Just because I’ve retired doesn’t mean I’m sitting idle. I’m able to return to endeavors I left behind twenty years ago. At that time I made a decision to dig in and push myself into my digital learning work at the University of Illinois. This move to a fully committed “day gig” allowed me and my incredibly talented wife Catherine Prendergast, an author, to be in a position to retire a little early.

In that moment twenty years ago, my musical fire was dying down. I play bass. People asked, “what kind of music do you play.” The answer was always, “whatever pays.” My gigging load dropped to around 60 nights per year in the early 2000’s, half number I was used to through the 90’s. The economics didn’t work either – gigs in Central Illinois paid half of what I made in Wisconsin. The last nail in the coffin was that I just wasn’t hearing the music — performing had devolved to a physical task. There were a few gigs, but no money and no musical love meant it was time to get away. Until 2022. Stay tuned.

The next year will be full of change. I will keep writing about this professional, spiritual and creative teeter totter. It’s good for me and maybe my experience, strength and hope will be something that connects with you.