Operation 365... Blog 72

"Just keep you dreams alive and don't let anybody bring you down..."

These are the words I heard myself saying to a couple of high school students, walking to the parking lot after school. I guess some college recruitment lady was giving them the hard facts of life. "Never be yourself.""Your dreams will never come true." Stuff like that. The opposite of the stuff we teach kids the bulk of what the adult world is all about. After I said the words, I let them resonate in my head and it calmed me some. Occasionally we find wisdom where we least expect it, in ourselves

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 78 "On The Road Again" by Willie Nelson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIreq00zVdA

So before I conjured these words of wisdom at the end of the school day I was a little dejected about some things I'd rather not get into. Meanwhile, I had been editing the last few weeks of the blogs with thoughts of making a book maybe and I was reliving all these nice times I'd had on stage with my buddies. It made me dreamy about prospects on life on the road away from some of the trivial pettiness that some people choose to make their daily lives.

This song makes me feel good. Willie sums it up so well. "The life I love is makin' music with my friends..." Nice job Willie. You are an honorable man of conviction. No pun intended. I swear.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Archives - 78 Dennis Moore - 7-6-2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiosdFmG6Ss

So we are going to go one the road soon. Wes Davis and I, under the moniker, The Ocean Beach Road Show, are going to tour California in April. One of the people we will invariably visit with on our journey is my long-time friend Dennis Moore. Dennis and I were freshmen together at The University of Massachusetts-Amherst many, many moons ago. We have stayed friends and ever since, and now he lives with his wife, his daughter and his dog Tom in San Francisco.

Dennis was visiting me as my new Open Mic started on July 6, 2010. Here he is, playing one of his awesome tunes. He has a band up there called The Swammees and I would highly recommend checking them out if you like soulful rockin' bluesy stuff. I always have fun with I'm with Den and I look forward to seeing him and his in April

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 78 "Belgium"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khZBvCHC0kI

I guess, staying along the lines, of wanting to hit the road and be somewhere else, I conjured up "Belgium." I wrote "Belgium" after I'd been in Amsterdam for a few days, as long as I could handle then. It is a song about longing to be near family and friends when far away, as much as it's a song about travelling. Some of my friends here (that Petey Mueller again) like the song the most of mine, so I knew when I did it, it would be appreciated at least by a few particular amigos of mine. Speaking of amigos and loved one missed when far away, I think it was nice when Angel barked near the end, greeting my good friend, Paul Ruiz. Paul always helps me keep perspective when I'm feeling down. I guess we do that for each other. That's what friends are for. Two songs about friends, love, and the road. Angel is the pooch in the tune I'm alluding too. I missed her very much when she was but a pup and I was overseas having fun.

A special shout-out to Mr. 365, Beligian, Stefaan Engels, the dude who ran 365 marathons in 365 days, wrapping up that unbelievable feat just last week. Feel free to read more about that here. And I thought I was going overboard.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/world/2011/02/10/17220231.html

The doorbell even rang in the right key. Kismet.