All You Need Is Love

I have plenty of problems.  You see, when I am driving through a parking lot and looking for a space to park, if there are lots of available spaces, I can’t decide where to park.  I keep driving around until my wife says, “That’s the one!”  Then I thank her and park the damn car.  Menus do the same thing to me.  A large menu at a restaurant will also keep me spinning with no decision.  I usually end up asking the waiter what they recommend and choose from that.

That’s why, after posting a blog, I live in a bit of terror.  “What in the world should the next one be?”  And then I get all super critical of myself.  “No, that topic is tired”…or “This one is too much to heavy” or one that we all share in one form or another, “I’m not good enough to write that.”

Well?  My mentor (and friend) in all things Internet, Toby Goodman, assists me with my website and continually kicks me in the arse.  He’s English.  I love to hear him say “twitter”.  Brits enunciate their “t”s like nobody!  Anyway, Toby suggested I put the topics out there in front of me.  And then I should throw a dart and get to it!  Toby, it’s not working!  I have too much FUD – fear, uncertainty, doubt.

I’ve now realized the answer to that question lies in you. Yeah, you.  I’m asking you to tell me what you want.  I want to select from your menu!  Do you want to hear more about something that is in my vids? Or my book? Or someone else’s vids?  Or something that happened to you on the bandstand? In rehearsal?   Or is it something that was in your head when you woke up yesterday?  (Yeah, that last one might be the scariest) 

Staying in tune with this thread of us communicating, today the forum at my website has been reactivated so you can sign in and speak directly with me there.  This forum started before Facebook and was very active – 2k per day visitors!  Let’s compare private forums vs. Facebook.  I had thoughts of sticking with FB but they can change their rules and your posts disappear in a New York minute.  Also, a forum is able to maintain threads of interest. All the past posts have been saved at the Billy Ward Forum and there are incredible topics available for you to read and discuss.  Thousands of posts!  If you were a part of our family before, please go and sign up with your old ID or with a new one and give us a brief introduction about yourself!  I look forward to speaking honestly and sharing our truths and doubts with each other.  Don’t forget to leave a topic or two for me.

Before closing this week’s blog I wish to acknowledge one last thing.  Lately there is WAY too much trouble in the world with fires, storms, earthquakes and people and countries threatening each other.  My hope is that we as a people (and I mean all people) get it into our hearts that we have more in common with each other than the reverse.

I’m writing these words on Monday September 11th 2017.  I will never forget the anguish and terror that made this date a shivering memory.  I had just begun a clinic tour with John Good from DW and after a heart-wrenching decision making, I chose to continue on with John while my wife was in NYC less than one mile from the WTC.  Because of the ensuing breakdown of transportation and rampant fear that was chilling our country, John and my travels included taking a taxi from Pittsburgh to Canton Ohio as well as driving 10 hours to the next show because of cancelled flights.  What held me together…for both of us really, was music.  We always centered most of our listening on The Beatles.  There was lots of singing to music as well as crying in our car as we covered the entire US – east to west.  So today, for John and me, remembering 9/11 involves “Beatles day”.  Let’s all listen to more music and less hateful speech.  Deeds will take away hate and bias, not words. 

All You Need Is Love.

Thanks,

 Bw