You Are God's Best Idea! Daily Epigram for: January 27, 2012

"Life rolls a few changes our way in order to practice gathering our bearings."-Douglas Holzmeier

In 1987 my wife and I sang on stage with REO Speedwagon. This was while we were doing a Morning radio show at WJLQ in Pensacola, Florida. The song we got to add background vocals to was “Roll With the Changes”. Keep On Rollin’ – Keep On Rollin’ - Ohhh-oohh – with the Changes! Kevin Cronin came by and stuck the microphone in Denise’s face and sweated on her. She didn’t wash for a week!

In 1989 – the lead guitarist for REO – Gary Richrath – left the band. As hard as it is to believe – Gary has not been a member of this legendary rock group longer than he was its driving force – writing “Ridin’ the Storm Out” and “Take it on the Run”. I tried to go to Gary’s webpage today – it was blank.

On several occasions I have met the remaining members of REO Speedwagon at concert venues – never failing to ask lead singer - Kevin Cronin - about the prospects of Gary returning to the band and adding his signature guitar sound. Kevin always says that there is an open invitation and that they love him very much.

As I wrote in You Are God’s Best Idea!; the story behind the changes that happen in bands like Chicago; Styx; Journey and REO are very similar. It is usually EGO injected with foreign substances. Not all that different than the things that separate us from our Good.Yet – the beat goes on. The bands play on. The Show Must Go On! The group Chicago has now played thousands of shows over the past 25 years without Peter Cetera. Journey is as popular as ever without Steve Perry – replaced by a guy on You Tube. STYX rock’s the paradise without the soaring and theatrical voice of Dennis DeYoung. And Danny Hutton along with Cory Wells, have sung in two-part harmony for 35 years in the Three Dog Night sans Chuck Negron.

Life is full of changes. The only thing that doesn’t change – is change. We live in an ocean of motion. The planet Earth is spinning at 67,000 miles an hour. How we handle and adapt to change will determine our level of peace and harmony. If you are part of a group – even the most important part of a group – throwing the rest of the band under the tour bus is not divine.

My message is that You Are God’s Best Idea! But so is everyone else. My efforts are to raise and rock and roll your consciousness. We should applaud and support each other when the seats are filled or empty. If you abandoned ship – you can’t be real hurt if those still on board - sail on. In life - there are times when we get dumped and when we do the dumping. Usually you have been done a favor if you have been given the pink slip. But if it is you who has given everyone else the slip – don’t be surprised if they don’t catch your subsequent fall.

Consider this a cautionary note in the song of your life. Chances are we have pushed our fair share of buttons and have set up camp underneath a colleague’s skin threatening to erupt if we don’t get our way. Sometimes it is just better to drop our drumsticks for a day or two and allow energy to realign with the rhythm of life – which is love and brother/sisterhood.

I’m still holding out for a Rock N’ Roll Reunion for our brethren above. Hey – if David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen can bury the spandex – anything is possible!

Get your bearings straight. Imagine that the great balls of fire that are bowled our way from time to time are not an Attack of the Killer Tomatoes – but a lovely Bouquet of Roses – a little thorny – but not worth breaking up the band for.

Oh and – remember to Keep On Lovin’ You – and Don’t Stop Believin’!

You Are God's Best Idea!

~Douglas Holzmeier
Author of You Are God's Best Idea! Divine Acceptations and Living the Undeniable Life! (Balboa Press/Hay House)


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