Some stories are easier to tell than to write.
Over the years, I have learned that people connect in different ways. Some people can read a story and immediately see themselves in it. Others hear that same story put to music and something about it suddenly feels familiar.
I am not trying to become a singer or songwriter. I simply found another way to tell a few stories about growing up, making mistakes, chasing dreams, learning patience and eventually understanding some lessons that took me a long time to understand.
What surprised me was hearing from other people who listened and said parts of these stories reminded them of their own lives, their own parents and some of the same roads they traveled.
So, if you made it this far into my story, here is a little more of it.
Sometimes “no” really meant “not yet.”
When I was young, I did not always understand why my parents tried to slow me down.
I had ideas about what I wanted to do and, like a lot of young people, I usually wanted to do them right then. When Dad said no, I sometimes heard it as somebody standing between me and where I wanted to go.
It took me a long time to understand that he was not necessarily trying to stop me.
He was trying to prepare me.
There were things I wanted before I was ready for them. Responsibilities I needed to grow into. Mistakes I probably needed to make while the consequences were still small enough to learn from.
Eventually, I began making my own decisions. Some worked. Some did not. I changed directions more than once, took a few roads I never expected to travel and learned that timing can matter just as much as determination.
Looking back now, I realize there is a big difference between a parent saying “You can’t do that” and saying “You’re not ready to do that yet.”
When you’re young, they can sound exactly the same.
This song came from thinking about those years and realizing that many of the things I once saw as obstacles were really people trying to help me become capable of standing on my own.
Of course, I did not always listen.
Sometimes I did it anyway.
Listen to “I Did It Anyway”
A personal story told through music.
It took me a long time to figure out what “enough” really meant.
I grew up with parents who had lived through harder times than I ever knew. They understood the value of a dollar, the importance of working for what you wanted and the difference between wanting something and needing it.
Like a lot of young people, I did not fully appreciate those lessons at the time.
I wanted to make something of myself.
So I worked. I chased opportunities, built a career, took on responsibilities and spent a lot of years believing that moving forward meant climbing a little higher, earning a little more and accomplishing the next thing.
There is nothing wrong with ambition. It took me to places I never expected to go and taught me lessons I would not trade.
But somewhere along the way, my definition of success began to change.
I eventually walked away from the coat and tie and returned to something I had wanted to do since I was young: make my living on the water.
Running a charter boat did not make life simpler. There were bills to pay, boats to fix, weather to worry about, fish that did not always cooperate and plenty of days when I wondered if I had lost my mind.
But there were also bent fishing poles, laughing kids, families spending time together and mornings when I got to watch the sun come up over the Gulf of Mexico and realize I was exactly where I wanted to be.
As I got older, I began to understand something my parents seemed to know long before I did.
Having more and having enough are not always the same thing.
Sometimes what you already have is more than enough.
This song came from looking back at that journey and realizing how long it took me to understand it.
Listen to “More Than Enough”
A personal story told through music.
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