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Since 1987 |
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HIS SPIRIT LIVES ON! ... BONER, THE PIANO DOG ... November 27, 1994 ... February 20, 2010
Use the links to the left to read a past Month or Year... and then there is always your Backspace to return to a past page.
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January 31, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
When I think of all the 192 months that this journey has been going, I think that is correct, as it began in February of 2006... there has not been a month where I was too sick to work for almost the entire month. I saw a primary care doctor for the first time ever today. No findings, possibilities, no solutions, it was all about setting up tests and doctors appointments where I will get sucked into the health care system. I see how it works clearly as I've been able to be an objective outsider until now. But I am going to go the route to see if I can garner some quality of life with my health. The doctor is from Philadelphia so we bonded on that. Very carefully I must get back to work with the Traveling Piano. First, I must go and create some musical fun, friendship and respect for a printing company with appreciation for offering me a large contribution concerning printing needs awhile back. It is people like that who keep me alive, inspired and... going. Also, the route for the future must be decided while living in the moment one day at a time. Nothing new with all that! "Just keep going, just continue to do what your doing Danny" said over the years from so many people comes to mind.
The pink elephant in the room that I want to pop, I must lose weight in order to continue in life and that is all on me. That... was one of the main issues in beginning this journey and now I have found myself back to square one even below somewhat. Found that out when I got weighed at the doctors office. It went so great for the first two years and then I held the bar for the rest of the years ever so slowly letting it slip out of my hands so to speak. Now, fifteen years older and a senior, my weight will do me in if I cannot turn the picture around. The situation gives me a sense of empathy and compassion for others. I have a dear friend with throat cancer who just cannot stop smoking even with radiation treatments on the horizon. All but for the grace of God, we do the best that we can. Many people would be amazed at how life is worth it for just a good movie to watch, a great meal, Mo by my side to feel, hold and just be with and the sun and perfect Las Vegas weather right now. It truly is the simple things in life that matter. I think of my friend Barb who recently passed. She no longer has this present experience of living. But... she is still here, just in a different way.
| January 30, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
I'm feeling better today but am fearful of it because this has happened several times already and then I go into another downward spiral with something severe as a result of long term covid. It is a bad attitude. I have no idea what tomorrow will bring but the chances are the day will be for the best if I enjoy the moments of today. Enjoy what is, make the most out of the best! I was processing pictures from just a few months ago while I thought, "did that really happen?!" It did but feels like it was long, long ago in another time. The Traveling Piano was outside of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania when a freak tornado tore apart beautiful neighborhoods... a quarter mile away from where I was staying. The fact that Mo and I were there at that time feels providential. We we're able to bring smiles and a distraction to people in the face of the most unbelievable adversity. Situations like this, and there have been many, is when the Traveling Piano shines the most bright. I thank God every day I've been able to do what I have done in my life with my work.
| January 29, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
I've pretty much blown of this blog for the month and cannot believe the month is almost over! I've been dealing with the results of long term covid and now am sure it goes back as far as December of 2020. There has not been much clarity in mind and the strength to work with the Traveling Piano has not exsisted. The many years of getting up and going to work with high energy whether to create music, interact with people on the streets, cook and serve those on the streets as well as ongoing work to find funding, the interacting with online platforms, organizing and filing and most of the time all of what I just wrote in the same day... doing all that consistently is what has kept my life going. Considering my age and health the less I do the less I am able to do. It is going to be a challenge to build up my stamina or even inspiration to continue onward. I'm going to see a doctor tomorrow.
| January 28, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
The Rachael Ray television show emailed me today to say the Traveling Piano segment they are presenting will air next Friday. I have supplied them with enormous amount of material and a zoom interview yet they will not provide me with a link to promote the segment or to view the segment for myself. It is not like I have anything to gain from the segment. The Traveling Piano will not even get a plug for support and I doubt very much they will even mention this website. Yet, they expect me to run everything I say or post online concerning the show and my being on it by their PR department so they can screen and check it first. LOL... not. That is a bit of an over reach. They supplied me with one photo to use to promote. It is a photo of me and Mo on the top step of the Art Museum in Philadelphia taken from the ABC Localish segment footage a few months ago. The photo has nothing but a block word front and center... "Rachel" nothing else. I thought,"Are you kidding me, what the hell is this, not only is it confusing for people, it makes no sense!" Now, I'm nervous about what the segment will look like, lol... not really, I've nothing to gain or lose from it all. It was fun to share my life with the show and now its done. I've learned a long time ago when to let go and let God.
