Where am I?

Hello, welcome to my blog. If you are reading this, thanks. I am excited to step into this new "home on the web" for my thoughts, experiences, observations, ramblings, and perhaps an occasional rant or two. I am grateful to be able to share it with you. By the way, Happy New Year! I can not remember a time when I have looked so favorably to the future. It is a wonderful feeling. Last night I played with the Gratitude Steel Band at a church in Downtown Detroit. It was so great, I have never played my drums from one year to the next before. It seems I have always played until a quarter to midnight, stopped, counted down, and then play immediately after till the sun comes up. Last night at 11:55PM we played an inspired version of the Halleluiah Chorus with both ther churchs' choir and Gratitudes' choir. With about a minute to go before midnight we did the big ending, everyone was cheering with excitement and anticipation when we broke into a groovy little vamp. The Reverend asked the band to keep playing as the whole church gathered in a huge circle and held hands. He grooved right with us as he led a pryer that had everyone yelling out "Amen", and "That's right", and "Preach on". It was electric. There was no countdown, just the big Amen at the end as the band kicked back into the big ending. People hugged, smiled, laughed, and cheered. The best part about it was that it was all so spontanious. None of it was planned out. I felt very fortunate to be able to help bring in the new year with so much positivity and energy. Not to mention it was the most wonderfully sober New Years Eve bash I have ever been to. I must admit, I approched the evening in much the same way I approach a vegan meal, (insert crafty explination here), but it turned out to be an experience that I will look back on fondly.

I think this whole blogging experience should be a lot of fun. Please comment, email, call, write, or visit soon. None of this makes any sense unless we can be interactive on some level. I would love to hear from you, and I look forward to your thoughts, questions, ideas, criticisms, pictures, music or whatever else we may share with one another. I will talk to you soon, and again, Happy New Year!

-John