The other night, we had the pleasure of playing at my son’s graduation party. It was a three family affair and the place was alive with the energy of both the myriad young people in attendance and their parents. I took the chance to talk to a number of my son’s friends and they expressed both delight at having finished high school and a certain trepidation about what was now before them. They were not unlike their parents, many of whom will be saying goodbye to their last child as they go off to college and a new kind of living reality which, for now, is a little unclear.

A lot of people there leaving behind something and taking on new direction. It’s a thrill, but it’s also a terror. There was a dynamic I noticed in these conversations that led me to believe even more that being timid stints growth, that if you’re stuck in the past, those fears, and those obstructions, you can only become a part of what is intended for you. You compromise your greater self.

It’s a feeling that I am coming to grips with in this musical journey. The timidity—it comes and goes; I hear an amazing musician and think to myself that I am kidding myself in trying to chart this path. What am I doing spending all this time? And then, on an evening when Wendy and I are clicking on every tune and I see heads nodding in appreciation for our work, I wonder the opposite. What took me so long to garner the courage? How can I find more time in working with Wendy in arranging these tunes so that they can accentuate the best that both of us have to offer? There’s never enough time.

We got a great boost when we played an open mic at Markoh’s a few weeks ago and they hired us on the spot to play on Friday the 24th of June. Do consider coming out for that; it’s an incredible feeling for us when we see our friends walk in, give us a nod and settle in for a couple of beers.

And we have a few more performances lined up as well. There is Markoh’s, of course, but we are also playing on July 1st at Fruitlands in Harvard as part of the July 4th celebration, and the Bravehearts 4th Annual Dylan Connelly Memorial Ride on July 9, also at Fruitlands.

We’re going to make the most of these chances and are excited for the work ahead in preparing to do our best for those and all that await us. No fear about it, just hard work and some diligence in getting an audience. It’ll pay off. Never fails.

Wendy Darling and the Lost Boy (with Matty and CJ) at Matty’s Grad Party….