| January 27, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
I am reading the news less and less and when I do I gloss over it more and more. The media in today's world is out to create discourse and fear. Lets face it, that is what makes money now along with manipulation and false information. Life is so much better with Joe Biden as president yet people do not want to see that. No matter how many little advances he makes, whatever the mistake he corrects from that last lying, treasonous, traitor that helps office... it is never good enough or a spin is put on it to take the focus to something negative. When I think about trump verses Biden I think about how being a leader is not about being in front. It is about taking care of your team. Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge. A leader is a role model first and foremost. Administrative duties come second. As people become more gaslit and lost and loud with their screaming... the people with clarity of what it is to be a good human being need to scream acts of kindness and support being a good human being. So many people are forgetting how to be supportive. They just want to tear down. You are going to build nothing while tearing down. And to think the you are going to build something after you have torn down what is... nope, not going to happen with something like democracy. It will go directly into dictatorship, fascism which most republican voters no not even the definition of.
| January 26, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
I'm kinda missing being out and about with the Traveling Piano. When the pandemic first happened I wasn't doing the music as much but I was still out with the truck giving out resources and food to those living on the streets. And I was indoors doing facebook live with my keyboard but now, just do not have the energy or where with all to do anything but lay in bed and work with the computer. Nothing compares to being in the Traveling Piano "zone." No matter what the mood... if I am able to force myself outside (which I always could), I would find myself in my special place. Everything else in life would dissapear, I get to be exactly who I want to be and in total control. Ahhh... also, today I was thinking how much love and honesty can help "crazy". I've never come across one person who was mental on the street who did not respond with clarity to my love and honesty. That is because I have always had a willingness, a desire to let people discover all of me even the dark sides and twisty places inside because... that what is real and it helps people see themselves which is what everyone really wants.
| January 25, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
For a long time now I have been aware of how my improvisation as slowed down. In all ways it has actually become somewhat dull at times. And... playing a performance piece has taken an enormous energy push through it. The performance mode I have attributed to not doing it as often. The improv... to age and lack of inspiration. But you know what it really has been all about? I've been fucking sick! Age contributes big time but my back back, other stuff, covid, the long term affects of it, the lack of stamina has drained my energy big time. So, what to do about it, continue to live my life as it is and enjoy it the best that I can and not give a fuck of how much, or less or not enough that it impresses people. Throughout my life I've really been a zero at trying to impress people anyway. All the impressing that has happened, it has resulted from me just doing my thing, for myself. As I get slower and older and sicker if that is what is meant to be, and less impressive to the world outside... damm, it is what it is. Acceptance and letting go of what I want for the sake of reality... there is nothing more impressive that doing that gracefully.
| January 24, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
I was listening to a talk on dyslexia today. It reminded me of how astounded I was when I realized in my 30's that I had it. There is no one to blame, it is just one of those things people in my world did not know about. A lot about myself is explained in growing up dyslexic and have talked about in this blog. For example, I cheated and skipped classes throughout high school because of it and used to brag about how I got through it all with only one of the four years successfully in attendance. That was torturous. I thought I was not capable, could not be like everyone else, had to hide that fact. It was true, I was in fact different from the way other people learned and saw life but that was not my fault and... there we're solutions, I just did not know about them because I did not know the cause. Today I heard that how you learn has nothing to do with how brilliant you are. Wow, that is me. I know I am brilliant when about to do things in my way, the way I need to do them and it is all about dyslexia. Then it dawned on me... the problems I have had in performance when being "on the spot" so to speak. Not only does it come from the childhood trauma of learning, (huge trauma) my mind goes dyslexic from fear when performing just as what happens with a someone who lives with the condition of stuttering.
