Music is a wonderful thing. I have lost touch over the past year or so with much of my musical interest, but have begun to listen again. Listening is a wonderful thing, too. And essential to life, which, as I see it, is all about relationships. My mind is often a dark and uncomfortable place, if you were to look at it as the sum of all the words that flow through it. Mostly the dark words are just words, though. No intent or actual hurt involved. This stinks. It is uncomfortable and alienating. But through God's grace, I live, and some (hopefully) happy things will soon happen in my life. There are thousands of things for me to be thankful for including a loving family that does not receive enough credit. Someone helped me buy a guitar. I've played very little over the years, but decided to sit in public and play for a while tonight. A great idea. My amateur music joined with a young local musician who is light years ahead of me, and had the same idea for the night. I earned a dollar. That's right. One beautiful, hard earned and much appreciated American Greenback. Thank the Lord. It was a huge encouragement to me. Just thought that was a great thing, and the music took me away from myself and all the things I fear in this world for a while. It's been said in many ways I'm sure that music is a window into Heaven. I don't know but it's got me, and I hope I stick with it. Frustration and depression may melt away, or at least replace all these useless words in my head with notes.