So these essays I wrote at the end of the first 365 are some
pretty detailed, thick chunks of verbiage. I read almost the whole essay from
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2011
Operation 365... Blog 361
It lives here if you’re interested,
I decided it was worth it to react, chunk by chunk because it
brought back many memories. The first Operation 365 was different from this
one. I had overlooked that some. I mean I knew I could do it, because I had,
but the content was different in some profound ways. First, 2011 was a very
interesting moment in time. There was a list of things that happened that year
in this essay. I wrote,
“There was Osama Bin Laden getting killed (allegedly,) the
Rapture wacko, the tragic death of The “Macho Man” Randy Savage. There were
work stoppages in the NFL and NBA. The NBA one ended today, they say. There was
a lot more... The Occupy thing, The Great San Diego blackout, hurricanes,
snowstorms, earthquakes, worldwide revolt, people awakening largely, by and by.
What a great time to capture living. What a great time to be alive.”
At the end of 2011, it seemed change was just before us. The
Occupy movement represented people waking up and getting involved in the world
that homes them. I was thrilled by this development. It would have seemed
highly unlikely that 2012 would come with those things returning to how they
were all those years before 2011, and nothing changing much in that direction
since. 2016 did finally bring some motion, although it came in the opposite
way. The election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, culminating in Mr.
Trump’s January inauguration has made some people realize a lot is going on.
They are not in favor of all of it, and most importantly, something needs to be
done. Nobody seems to know what. I do.
People need to band together in search of our long-term
sustainable best interests. Those who believe we are all equal, those prepared
to march forward in love, will need to lead the way. We will need to set aside
the aspersions that have tarnished words that stand for our ideals like “peace
and “love” We must reclaim those words and set our nation forward in their
lofty, but very real ideals. I think once again, for the first time since 2011,
the world is ripe, and hopefully, ready for positive change.
When I looked back to 2011, I noticed that a large part of
the first 365 was about just that, looking back. It was important and told a
story that I felt needed to be told. . In the years leading up to 2011’’
“Operation 365,” I had accumulated a large library of videos, filmed at my Open
Mic and other shows I had hosted in the previous few years. I had all this
video of all these great times. I wrote,
“I also had wanted to share the story of all these folks (my
friends) and our experience. I didn’t realize how important that was to me
until some time into it, but I am really glad that got done. It seems secondary
whether people actually ingest that or not.
Exceptional things happen in this life and they are not
always documented. They are not always shared. There are no less significant
than anything else that has happened. No less interesting. I studied history. I
think life matters, every second. It is important for me to share this story. I
feel like it can help other people enjoy their lives. Having told it now, it’s
something I no longer feel the need to do in mine.”
My reply to this is three-fold. One, I did want to share
that story. It was important to me to keep this little tape out of mothballs
and get them out there for those who cared. I felt better after I did this.
Mission accomplished. I no longer felt the need to share all this, although I
am sure there is much more in my kitty. I received the following comment on
this video…
…just a couple of days ago.
Eric Weiss 2 days ago Highlighted comment
”Just saw this for the first time in years. My 3 year old daughter
loves to watch me play guitar, and I remembered these videos were floating around
somewhere. She made us watch it five times in a row. Thanks JJ for making it happen
in those days, and putting up these vids for posterity.”
My answer comment said this, “My pleasure to serve you and yours.
Thanks for playing. Hope to see you soon.”
This is why we do things, folks. Who knows how long it took
me to post that ten-minute video five plus years ago, all to get 64 views (so
far, and counting)? However long it was, it was worth it. That is why I shared
the history in the “Archives.”
I made an adjustment in this second 365 and it was far
deeper than just not sharing “Archives” in this second go-around. In fact, I
even stopped filming things for the most part, since then. If I film it, I want
to share it. If I don’t film it, I save myself from that compulsion. It was
good for then, but things have changed. That is the point, of all this so far,
today. I am no longer looking back. The Operation 365 2 is very different form
it’s predecessor in that way. It was far more about the present and how that is
preparing me for the future. It was almost like the final graduate course in
the ambitious undertaking we call life. I was less interested in telling old
stories and more interested in today and tomorrow.
In replacing the “Archives” with “Words” I took the step
toward finding my voice, talking in front of a camera, in a diverse array of
circumstances. If I wind up in radio or on TV, I imagine these daily exercises
will prepare me in a manner not entirely unlike the “Archives.” Living those
experiences. Recounting and sharing them, prepared me to move past them. I am
eager for a similar type of catharsis in the aftermath of this, here now.
Now we look forward, but I am humbled and honored to have
had that chance to look back, both from and to the enigmatic year that was
2011. That’s my first take on the closing essays on Operation 365 2.
Then, in a chunk, I called “The Benefits of 365ing,” I
advocated for anybody adding a daily component to their lives. Only a
compulsive, loony bird with something to prove, could execute an actual 365,
but there is plenty of room for folks, eat, think, read, write, dance, sing, or
whatever moves them each day. We are creatures of habit. We do what we do. If
you want to do something different, do it every day. Soon it will become second
nature. It will be what you do. Look at me. I finished this thing and here I
am, first thing in the morning, typing away to you. It is what I do. Not doing
stuff becomes harder then do it. I want to make three videos. I haven’t played
“In Your Eyes,” yet…
I expressed an awareness of my need to enlist others to help
me reach my goal of reaching far more people with my music and message. I
didn’t accomplish that to promote my 5th CD, ‘Gift to Be Alive,” as
I had hoped to at the first 365’s end. I also made a similar miscalculation
after the next CD came out, “Hallelujah Expressway.” I hope to God I am finally
ready to make that adjustment and align myself with a team of true
professionals for our next assault. It is time, my friends.
In 2011, I was a relatively new relationship. I lived alone.
Now we are married and have lived here together for almost five years.
Returning to the words of 2011, brings this home in a warm and touching manner.
I love you Leanne. May CD #7, featuring Leanne on drums will be the one. Either
way, it’s OK. There are many theaters, in which to make advance ourselves.
Powering Through.
So I’ve read and responded to a good chunk of the initial
two essays of the 365. Gosh, those suckers are long. OK. So I’ve made it half
way through Essay 2. Well, I think I’ll take this one chunk forward and if my
essays carry me all the way to New Year’ Eve, I think that would be OK. 2017,
we start fresh again. Well, I guess I’ll do this ‘til I’m done even if we limp
into 2017 a tad.
Some final thoughts for today, I would like to ultimately
release all of this as a book, or a series of books, “Operation 365 Presents:
40 Days and 40 Blogs.” This has fallen further down my priority list than it
was five years ago, but it would still be cool to get this out here. Like last
time, I will go through all of the original tunes and evaluate them. Many of
them will be reborn as new Jefferson Jay tunes that I play from time to time
when I feel like it. I even hired someone to help me with that this time. This
task is both time consuming and tedious. Thanks Nick.
“Maybe I'll eventually make a CD of Operation 365-penned
tunes.”
I wrote that in that essay five years ago. Finishing that,
five years later, is the main thing on my list to do for this day and this
week.
See you tomorrow, furthering our review of Operations 365, 1
and 2. We resume with “Revolution of the Mind - Ideas for a Brighter Tomorrow.”
See you then. XOXOXOXOXO
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