| January 23, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
The anti-vaccination mentality is a product of emotional immaturity at the core. I know it well and understand why people are stunted in growth emotionally. I grew up in a family emotionally stunted from generations of repression and authoritarianism that led to alcoholism. But for the grace of God, I found a way out. Why bring it up here? Because the self-centeredness of those emotionally stunted is killing millions of people around the world right now. It is their stubborn, fearful and rebellious nature that is destroying the economy. Their me-me-me attitude is treasonous to what our country is about, humanity as a whole, its goals and ideals. People like myself are dying daily because of it. I myself may be on the way out as a result of it. Yes... as in dying. Lets call a spade a spade. Lets pop the pink elephant in the room. Lets say it like it is. I've given a tremendous about of thought and analysis to what has been happening since trump got elected. It is as a result of people like him we are seeing the downfall of life in all its splendor. Still, I do have hope about it all in knowing, that the challenge to find goodness and beauty and joy in life no matter the people or situations... is where the reward for living lays. Hopefully I can get back to working with the Traveling Piano soon to help with the healing needed out there in the world.
| January 22, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
For the hell of it I checked out today with the Traveling Piano in 2011. I was in West Virginia "nesting" in major comfort. Then I went to 2008 to see I was still in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in my freezing cold house talking about my life, the future, how my repertoire was slipping away from lack of playing it... I am so glad to be out of that house. I loved, it, the security of owning it, the space, but in the winter back then it cost $400 a month to heat and was so drafty it was still freezing! I cannot imagine what it would cost now and the property taxes and all the other expenses. For sure I was providentially led out of it. And then one more... 2015. Mo and I we're in Holbrook, Arizona spending time with people living in a shelter and creating music in the desert. When I think about people dying and how they say your whole live passes before you in the blink of an eye... my whole life is before me, I see it all the time now, everyday. Sometimes I wish I could just forget it all for awhile.
| January 21, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
Oh, for the love of living in La La land right now I wish I could do it. Although I have been staying alive by going through the journeys video for the first time ever which is quite a collection... and especially with photos of Mo through the years, he has had a fantastic life... that all made me actually get on my knees in gratitude... other than that, my health has not been improving. It did for about four days and then I could feel a domino affect different health issues happening from the covid I had, have, whatever. It is bad enough that, I am making arrangements for if I should transition out of this life. Thank God I have the means and people around me to do that if it should come to pass! I've been taking mucus tablets, two different people sent me finger pulse/oxygen readers... right now I am into the one point to be concerned on those monitors and... luckily I have some heavy duty antibiotics left from last year that I began taking yesterday to help fight this respiratory infection that began. This life... it is what it is and we must make the best of the cards we are sometimes dealt.
| January 20, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
Thank God I have more than a half of a life time with practice of acceptance and letting go. Do not by any means think I do it all the time. I pick and choose and sometimes hold on until it hurts enough... sometimes I hold on until there is no option but to let go. Life is full of acceptance and letting go. I must say that I'm pretty good at it considering what once was in my realm of living. Of course everything is relative, eh? How fantastic to have no regrets in life, to know I've been doing the best I can and... be "real" to the best of my understanding. I've a lot of contentment along with all the shit. As far as moving on with life, finding inspiration to do that and what exactly I would like to do the thought occurred to me last night (because I heard someone say it of course)... what are you most afraid of doing Danny, that is what to go after. I've yet to expound on the thought, lol. We shall see. Mo and I have not yet been to the desert since we returned. That is just sad. I've not been healthy enough for how long now? We got back on the 17th of December 21'. My dog needs some nature as much as I do and we need it very much!
| January 19, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
My head is so foggy, I cannot even write this blog. The lack of making music in my life without question helps... zero. The lack of Traveling Piano interaction with people has its good and bad points. I 100% enjoy not doing anything. Always, there is pressure in my head to do, do, do with my life's work of music, nurturing and processing the journey. There is nothing pushing me to work which is not possible anyway and that feels... really good! But on the other hand, the less I do, the less capable I become. What a "walking the tightrope" game this all is. Still, I am safe, I've need no resources like food, plans for the future if I die are happening perfectly and I have Mo and friends who really care... lots of friends, only two that are physically caring right now but that is all I need or want. God has a way of putting people in your life when needed, this is a fact I have observed all through life with others.
| January 18, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
The COVID virus I believe is different for different people and we all need to be careful and watchful for ourselves from the inside out. It having been over a week, feeling much better than in a long, long time all around, walking a little more each day for the last four days, miles even... last night I came down with an upper respiratory infection with mucus building, shortness of breathing and pressure in my chest. Myself in the vulnerable class and knowing the relationship of those symptoms with the illness I had to catch the impulse of fear, impending doom and just tell myself not to go there. I have some over the counter mucus relieving meds and noticed if I just laid still the pain was not there consistently.
