“Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward” Job 5:7. Okay, but everyday? Our personal family motto is “Embrace the Fiasco, because it’s coming”. You say you don’t believe me, well join me on any project or camping trip, and trust me you will be a believer. Speaking of catastrophe, well disaster struck the humble abode of Mr/Mrs Dave back in January, here it is July and it’s still going on, albeit subsided substantially. I won’t go into what occurred as that is not the point of this rambling. I found out about 10 years ago, that I suffer from depression, (I know it sounds like a catch phrase that everybody has, kinda like ADHD and peanut allergies in the mid ‘90s), I always wondered why everyone else seemed happy and I wasn’t, so luckily I had a Dr that said, “you know, you have all the symptoms of depression, have you ever been diagnosed?”, and just like that I have 4 more pills to take every day. Marvelous! Do I like taking them, no, do I like the results of taking them, yes, so off we go to the Tom Thumb pharmacy, where they actually know me by name. I guess it’s better than the beer store employees knowing your name. Yes, that occurred. Now I live on an even keel, being more up than down. Which is good. Then January 2026 hit, and as the song says, the walls came tumbling down, catastrophe strikes, followed by panic, worry and depression. Both me and Mrs Dave were mentally and physically toast, not knowing where to turn or what to do next, I mean there was no tunnel, let alone one with a light at the end of it. We spent the next few months going to work like zombies, coming home to an unrelenting malaise. (ooh, a big word). We shed a bunch of tears, together we fought hard enough to at least not give up completely. We relied on prayers, our life-group family at church, prayers, understanding friends, prayers, family members, and did I mention prayers.
So what on earth does this have to do with the blues, you ask. There is a song by Albert Cummings (look him up), “The Blues Make Me Feel So Good” that says it all. Music has the unique ability to work magic in one’s life. My dad was a “big band” man, he would say why would I listen to the blues, I don’t want to be sad. Hey, I don’t want to be sad either, I happen to find blues music rather soothing and comforting, it says something deep in your soul. It brings that “haw, haw, haw” back into your life. Something about the song’s lyrics have this “it’s really bad right now, but I know it’s going to be better”, even if it don’t, you feel like it will. Does that make sense? I can only think of one truly downer, it all sucks, we’re all gonna die song and that is Albert King’s live version of “Angel of Mercy”, but as bad of a picture that Al paints there is that wee bit of hope buried in there. If “Scuttle Buttin” or “House is a Rockin” don’t pick up your mood, then crank up Matt Schofield’s “Everyday I got the Blues” off the Live Trio album. Want to settle down a might, try listening to the Allman’s Live at Fillmore East. Sit back, close your eyes and let Duane and Gregg take you away. Of course you can do what I like to do, and that is play durn near anything from Howlin’ Wolf, my personal old-school favorite. His vocal style, groove and attitude are enough to lift you up a couple of notches, then put on some Ronnie Baker Brooks, if he doesn’t send you around the Merry-go-Round, you may need to check and make you still have a pulse.
This is the first serious writing I’ve done since January, are all things back to normal, no, have the problems been resolved, no. Have they resided a bit, yes, are me and the Mrs back to our pre-January states, very much no. We move forward, continuing with the prayers, and guidance from family and friends. I will be glad when the lemons are gone and the lemonade finished, (think about it, you’ll get it), I don’t ever want it again. So here’s to a good rest of the day, rest of the week, month and year. Good Riddance! We all face challenges of every kind as we whirl around the sun. Sometimes we don’t get answers for a long time, in the meantime, join me and, like the old days, put an album on, music heals much problems. (yes, I purposely put “much” instead of “many” there for reasons known only to me) Now if you will excuse me, I have an appointment with my close personal friends, Mr Schofield and Mr Wolf.
As always, Make a JoyFul Noise!
Mr Dave (aka me)
Best writing ever. Love you