The 101st birthday of bluesman Robert Johnson last week got me thinking about the man and his music. It also got me thinking about how “the crossroads” is a recurring theme in life.
In a previous post, I mentioned my now-legendary discovery of “Crossroads Blues” at an early age while sitting in the back of our Toyota Celica. Then, many years later, my curiosity got the better of me. In death, as much as in life, Johnson was a man of epic proportions, yet of great mysticism and legend. I wanted to learn more about the legend.
So what did I do? There was one obvious choice: to travel to Mississippi in search of the legendary crossroads at the intersection of Highways 49 and 61.
It is amazing how time flies by so quickly and how easy it is to lose track of what is going on in the news. Over the past few weeks, I have been preparing a two day course, with the final product being presented in Reno this past weekend. Even with the barrage of digital data that pervades our existence these days, it is still pretty easy to lose sight of what is happening in the world when you are on the road.
During my travels I was able to explore Desolation Wilderness, just outside of South Lake Tahoe, and revisit that thing called peace and quiet – otherwise known as solitude. It is still possible to remove the digital leash in order to be one with the analog world.
And then, I came back to the real world – where rhubarb is plentiful once again. Here is Episode 40 of the Rhubarb Report – a smattering of rhubarb from the worlds of sport and politics.
The date is May 8. For many, it’s just another day on the calendar. But for me, it’s more than just any old date. It is a day to remember two legends. It is a day to remember two people that had a huge impact on my world - for totally different reasons.
May 8 is bluesman Robert Johnson’s birthday. This year is the 101st anniversary of his birth. May 8 is also the date of Gilles Villeneuve’s death, now a somber 30 years ago.
This day brings joy in knowing what these two legends contributed to my world. But it also brings sadness with reflection on that sad day 30 years ago.
You can see it happen on either end of the continuum. And it happens all the way from white collar to blue collar, from elite athlete to couch potato, and all points in between.
Some people need to get out of their heads. And some people need to get into their heads.
I know plenty of people that are constantly existing within their own heads. They are mulling things over, pondering, obsessing about issues that are really non-issues and weighing the ramifications of the results of pondering those same issues that seem to be weighing heavily on … well, I think you get the idea. Paralysis of analysis prevents action and forward motion from taking place. Instead of just “doing”, there is drama. And lots of it.
Then there are the people who really do need to get into their own heads.
It is as though a hush fell over the crowd. After a bazillion Republican presidential debates, countless nasty ads, and a race that looked more like Survivor than it did a presidential candidacy, there is now - silence. College basketball is over. More silence. College football is still a few months away. More silence.
But there always seems to be a way to find the irony – or humor – or both in tandem in our daily news. Truth is, without doubt, stranger than fiction. Just turn on your television and you will see what I mean. A click of the dial (hey, I am old school) will put you front and center with Dr. Oz, Jerry Springer, Oprah, Sports Center, FOX News, and the Real Housewives of Orange County. Wow. How times have changed. That’s a long way from the Little Rascals and the nightly news.
This episode of the Rhubarb Report brings sport to the forefront – or at least what we once considered sport.
There is but one reality that we all experience. But out of one reality emerges many perceptions and beliefs. Some are well-grounded in science and logic – others, not so much.
We each develop our own model of reality, and we select data to confirm our biases. We can choose to consider and reflect upon all of the available data – and integrate that into our model – or we can choose to simply select that which is self-serving.
This has been brought to my attention a number of times recently. Sometimes, perhaps more than we would like to believe, beliefs and perceptions win out over good science, reasoning, outcomes, and results. Beliefs and perceptions can in fact prevent solutions from becoming realistic and successful long-term options.
I will admit – this approach to life has never made sense to me.
We are all faced with challenges in our lives. It could be at work. It could be at home. It may start to feel like there isn’t even a moment away from the noise.
It would appear that although the types of challenge may change, there is always plenty of adversity to go around. I don’t know a single person that hasn’t been faced with a life challenge of some form or another.
I can remember my best friend Richard always saying “tough times pass, tough people last”. But it is more than just being tough enough to weather the storm. It is more than just being able to hunker down and survive the onslaught. It is beyond simply shutting out the noise and moving on.
The paradox of adversity is that although it is something we could all do without, it is integral to our growth. Much as we would like clear skies and smooth seas on a daily basis, adversity teaches us many things about life.
Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sports, education, and health care. Read more about Allan here.