By luck, I have some ultra heavy duty antibiotics left over from last year at this very time! I decided to wait to take them but knowing I have them felt reassuring. After 15 hours of sleep I feel better, but now know... I am not better yet as I thought I was. More rest, lots of water, vitamins, the mucus meds until the lump in my throat is gone, a fun movie or book, good food and friends will help the recovery. I post this ONLY to let people know that for me I thought it was over and it was not. When I was younger I would try to push through and illness would just become worse. Now... I watch, watch, watch and be careful like an old person who does not want to fall. Onward we learn how to navigate together out of this pandemic and into a different world.
| January 17, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
Did my first zoom today! It was a Traveling Piano interview for a segment on the Rachel Ray show. Can we talk fun? Have no idea when it will air. If I find out, will let you know. If you find out it aired, please let me know. It will not be until February for sure. I have been reviewing and uploading to them all the video I have, fifteen years worth most of which I have never had the time to review or organize. There is an impressive story in it all. That of people having fun, expressing themselves, sharing, talking musically through different languages, styles, there own individuality... all ages, backgrounds, showing cultures... in different conditions, environments, seasons, situations, the common love, popularity of playing music and sharing it... respecting all levels of playing, everyone wants to create music... jamming, moods... I could go on and on.
| January 16, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
Every night since we have been back in Las Vegas, when I walk Mo, I've been getting to wear my favorite winter hat and scarf because it has still been cold out. But now, those days now are gone. It is back to wearing shorts weather with a nice cool feel. This is the best time of the year in Las Vegas and damm... I'm too sick to enjoy it in nature and also with the Traveling Piano. Now is the time to be careful and relax in having this COVID virus. I've been building up stamina in walking everyday. I think it was three miles today. It has been a while now in taking out the Traveling Piano. That does not feel very good. But, the down time with a need to do nothing has felt great.
| January 15, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
For the last fifteen years, the journey has fulfilled a life long desire to feel part of by creating individual one-on-one intimate and personal relationships even if only for a few minutes at a time with people from all walks of life through the idea of strangers becoming less afraid of each other.... through synchronistic discover with no expectation or obligation and in musical fun, friendship and respect with empowerment and inspiration. I give people the fun they experience in the discovery of the Traveling Piano to personally own for themselves and act as a space holder in some respects for people to discover their own fun, to trust in themselves, to validate and reassure their worth, have a short distraction for everyday hassles in life and to know what it feels like to relate with another person in life in the best of ways. Sometimes I go deep and personal with people in spirit through it all. The Traveling Piano experience in of itself is deep and personal in a fun way. Everything happens for me through gratitude, the grace of the God of my understanding ... I acknowledge, feel grateful and share it.
| January 14, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
My dreams are my story... I learned early on how it is not about reaching the goal but the process. Although, the goal must always remain in order to stay in the process. For the first two years, I used Oprah as an anchor to pursue my Wildest Dream, to streak (clothed) across the Superbowl Field creating wild Boogie Woogie Music on the Traveling Piano for fun. Personally, what a fun ride for me that was even though I never heard from the show! I sent a significant amount of correspondence every day for two years. During that time also, the massacre in Virginia Tech turned my journey into advocacy for those suffering trauma and in need of healing. What a shock it has been for me with a piano in a truck and a dog on the piano to be able to support people when they are down and out and suffering in the middle of the worst possible tragedy possible. When Boner my first pup passed, the journey turned to just enjoying life daily with the desire to see nature.
