One Year of Gratitude — Day 25

Joshua Briley
Jul 28, 2017 · 2 min read
Photo by Bryan Minear on Unsplash. Thank you Bryan.

It’s Friday and all my rowdy friends are coming over tonight. Well, they won’t be coming over to my house. Maybe I’ll see them at my gig tonight, though. That reminds me, “Alexa, play Outlaw Country.” Ahh, that familiar chug-a-chug sound of the brushes slapping against the snare drum. “On the road again. I just can’t wait to get on the road again.” My, oh my. How great does this song feel?

Willie Nelson knows a thing or two about living a happy life. I don’t think he’s one of the lucky ones, though. He’s had his share of hardships. I suspect he worked hard to create that wonderful life of his. And, I’ll bet it still isn’t always perfect. He works at it. You can tell by the way he talks. “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” Or, how about this quote from him? “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” And this may be my favorite:

My doctor tells me I should start slowing it down — but there are more old drunks than there are old doctors so let’s all have another round. — Willie Nelson

I’m convinced these outlaw country folks were on to something. Their music was simple. Their message was simple. It was honest. It didn’t seem like they had anything to hide. Here I am. Take me or leave me. That’s what I hear, anyway. They covered a broad range of topics. Love. Loneliness. Loss. Strength. Freedom. Good hearted women. The Devil. Georgia. Momma. Trains. The rain. Prison. Jackson. Faded roses from days gone by. Guitars. Cadillacs. And of course, Hillbilly music.

So, what exactly am I grateful for today? Good question. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe I’m grateful for people with integrity. Maybe I am inspired by people with enough confidence to live in a way that makes them happy. Maybe I’m thankful for their conviction. Maybe I’ve learned something this morning. Maybe it’s because a light just went off in my head. A light that shines on the power of simplicity. A light that shows that simple living is as much of a choice as living a busy, complex life. Maybe, there’s no reason at all. Maybe this Outlaw Country is just making me feel good this morning.

And by the way, you don’t have to call me Darlen… Darlen.

And that’s your gratitude for today…

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