Dear Reader,
It’s Friday, April 12th. Which means it is
’s birthday!! So, Happy Birthday sweetheart, I hope it’s a good one.We woke up this morning to gale force winds and temps back down in the 30’s. While I was truly enjoying the sun and the springlike weather last week, the return of winter here in E TN means something else is ready to burst forward and beautify the world with its blooms.
This is our 3rd “Little Winter”, and it is called the “Dogwood Winter”. Damn that would make a good band name….
Next week, the woods will be white with Dogwood blooms, along with the leftover Cherry blossoms, and Redbuds that are still holding their flowers from the last two week’s little winters.
But we have to get through today first.
Things don’t happen all at once here in the mountains. Not like it does in the flatlands. Things here happen slowly. Deliberately. Spring in the mountains develops and comes about over several months. It is a process, not a moment.
If you’re not from here, or, if you are someone who is accustomed to instant gratification, this may cause you some anxiety.
Anxiety. Such a strange feeling. Like fear, but less controllable once it takes hold. At least fear tends to force action, anxiety wraps itself around you and convinces you that there’s nothing to be done.
I do not typically suffer from anxiety, although I have experienced it.
Like back in 2020.
Yeah, you know what happened. (And what didn’t REALLY happen)
If you’re not aware of the events of that lost year, I will not discuss them here. But I encourage you to take a look at
’s page. He can fill you in on the details of this particular time line.Anyway, that Spring was a real a test for me and my family. I had just walked away from an almost 20 year old “career” in November of 2019. El and I had decided to do things our own way for our second act. The events of 2020 would not stop us. We are far too strong willed to quit so easy.
But that wasn’t obvious then. Nothing felt real. Everything was a contradiction of something else, and reality felt thin.
I could feel the anxiety begin coiling around me like a snake. With each passing day I felt less and less capable of movement.
I was struggling mentally to find a way forward. Every idea I had, was immediately met with more obstacles than we could overcome.
We were physically stuck as well. With no live music to travel to, we were forced to find new ways to take our musical medicine.
Billy (Strings) would do live sets from his living room, and Nugs.net was born from necessity, providing live concerts both old and new.
It was a time of growth not unlike Spring in the mountains. It wasn’t the full speed ahead, unstoppable, musical momentum of 2019. No, it was happening just under the surface. So many beautiful blooms being born just out of sight.
There was one album released that Spring that stands alone to me. One album that will forever be considered THE 2020 album….to me at least. It was written and recorded by a man who had also begun something new in 2019 and was trying his damndest to keep his momentum.
I kept this album playing on a loop that year, pumping those tunes, and those uplifting lyrics straight into my brain as I hammered away, making big rocks into little ones.
Thank you Mihali, I’m not sure if I’d have made it through without you homie.
Also, I’d like to dedicate this week’s post, and this album, to my friend Mac. I hope you read this, and I hope you remember the tune dude. It’s for you my friend.
So without further blathering by me, I submit to you my choice for Freedom Music Friday.
I can’t think of any music that has it’s roots deeper in the soil of Freedom than this.
I give you “Hypocrite” by Mihali.
This is my favorite song from the album. It runs deep…..
I also encourage you to listen to this one, it is the title track and some of the best advice I’ve ever received. Gotta love the SugarShack Sessions.
Yo. You still here?? Pretty good right?
Yeah, I know.
I love you, I hope the Dogwood blooms smile on you this week, and I’ll talk to you soon.
-Will
👻❤️👻
P.S. Here’s a picture of the rocks I was beating on while Mihali soothed my soul. I hope you like it.
Hey, while I’ve got you here, please check out my friend
’s Freedom Friday post as well.❤️👻
I'd never heard of Mihali until today, and "Breathe and Let Go" is a great song! For the longest time I cut myself off from most genres of music and people due to crippling anxiety and needing to find myself again. Slowly but coyly I'm beginning to peak in here and there, and I'm very glad that I am. It's not often that I'll like a song right away, but this one crept into my heart and made my smile. Great share today, Will! Much gratitude :-)
Mihali is the best! ❤️🥳❤️