Robert Grad

I'm on a plane right now headed back to Fort Myers. I'm going to be interviewed on the pilot of Jack's new TV show this weekend. I'm excited. It should be fun. I'll tell you more about it as I get a better idea of what it's going to be like. I think the interview and performance will be on the companion DVD to the upcoming "No Apologies" cd.

I knew I had to get up early this morning, so last night I went for a mellow dinner at a local deli in Venice. I miss Venice. I wandered around for a few minutes on the way back to my car. It's changed a lot since I moved there years ago, but it's still an interesting place. I live a mile or so south of Venice now. Amazing how different neighborhoods can be so close to each other. It's quiet and beautiful where I live, but the slice of humanity that haunts it's corners aren't near as interesting to me. I remember walking these streets depressed years ago when I was going through a hard time. "She" left and the rest of my world had come unraveled simultaneously. It was touch and go for awhile, but It eventually turned out to be a huge positive turning point in my life. Sometimes it's easier to let go when you have nothing to lose.

Today, my dreams are alive and in tact. Resurrected from the dead. Yet forever altered somehow. I'm not propelled by the same wants and needs and I have a sense that I'm doing what I was born to do. It feels good......grounded, real, and really good.

This flight is great. All my senses are on high alert. Surrounded by seniors and families all headed to Florida so we can sweat together in the heat and humidity. Kind of makes me feel closer to everyone somehow. The 2 year old in the next row is dressed like he's retired and waiting for his social security check so he can buy a new putter for his golf bag. I can't bring myself to read or listen to music. It's far too fascinating to simply look around and listen.

The guy in front of me just gave one of his kids a chocolate milk chug. Like, yo...milk chug....that's funny to me. Even chocolate milk is now made to be exciting and "edgy". Do we really want to feel cool that bad? So many brands and companies these days. New packaging, more marketing.....same chocolate milk. But maybe this is all to be embraced. These families with 12 screaming babies are all going to need jobs. And in a way, it works. I like the milk chug bottle. I want some. Maybe it'll make my day better. It's easy to be nostalgic about how things were...."simpler back then". But it's always been that way. It was always more simple before. We have billions of more people on this planet now. And was my childhood really that good? I was miserable and terrified most of the time. So for today, I'm gonna wrap my skinny arms around the chaos and enjoy some fancy milk.