Shinybass Journal Entry 09/12/24

Tendencies…

I used to play in downtown Nashville at a venue called Assembly Food Hall. Let the record show that I am not a fan of ‘Lower Broad’ as they call it, and my laundry list of contention grows as I get older and more cranky. Assembly Food Hall’s location was the only similarity to Lower Broad. Truth be told, playing there is like playing in an airport food court. Patrons sit for an hour or so to eat, regroup, and get back to their Music City Bingo checklist sheets. It’s not a destination for many, but thankfully, we did see repeat local business, and it provided a platform for my son to join me to play onstage for the first time (and on my birthday, no less). 

I played at Assembly twice a week with long time friend Aubrey Grant, a remarkable vocalist and even better human being. We live close to each other, so we carpooled to work, which became 25 minutes of laughs and therapy for both of us each way. The weekend drives home were quieter from exhaustion, but we still managed a few laughs and insightful observations. 

The potholes in and around Nashville are legendary. True axle busters used to be everywhere, and with some, no matter how often they are patched, they seem to carve out again. There is one such area on I-40 E just before Briley in the far left lane. As I would drive home tired, I would forget that cavern was in the road and nail it. I probably got it 3 times. After the second time, Aubrey casually says ‘If you know it’s there, maybe you should avoid it?’ He’s not wrong. After that I made a focused effort to avoid the pothole. Now I can’t drive by it without hearing Aubrey in my ear. 

There are many of these learning opportunities that I should take advantage of. My wife would be incensed that I didn’t use timers when I cook. I would use my ‘judgement’ instead. Well, that didn’t always work out. I would surprise her and say ‘Look honey, I’m using a timer!’ To which she would respond as if I were a toddler ‘That’s great honey, good job!’ and pat my shoulder like I just got a gold star. The sarcasm was dripping from the pasta thongs. 

She’s right. I mean, the things we do and more importantly don’t do should be looked at from time to time. Some companies call it a quarterly review. What are some tendencies that you get into that you shouldn’t? I can name a few that I need to change. First, I need to stay on top of laundry. There is a home for everything. Get it there! Second, I tend to try and sneak in a project between other projects. Sometimes it works, sometimes I find myself creating more work later. I’m thinking the 15 or 30 minutes should be devoted to reading a book instead. 

During the commute with Aubrey, of course we see all kinds of traffic, with all kinds of drivers. Once a driver pulled out in front of us without much regard to traffic laws. They made a quick left turn, and as they sped past, I noticed the left front bumper and quarter panel were bashed in. I just said ‘Well, he’s done that before’. And that observation and driver is the impetus for this column. 

After that happened, I’ve been doing an informal and silent survey of the drivers around here. I’ve noticed so many dinged up cars that tend to behave in a way that would get them dinged up. Funny how that works, right? I see a car drift to the right, and lo and behold, the right mirror isn’t there, or the paint is already scratched to hell. I see a car tailing another too closely, only to find their front bumper is already pushed in. 

First, not only does this make me a more vigilant driver, but I also take it to another place altogether. When you drive, you are in a communal situation whether you like it or not, and everyone’s safety is in your hands. Don’t stop and think about that because you’ll never drive again. Especially if you flip that to the other driver being responsible for YOUR SAFETY. 

If this is how it is in public, how is it in private? I’m not bashing anyone’s house or decor or anything, but what harmful tendencies do we possess that we should probably look into? Probably the ones that we can’t see and no one will tell us about; we talk too much, care too little, we pick our nose involuntarily, we eat bad food then feel guilty about it. The list could be short or long. There’s probably some little change we could make that could make all the difference in the world. The key to it, however is recognizing the behavior. 

I have a messy desk. It’s a video editing station, a music production station, a writing station. I’ve got charging cables and controllers and random stuff all over it. That, my friends, is going to change. Cleaning and organizing my desk won’t change the world, but it will make mine a little more manageable. Baby steps. 

As we move forward in our lives, we should be looking within. Not searching per se, but just being aware. Once we are aware, we become more inclined to adjust. Of course the road to perfection is a journey that will remain fruitless, but we can make our lives a little more enjoyable and sensible along the way if we can spot our time-worn habits that may need a nudge. 

See you on the road! (Maybe)