5 Things I Think, May 30th

1) I think I had a fantastic set of days out in the woods. This was one of those festivals that feels like a family reunion, and it felt damn good to be in my personal Cheers, where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came. It was also nice to have Wifefish join me. We left Little Danger with his aunt and uncle and cousins, which he seemed to love.

2) Pursuant to #1, I think my hands are soooooore. I spent more hours pounding out rhythms in 5 days than I have in the previous 360. I have made the decision to drum for at least an hour each week, because that math is wrong. There were some tasty, tasty things going on and I had to force myself to bed at about 4:30 am the final day so I didn't drive in a coma. About 20 drummers going that night, laying it down for twice as many dancers at times. TASTY.

3) I think that I love coincidences that create magic. I had the feeling I should take a book of Rumi poetry with me this weekend, and so I did. Someone had posted quotes from his poetry in the "outhouse" for, shall we say, rumination. I sat at the campsite and read for a bit one afternoon, and a spider crawled across the page and stopped at a very poignant passage for me.
"Inside this new love, die.
Your way begins on the other side." (from Quietness)
I've been enjoying this new love of mine, this fatherhood, and this week I feel rejuvenated and reintegrated, as if I've tied the old me and the new me back into one singular guy.

I rewarded the spider for its literary "guidance" by not squashing it into a large asterisk.

4) I think I got to live up to my name this week. Arriving on site, I raced a massive thunderstorm cell to get the tent up. Beat it by about 3 minutes, and the hail came down. Who camps in the middle of one of the most energetic storm outbreaks in years? This guy. (And many of my awesome friends.) I still have mud under a toenail or two!

5) I think I'm afraid to step on my scale after this trip. I remember the days when people subsisted off hot dogs on forks...not so these days. Roughing it is a thing of the past. Aside from more bottles of wine being passed around the circle of camp chairs than one could count, a menu of beef stew, chili, breakfast casserole, blueberry-pomegranate pork (holyshit yum!), grilled ham, ginger pork, steak (beef and lamb) and more was on the fire at various times.

Thus, I looked at the scale this morning after my shower and thought better of it. My self esteem is quite full right now of rhythm and roughing and laughter and connection...I dare not puncture it with something so silly as an extra pound or two likely found after eating four dinners in one day. Don't judge me. It was delicious, and I am sure the drumming and dancing leeched at least a third of those calories back out.

Bonus #6) I think I missed all of you. It's good to be back, as awesome as it was to be gone for a while. I have so much catching up to do!

Happy Memorial Day, may those we remember be lifted in our hearts.