On the Road Again
It was 10pm on Saturday night. The sold-out crowd of 15,000 people were watching as the headliner shuffled cautiously across the stage. Behind him were 11 other musicians, each waiting respectfully for the star of the night to take his seat.
I watched nervously as his old hands picked up his equally-old guitar and he began to play. He leaned toward the mic perfectly on cue with his band accompanying him, and belted out, “Whiskey river, take my mind…” I got all choked up as I watched the legendary Willie Nelson command the crowd’s attention. At 88 years old (yes, Willie Nelson is 88!) he performed as if age were irrelevant.
Willie Nelson was the final act of Farm Aid 2021 in Hartford Connecticut this past weekend. I had the honor of being there to watch him sing and play his guitar… and he was absolutely incredible! As the founder of Farm Aid—which has invested more than $25M in farms and farmers since it began in 1985—Willie Nelson has shown up every year with his talented friends to entertain, raise money, and keep his Support Local Farming message alive. (Heck, when your opening acts still include John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews after 35 years, you know you’ve created something sustainable!)
Two songs into his set, Willie paused to say, “With no touring for 18 months, and at my old age, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get to be on the road again. But here I am tonight, sitting here and surprising even myself!”
I have to admit, I was skeptical when I saw that Willie Nelson was going to be the final act of the festival. At his age, I assumed he’d be on earlier, and that they’d let the younger singers take the 10pm slot.
Shame on me. I was so wrong. Yet we all do this at times, don’t we? We assume certain facts based on someone’s age. I did it myself on Saturday night, assuming that Willie might not be able to hold the notes or strum his guitar like he used to. Yet there he was playing his classic songs, beaming as the crowd sang along to every single one. His love of his craft, his appreciation for our standing ovation—I imagined the night was just as magical as it had been back in 1985. He was timeless.
I’ve been thinking about Willie Nelson as I get ready to turn 50 on Sunday. A friend of mine asked me recently, and with a weird tone of sympathy, “How are you doing, you know, turning 50 next week? This must be hard for you.” Hard for me? What a funny thought.
But that’s when I had a flashback to being a kid and shopping with my mom in the party section of the grocery store. I remember seeing Age 50 birthday decorations that included “Over the Hill” banners, as well as gravestones and cobwebs on the black-colored plates and napkins. Back then, turning 50 seemed so sad.
I don’t feel over the hill. For me, turning 50 isn’t sad at all. In fact, it’s pretty exciting… I feel healthy and happy and strong. I’m grateful for what I have experienced thus far, and I’m even more excited by what’s to come.
I don’t know what I will be doing at 88, but if I can do it with the gusto of Willie Nelson, that’s something to be proud of. And if I can be surrounded by friends and family, even better, right?
How are you feeling at your current age? What could you be doing to feel better before your next birthday arrives? Do you have any goals you’d like to achieve? Do you have places you’d like to go, or relationships you’d like to invest more time in? Whatever it is you intend to do, take Willie Nelson’s young-at-heart attitude as you get yourself back on the proverbial road again.
After Saturday night, I’m seriously thinking about taking up the harmonica…
This Week’s Resources
Running a 5k While Also Raising 5k
My birthday is October 3, and Jessica’s birthday is October 11. Together we wanted to do something special that symbolizes health and wellness, and also supports a wonderful organization. We are going to be hosting a nationwide 5k and hope you will join us. I’ll be doing mine in Nashville this Saturday morning, and Jessica will be running with her kids in Acadia National Park on Monday October 11. We hope you’ll join us by walking or running your own 5k anytime between now and October 15. Not interested in running? No problem! You could still be awesome and join in the birthday fun by supporting this amazing organization: Amy-and-Jessicas-Birthday-5k Amy-and-Jessicas-Birthday-5k
Young Talent You Don’t Want to Miss
In addition to the well-known singers who took the main stage at Farm Aid, there were three other notable performers worth listening to. Nathaniel Rateliff from Denver Colorado combines folk with vintage rhythm and blues and absolutely crushes it with his new single Survivor. Then there’s Margo Price from Nashville, who’s not only awesome but was also recently elected to the Farm Aid Board. Last but certainly not least was Lukas Nelson, Willie’s wildly talented son. Think young Chris Stapleton with even more talent.
Leaving and Waving
You never know when your camera is capturing a special moment stamped in time forever. Take a look at this beautiful story and the corresponding chronology of photos from Deanna Dikeman’s pictures of her elderly parents. Featured recently in The New Yorker, Dikeman’s photo album captures her parents’ lifetime in the most simple yet beautiful way. Scroll through the photos to see what I mean: leaving and waving
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