Creativity.
Inspiration.
Two things that you need to latch on to when they appear at your doorstep. Trust me on this one.
They can pass you by quickly, on stealth mode in your daily grind. It's easy to lose sight of them, or to barely recognize that they are in your presence. But if you stay open to the world around you, stay quiet deep within, you will hear them - and when you do, you must seize them, seize the moment, free your mind, know the flow, sense it, revel in it, submit to it ... and hope that life hasn't passed you by in the meantime.
Sure, easy for you to say.
Consider me one pissed-off Canuck today.
Here's the deal. A sacrilegious event occurred yesterday. Lord Stanley's Cup - the highest award in all of hockey - the gleaming 36" cup that every male Canadian kid dreams of raising when he's growing up - has gone south on us. Again. Literally.
You see, last night, the Anaheim Might Ducks (now that's a lame Disney-fied name if ever I've seen one), beat the Ottawa Senators to take home the Stanley Cup.
What? What has this world evolved into now?
We've got a war in Iraq. Kobe can't decide if he likes Los Angeles or not. Jordan's retired for good. The health care system is in the toilet.
And now - this.
The blues have always been something important to me and my spirit. I knew it was so when I first heard Cream on the radio playing "Crossroads" when I was in high school. I was on a trip with my parents, we'd just arrived home in our Toyota Celica, and I stayed in the car until the song was over. I knew that something special was contained in the chord structures and verse of the blues. Eric Clapton's spirited solo in "Crossroads" gave me a desire to search deep within the meaning of the blues ... and within it, I found Robert Johnson.
Very little is known of Robert's life. Robert had done his recordings in November 23, 26 and 27, 1936 in San Antonio and June 19 and 20, 1937 in Dallas. That's all of his recorded history. For many years, I was unable to find much more about him other than his legend. Then, I heard "Crossroads" ... "went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees" ... and something struck a chord deep within me.
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.