August 17, 2005 Luxuriousness - ness
Wed Aug 17, 2005 3:31 pm
Episodes and Reflectives on Busing
http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/eisley
Well, it’s 8:00am. I’m the only one up in the bus. Oh wait. I think the bus driver is up, which is good since we're barreling down the highway doing 70mph. Besides him, I’m the only one who seems to be able to sleep for only a few hours, but wake up when feel like I have to get up because the sun is up.
Posturing the Heart
(Note: blibberings below are stream of conciousness centered around the fact that Eisley's Yahoo tour afforded them a bus... For subsequent tours, they'll be zooming across the country back in their home away from home - GMC 15 Passenger Van.)
hmm... What should I talk about? Let’s see - being on a bus? That’s what you’re asking? Well, first off, I’m intrigued by the whole, “we’re in a bus but don’t deserve to be” thing. Sounds negative, but I think it’s not so much a defeatist mindset as much as it is a “like it or not, we’re not here yet and, our van awaits us for upcoming tours, so let’s don’t get to comfortable..” But we are comfortable... today, so why not enjoy it?
The bus upgrade is sorta like that Penthouse hotel upgrade (see previous post). I’m not sure if I enjoyed it more, less, or the same being that it was a temporary lifestyle upgrade. Question: Should I enjoy this plush, spacious, bus with sofa’s, a table, refrigerator, coffee pot, with individual TV’s on each of 12 bunks, a 36” plazma TV at the front of the bus - and one in the lounge area in the back of the bus...any less than if it were a current, touring reality? Of course not.
Either way, I think the truth of this comes down this: We learn to build safeguards to protect our emotions in life so that expectations aren’t dashed in the face of failure or loss. We all want success, and occasionally taste it.. see glimpses of it... brush against it. Therefore, the only thing that would keep us from really enjoying the moment is fear of failure. I think it would be more healthy to work hard, not fear the lack of success or the fear of failure... and just enjoy the moment. “Live one day at a time... tomorrow has enough cares of it’s own.” I’m preaching to myself.
Overall, I think our attitude, while guarded, is pretty healthy. We’re going to enjoy this ride for all it’s worth... we’re going to live life as if there’s no tomorrow and relish this little road trip with our kid-like, giddy behavior intact. And I’m going to enjoy every mile viewed through the beautiful widescreen window to might right - exposing God’s arresting landscape - regardless whether or not there’s a future bus for Eisley... or a future in music at all.
A rich young rock star once said, “I can’t get no... satisfaction”. A rich young bus driver, Jeremy, once said,“ Always be content, but never be satisfied”. I say “be both, but always strive for excellence”... (wait ya’ll, why did i just quote myself?)
The First 3 Hours
I wondered what the band would do after climbing aboard the H3-45 Prevost - a.k.a. The USS Jeremy after climbing aboard outside the Bowery Ballroom. I knew that Weston would surely hang out, up front, with Jeremy (where I’m sitting right now) but I really thought the girls would hang out around the table area, the couches, be walking around checking everything out, enjoying the new mobile environment. I was wrong. The all band piled around the front...for hours, talking to our bus driver, Jeremy. Do I get to ride longer if I use the name Jeremy in a paragraph more than 4 times?
I finally fell asleep around 2:30am right in back of the lower cockpit - all knarled up on the short couch. I hear rumors that I talked in my sleep - prompted by their annoying forced conversation. I kept saying something about trying to get used to the space... the environment... the space. At 3:30am, I heard some of the band head back to the bunks... so I decided I should give some real sleep a try.
Top bunk is a little scary. You could roll off, but that was the only choice so I gladly climbed in. At 5:00 I was still awake... trying to get comfortable, trying to deal with the weird equilibrium, the feeling of floating and bouncing... moving forward but feeling like you’re moving backward at the same time... it’s trippy; like you’re inside an enclosed cabin... like you’re entombed on a boat, tossed at sea. But I was never queazy. I just rationalized that the physical stimulus was likened unto “perching” above our 57 Chevy back seat or sleeping on the floorboard (us 3 brothers traded between the back seat, the perch and the floorboard. the floorboard was my favorite even though it had the hump) while my dad drove 6 hrs from Louisiana to East Texas)... and finally crashed.
But when the bus stopped, I’d wake up; when the bus would hit a big bump or when the cabin pressure changed because of altitude, I’d toss and turn again. I think i got 3 hrs. max. I’m feeling it right now.
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We made it. We’re in a Hotel in downtown Chicago. It’s boring but we’re all chillin’ in our bedrooms. I’m the only one with internet because i have “earthlink”. There’s no wireless or eithernet...which sucks. ‘Took me an hour to get up and running since my Earthlink preferences didn’t make it over to my new Mac. Oh well... i’m on line now. I worked on the Switchfoot tour budget all afternoon in the bus until dark here in my hotel room, so I jumped at the opportunity to walk over to Borders with the girls and get coffee.
Talking to Chauntelle after the girls had been discussing how thankful they were for every thing - especially the bus, made me happy. Plus, it seems that Jeremy is really finding solace in Eisley’s friendly, sane, peaceable environment. He said it was “therapeutic” and he really needed this. That’s what makes it all worthwhile.That’s what this is all about...
talk tomorrow. bd
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