“I can get a tip jar, gas up the car.  Trying to make a little change, down at the bar.  Or I can get a straight job, I done it before. Never minded workin hard, it’s who I’m workin for.” 

Gillian Welch

Here at the nrfh headquarters, we’re trying not to get drastic just yet.  Drastic like a sign in the yard.  Having run plenty hard for both good and bad reasons, we’re taking counsel from those who know us.  [Let me tell you my secret though, and all practicality aside.  I'd love to sell the house, pay off the monkeys, then buy an old RV and park it somewhere nice.  Maybe change locales for a change in scenery and weather conditions.  I've thought about it for so long it seems like a good idea just because it's familiar.]

Practicality is holding me in my own head like a loose tooth.

Back a few months ago I sold my keyboard for a temporary reason that later became permanent.  Then we sold our car on principle.  Mostly, I keep things pretty well listed on Ebay when they don’t see use in a week.  I got hit by a car on my bike and that was that.  Square on my feet now, I am where I am and that’s what I’m doing.  It’s an invigorating scramble, and important that I don’t complain because of the reasons I’ve gotten myself in this place.

This situation would seem flat out ridiculous were it not for some overarching target.  There was one, for I was recording an album about hope.  When you’re trusting in something, you use faith.  When you’re dependent on something, you develop hope. There is much we can put faith in, and the rest is hope.  The more you know about hope, the more you’ve likely struggled or aspired.  The more you know about faith, the more you’ve likely studied or experienced.  To “believe” is to use both of them together.

If just for a moment, assume the seeming irresponsibility of this artist is an exercise of hope.  After years of deliberate floundering for the sake of trying, I’ve been learning all along about what it is to hope.  For each of us, we want more than just what we could work hard to have.  There is an element of hope that is required for the mysteries of life to happen to us beautifully and extraordinarily.

“Hope of the Seen and Unseen” is the music resulting from these thoughts.  Have a listen and help me to spread the word.  This is the newest mix.