everyone is an artist and no one has the time to listen. The Earth is heating up and we're all waiting for Southern California and Texas to finally feel the consequences. In the meantime, I've never been more grateful.
    I'm almost 44. With a 14 month old kid. In a longterm (unmarried) relationship with an incredibly lovely human being who also happens to be the devil. I'm writing to myself (remember, no one really has time to read this shxt) from the island of Kauai. I've got Hep C but they finally found the cure (not that it's changed my life in the slightest). 100% success rate with little to no pain. I'll be free and clear of the virus shortly after it hits the market in the fall. In the meantime, I've been taking steps to improve my health and I've never felt better, yet all the while, eating far more of my beloved McConnell's Mint Chip than I should. After 14 years of sobriety and 8 years of working my ass off and learning a good trade, I can afford this trip and not sweat the little stuff- for now. I'm well aware that it could all flame up any moment. Which is why I'm so grateful for today and it's blessings. There are so many people in this world who've got it so much tougher. Gotta stay humble.
    Hopefully, all of these life lessons and tweaks and improvements have made me a better person. Or maybe it's the other way around. In any case, while the 1st world continues to race by at the speed of light on the back of a gazillion zeros and ones through fiberoptic tetherings, I'll continue to change a few diapers, try to be nicer to my wifey, try to be nicer to you, and if there's any time left, make a little music. Oh, did I mention I'm in the coolest band noone has ever heard of?