There are a little over 31 million seconds in a year. I wonder where we’ll all be, how we’ll all be, when those next ones click off.
A little over 31 million seconds ago, in late 2019, I was reflecting on a cool Nixons tour through most of the eastern part of the country. New music we were prepping to release. Songs I had coming with other artists. Booking flights for my writers for the upcoming Oklahoma Songwriters Festival. Locking in a couple Nixons new tours and shows. And a bunch of other stuff.
Then, as I sat in front of my telly, waiting to watch my fav NBA team, the Thunder play…in one second. One moment. All that stuff I had planned. We all had planned. Everything. Changed. When a player on OKC’s opposing team tested positive. For a virus none of us had heard of a few months before. That moment at an NBA game started the dominos falling. Game canceled. Games canceled. Season postponed. Shows canceled. Tours off. You guys know the rest. You know the numbers. I’m not gonna go back through all the things we’ve all lived through this year.
Just gonna say: I’m gonna savor every second in this next year. Cause you just don’t know if in one second, things could change again. And from what? Who knows.
It sucks The Nixons couldn’t do that tour we had planned. Y’all would have loved it. It’s a bummer I had to do my songwriters fest with just me and one dude on stage, and several other songwriters remotely performing.
But you know what. Good things did happen. The Nixons DID release new music. And I’m incredibly proud of it. We did do a livestream from Texas, that was so much fun and so rewarding to see how many folks watched. In November we taped a show at a place called Toucan Productions that will air early ’21. We got to use all their fancy toys. Wrap around video walls. Light show from hell. It’s gonna be badass. I might even watch:)
I have tons of music I’ve written over the years that never found light of day. Stuck at home. Bored. Listening back. Decided, screw it, let’s release it. So I did. Not one but two E.P.’s. Solo releases for the first time since 2004. I did pull off that songwriter event and was blown away at the messages from other states, countries that watched online.
Right at the beginning of this whole thing, I got a call from my pals in Shinedown letting me know they were releasing a song I had cowritten several years earlier called “Atlas Falls” for charity, to their fans. That song has generated over half a million dollars for Direct Relief, who provide support to frontline medical workers. Oh yeah, it went to #1 on the rock chart.
There’s good stuff out there.
Wait a second.
One second.
Take a breath.
We’re all gonna take a bunch of ‘em this year. Those 31 million plus seconds are gonna tick away no matter what you or I think or want or hope.
Soak up every one. Eat up every one. Maybe we’ll count the last few down together next year.
10 (the month my wife was born), 9, 8 (the month I was born. The day of the month my oldest son was born).
7 (my favorite number)
6, 5 (high ones to all y’all), 4, 3,
2, 1 (the month my youngest was born).
Zero. The amount of regrets I hope you all have when this year ends.
Peace.
Be nice and be good.
z