As I ran out of money I ended up in downtown Las Vegas where the journey turned into community outreach with those living on the streets. After this past year with the "final" cross country journey because of Mo's age, my age and the trucks age... now, what? Shall I let go of the original goal... which is to take the Traveling Piano to a higher level and partner to make that happen, find a patron to simply help me to continue as I can with what I have been doing for the last fifteen years or... double down at age 66 and focus on totally fulfilling the dream whether it happens or not. I just found out the Super Bowl will be here in Las Vegas in 2 years. (the original dream) The resources do not presently exist to keep going as I do although I have been saying that forever. They exist ever so barley and always have as long as I stay in the present moment.
| January 13, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
The Traveling Piano has never been personally about me as a performer. The 20 years prior even then... it was more about the idea of a piano man in a truck and musical chaos and making the idea respectable. When the improve began everything became about sharing the piano seat with others specifically strangers. Over 90% of the over 100,000 people who have been on the Traveling Piano piano seat played the piano for the very first time that day. They all found/discovered the Traveling Piano through spontaneous synchronicity and then got swept onto the piano seat in musical fun, friendship and respect and all that creates empowerment and inspiration. It comes from the trust and having no other agenda helps create the trust. Also, with my community outreach... I have never thought of myself as a do-gooder. It is all from a place of intimacy and desire to be personal as a human being doing what should be done and/or needs to be done. It all fits into my personal desire for relationship and to be part of. Also, it is a good way to release my life's anger in general. All of what I do and have done is because it has been fun, certainly not easy fun that is for sure.
| January 12, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
With the Traveling Piano, I have been out to give to people life experience I want for myself. To remove fear by instilling trust in relationship. It happens best with individual experiences one on one. I have been blessed to have found a safe way to do that through my music, the Traveling Piano concept, environments we are found in, my pups Mo and Bo now passed, my enthusiasm and the synchronistic spontaneity of discovery. The result is that of musical fun, friendship and respect with empowerment and inspiration and it happens through the act of strangers becoming less afraid of each other.
The validation and reassurance that I receive through others with the Traveling Piano, I give credit for the ability to initiate the process within myself everytime I go to work and throw myself into the zone of it all... I credit that to being gifted through grace. Never once has it failed to deliver the desired results. I am without question a trudger through life, it is what it is. To be able to trudge into the Traveling Piano zone for a break from my personal dark realities is just a wonderful thing! When I am with a group of for example three people, and they are thanking me profusely for the experience, I say to them... please realize that what you are getting from me in this experience, I am getting back three times right now. Thank you.
| January 11, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
Last night I went to bed and realized I had no pain. That was very strange. Actually, I was trying to find it. It was there when I woke up. This COVID thing is really strange especially mixed with other unknown physical issues I have. Doctors are unreachable., I called three to make an appointment, put myself into waiting queues and I also made appointments online... no response. People care, it is a beautiful feeling. Three people sent contributions. My friends Eric and Mary (who are having much worse issues than I) went to the store to get me some groceries and dog food. I sat in my chair last night looking out the window at a huge fire in a block long building that was obviously set because flames just happened through the entire length and it took the fire trucks about ten minutes to arrive. The fire station is a block away. The place has been on fire at least four times this year due to homeless people trying to live in it. I'll bet the city set up the fire so they can finally tear down the building. My next door neighbor was taken out in an ambulance a few hours before. Living where I am... nothing going on around me really phases me anymore on a surface level. All the worst has happened so many times. Now I totally understand how residents of inner city streets have no reaction to gun fire when it goes off all around them constantly.
| January 10, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
The day was spent on past Traveling Piano videos, uploading them, filing them and I've some good improvisation video plus Ragtime and Boogie Woogie playing... hundreds of takes of the same four pieces of music! I've only known twenty pieces ever anyway and played those same twenty pieces for twenty years over and over and over. Having been burnt out of that... improvisation manifested and now it is just one long forever flowing Danny Kean piece of music. As throughout the twenty years of performing, the different situations and environments create most of the interest for playing in the videos. Also, along with about a thousand short clips of different people playing the piano, different types of people with different types of music, different levels of ability in different types of situations is amazing fun to review. I cannot help but think what I had footage of all 100,000 people who have been on the Traveling Piano!
