It’s June 7, the day of all days. Yes, again.
Usually, on this day, I publish a kind of “state of the state” blog post where I take stock, recall highlights and lowlights of the last 12 months, and reflect on who I am now and who I’d like to be a year from now. But as my 48th birthday approached (yes, really), and I started brainstorming about what I would write here, I realized that this year, I just didn’t have all that much to say.
Nothing new to say, anyway.
Actually, I haven’t had a whole lot to say all year: My blog has been dormant since my last post on December 31. I’m not even doing my Happiness Project this year. So I considered just skipping my traditional birthday post.
Then, this weekend, as I was driving around, my “Now” playlist on Spotify shuffled to Early James’ new single, “What a Strange Time to Be Alive.”
I first saw James and his band, the Latest, last November when they opened for the Lone Bellow at the Paradise here in Boston. I saw them again in April when they opened for Zachary Williams at City Winery and then served as his backing band. This gravelly-voiced, Alabama-based singer’s tangy sound is a combination of bluegrass, country, wistful folk, and southern-fried rock, and I became a fan of it almost instantly. (I especially dig his track “High Horse.”)
Anyway, it’s funny how you can hear a song multiple times, but it’s not until your head’s in a certain mindset that you really listen to the lyrics and they break through. “What a Strange Time to Be Alive,” off James’ sophomore album (out later this summer) is a perfect example of that.
So, rather than write an entire birthday blog post this year, I decided to just share Early James’ song and encourage you to listen for yourself:
Lordy, these really are strange times we’re (still) living in. I can’t wait for things to be better, and to stay that way.
And in the meantime … Happy birthday to me. 🙂
(Above photo credit: Will Stewart)
Martin's Musings 
In the meantime, happy birthday to you!
Thank you! 🙂