i’m on the road just now with minor empire, touring folk festivals and other venues in western canada. and during this tour i am spending a lot of time not playing music (which is mostly what touring is sometimes, for those of you that don’t know).
i struggle with this—touring in general, and particularly when there are too many days off, is very taxing in many ways. there is the going from 0 (waiting around all day) to 100 (being onstage in front of an audience), there is the not so nice hotel room, there is the having to spend energy meeting people, etc.
i am reminded of something that i was told while on a 10 day silent meditation retreat in bodhgaya. there was no hot water available to us during the retreat, and taking a shower was a major mental event because of this. and the teacher offered us an insight that a previous retreat attendee shared with him: “if i resist”, he said, “i suffer. but if i accept, all that i am doing is taking a cold shower.”
i’m trying to take a cold shower. but i miss my girls.