Long Term Planning

I attended a Nancy Wilson concert a couple of weeks ago. Seeing Nancy Wilson was definitely on my bucket list. I mean the woman is phenomenal! Guess Who I Saw Today, anyone? So I went to the concert and Nancy, Ms. Wilson looked so frail and fragile. I mean the concert had been postponed from April because she had a collapsed lung. And it had clearly taken a toll on her. But when she opened her mouth and sang, man she still had the VOICE! She sounded awesome. Oh and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this was at the Kennedy Center and the large concert hall was packed with people young, old and everyone in between. So then Ms. Wilson announces that she’s been doing this for 55 years. Whoa!

So I had two thoughts about Ms. Wilson being in the game for 55 years. The first was that we probably won’t be going to Jay Z concerts at age 65. I mean for real, let’s keep it funky. Do you think anyone will be thinking about Soulja Boy two years from now, let alone fifty years from now? Me thinks not. And even if by chance there were a Hip Hop MCs from the 90s Reunion concert in 2050 I don’t know if I would want to attend. Awhile ago Amaretto and I were traveling down memory lane by playing “old” hip hop songs. And she put on Dr. Dre’s Explosive. After the first 16 bars, we looked at each other like, “did we really used to rock to this?” I mean at age seventy, do I really want to be yelling, “you more of a b**ch than a b**ch?” And that’s just one of the better lines. And so I scoff at Vh1 and their Hip Hop honor awards. Ha! You can't be serious... Because Ms. Wilson's three musicians were all over the age of sixty and they were still making money off their craft and skill. But as usual I digress...

My second thought was about commitment and longevity. 55 years! I can’t even imagine doing the same job for two years, let alone 55 years! That is commendable. And sometimes when I’m griping about this thing called life, I look to my grandmother and ask her how she did it. How did she work as a nurse in the same hospital for over 40 years? She did it in part because she had to. I mean she and my granddaddy had seven kids to raise in the segregated South. But she also did it because she loved nursing and therefore she loved her job.

My father retired from twenty years with a federal government agency, only to go to another federal government agency where he's been for the past eight years. I remember when Eddie Robinson retired from coaching football at Grambling after fifty six years. He said something along the lines about his greatest accomplishment was having the same wife and job for over fifty years. Well alright now! That as the kids say is what's up.

Yes, the world is a-changing and moving at a fast pace and people will have multiple jobs and careers in their lifetime. But man there's something to be said about sticking to something. I love when I hear older folk bragging about how they've been with the same company for thirty years. They're so daggone proud of themselves. And honestly, I smile inside a little too. There's something about riding it out for years because it's not always about you. It may be about supporting a spouse, children, keeping a home, making a life. And there's something about finding your true passion in life and doing it until you can't do it no more! Hoping that we all get to that point...

That’s my time y’all! Happy Rum Punch Friday!

Ms. Wilson doin' the damn thang!