The "Your Life is Your Story" Blog Archives

© Tom Gilbert

Read about quality family history and life story news, views, methods, products, links, services

                     ...and whatever else catches our fancy of personal historian  

June, 2018

Let Me Tell You About the Ride to Telluride

June 28, 2018



The fabulous Telluride Bluegrass Festival took place last week, starting on Thursday, June 21 and concluding on Sunday, June 24. If you are not familiar with either Telluride or the annual bluegrass festival then let me tell you about the ride to Telluride.

This ride began for me some thirty-five years ago. I was working in radio back then and really just getting started in the business. Some friends came along as we drove north from Albuquerque through scenic forests and very winding and twisting mountain roads to reach our destination. It was both exhilerating and frightening as we climbed to over 11,000 feet in some places and hugged the mountainside through places like Red Mountain Pass and the quaint village of Ouray.

Into the Colorado Rockies with jagged peaks and down into an old mining town of Telluride we drove. A group of us split the cost of a condo in town that nestled up to the mountainside with a lovely little creak running right by the backporch. Just being there was half the fun. But the music - oh, the music - is what makes the bluegrass festival so great.

I am still a little fuzzy about that first time there. I was young, and let's just say a bit Rocky Mountain High. But looking through the archives from Planet Bluegrass I think I can narrow it down to between 1981 and 1983. Some of the great acts that played those years were David Bromberg, the late-great John Hartford, Leon Russell, Delbert McClinton, Steve Goodman, Peter Rowan, Norman Blake, New Grass Revival and a host of others. Grinnin' and pickin'; rockin' and rollin'. It was a grand time.

This past weekend I finally returned to Telluride, this time older, maybe a bit wiser, a little less wild, but still quite appreciative of the beauty and enjoyment of it all. This was the 45th annual festival and it was a great experience. I especially enjoyed Sturgill Simpson closing out the festival with a very electric and energetic set on Sunday night.

We are all on a ride in life. Going back to Telluride was a highwater mark for me and one I will treasure. Making time and spending money on "experiences" is more important to me than "things". I am so very grateful for the ride.

Happy Pappy Day

June 17, 2018

Today is Father's Day. I got a text this morning from a longtime friend who has two grown children, a son and daughter, about the same ages as my kids. "Happy Pappy Day!" was the message.

In addition to feeling good about the text, it got me thinking about being a father and all the names we use to refer to this parental role. There's the formal father, but that's a bit stuffy for me. I like dad, daddy, pops and papa. I don't usually get called "Pappy", but it was fun to be addressed that way from my friend.

Being a dad is a responsibility, a job and an honor. It's not easy, but any parent, be it a mother or father, will assert that. It is, however, the best. Raising kids is in many ways what life is really all about. While we teach them they are returning the favor. It doesn't always feel like a lesson, especially when we wade into those difficult waters of discipline. But in the end being a dad is just, well, awesome!

What can we, the fathers in the world, best do for our kids? Is it take them fishing, play catch or go to Disneyland? Yes, all of that is wonderful, but what we really need to do is be there. The best present for any kid is the care and love that we give by just being present to them!

Sometimes I feel pressure to have deep, meaningful heart-to-heart talks with my daughter and son. It's best, however, to let that happen organically. It doesn't mean to miss the opportunity to tell them what they mean to you. But we have to remember that having those heart talks happens best out of times when we are just hanging out together. Don't ever let those opportunities pass or you might end up like the father Harry Chapin sings about in Cats in the Cradle.

My dad passed away half a dozen years ago and I do miss him. We had our differences, the natural tug-of-war that most fathers and sons engage in. He was stoic and didn't easily show his emotions, being a military man and of another generation. That's okay. I still got to know him and really see him. He was human and I learned to let him get down from the pedestal I put him on. He could be tough, but also tender. Hard on me at times, and then incredibly silly.

So to all the fathers a big shout out to you. Know that you have the gift of children with all that entails. Happy Pappy Day!

Hey June

June 8, 2018

With apologies to the Beatles and Hey Jude, I titled this post "Hey June" because in many ways the month of June is, for me, the most important month of the year. Let me unpack that for you.

First of all, as a teacher the month of June brings the long anticipated summer break. Kids love having summer and no school, but teachers also welcome the respite from the classroom. Don't be fooled by the myth that teachers actually have all summer off. Oh, no, we are busy with lesson plans, professional development and the all important reflection on our teaching philosophies, classroom management and ways to make education more meaningful, purposeful and even fun!

However, we do get some down time, and to me that is one of the most important and needed things in the life of an educator. During the school year the days are tightly packed and there is little discretionary time. Heck, if we get ten minutes to wolf down a sandwich at lunch that's pretty good. And little things like  bathroom breaks are few and far between.

So, yes, one week into June I am definitely enjoying the ability to go for a long walk, do some pleasure reading, or just sit and relax. This morning I was at an open space in the North Valley of Albuquerque, along the Rio Grande, where I got to sit quietly for twenty minutes and watch ducks float across a pond and dragonflies dance along the watery surface. Pretty nice.

June is the halfway mark of a calendar year, so it is a good time to assess how life is going for 2018. I do a lot of journaling and it is often in June that I write more often and go back and read entries from previous years, especially those written in the month of June.

I am frequently surprised at the number of significant events that have happened (or continue to happen) during June. Four birthdays of relatives, three of which are nephews who also happen to be godsons. A couple of wedding anniversaries, some graduations, and memories of my first hire as a teacher in 2011 (I am now seven years into this later career in life). I ran my first half-marathon in San Diego in June of 2006, and I celebrate a sobriety anniversary this month, too (27 years come June 22). Additionally, June marks life passings. It is hard to believe it will be a dozen years since my mother died come June 15. And the news of my wife's aunt about to make the transition from earthly life has been with us for over a week. She is still hanging on, but fortunately is surrounded by love ones and appears to be at peace.

It is so very important to reflect on life and appreciate all that we get to experience. Yes, of course, it is one day at a time, but over the years those life events accumulate. The good times and the bad are all part of the tapestry of living. The best way to view it is through eyes of gratitude.

So, thank you, June. Like the Beatles Hey Jude, we take it (life) and make it better, better, better...yeah!