| January 09, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
While reviewing past years of my playing piano music on the videos that I have, what I look like has taken a second seat to becoming aware that the energy I used to have is not present now. The clarity of performance and delivery, the excitment of youth and strength is not there. Just... wow. Somehow I need to get back to an acceptable level for me in the feelings of the past at least. The videos have been showing me that aside from physical limitations and lack of stamina from keeping up with it all... I'm becomming depressed! The umph, has been dissapating from my life. Of course the state of the world, my having covid, just coming off the last half year of travel across the country and back as well as my age realted physical issues, blah, blah, balh, I will not give up. I'll find a way to want to continue creating music and sharing it and interacting with people even with just one person a day, so be it.
| January 08, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
A nationally syndicated television show made contact with me over a month ago interested in creating a Traveling Piano segment. I have not mentioned it because most times, shows are simply scouting for new material and nothing ever manifests. This time is that they have stayed in contact, asked for video material and now want to set up a video zoom with the producers. That got me going on reviewing all the Traveling Piano video. Photos I have always been on top of. Most video I've never looked at. Because I am in covid quarantine I can devote all my time to organizing and reviewing everything. It has really been fun and I have some good video! I'm excited about the body of work I have and seeing it in a new way. There is allot and it tells a good story of the journey. Unfortunately, most of it is pure quality video and not usable but still, having it for myself is just awesome. I'll be sharing all of it online once I'm finished going through it.
| January 07, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
Well, now... symptoms of covid came upon me last night! The cough, low grade fever, super lack of clarity and other symptoms are clear. I was walking Mo and for the first time ever felt like I might not be able to get back home. It wasn't exhaustion as much as a feeling of a complete physical shut down. So... Mo and I are going into isolation for awhile. If need be I have someone to care for Mo. For now I will take him out for short walks and to do his business when no one else is out and about. Telling the world about this, I had to think about that. My impulse was to keep it a secret. Now, with people knowing I must in fact, isolate. I've never isolated since the pandemic began. When everyone else was shut down back in 2020 I was still on the streets serving the homeless with food, distributing masks, etc... Telling people feels like a responsibility especially since I am fully vaccinated and have had a boaster shot. Aside from those selfish asshole, idiots not getting vaccinated who are destroying the economy... they are the same types that first denied covid's existence... maybe we all would not still be in this fucking pandemic and still getting sick. At least now because of those vaccinated there are less deaths from it all. Is "less" ok? No.
| January 06, 2022
Las Vegas, Nevada
This year is getting off to a slow start. That is to be expected, I'm still adjusting to being home here from the half year trek cross country and back and... the energy does not exist for very much. I have a headache, a low grade fever and a cough, It is definitely not the norm and not my allergy to Mo. Is it just the flu, a cold, a little infection, Covid, Delta, Omicron or one of the other 50 variants of that? Thank God I have my vaccines and booster. It is not that I do not want to die, I just do not want to have to go to the hospital! Lol Today is the first day of full sun and warmth and I don't have it in me to go out with the Traveling Piano. In fact, I cannot go out anyway for a week now as it would be irresponsible to take any chances for myself or... what those unvaccinated miss entirely... others.
| January 05, 2022
Main Street Las Vegas, Nevada
Gratitude has always been inside of me. But also, it is a practice. I first found it in life through Alcoholics Anonymous. Friends in the room often discussed how important it was for them, how they get it into their lives, how they keep it, how to recognize it, when to reach out for it and most importantly how to share it. Because the education came from personal one on one personal experiences, I was able to trust and explore with gratitude on my terms, in my way, in my time. My dear friend Gertrude now long passed, she had it in her naturally and that always amazed me. Where did it come from for her and how did it happen? Now... I realize that I also have had it all the time naturally.
Every human being, even animals have gratitude naturally. Having grown up in a very dysfunctional family, God love them all, the idea of gratitude was nurtured in the worst of ways. It was for the wrong reasons and often repressed or replaced with a feeling of neediness and fear. It was through the twelve steps of recovery where I learned about myself, who I am, how I always wanted to be and then became free to explore and practice gratitude not only for myself but for the world. The start of this Traveling Piano began with the ability to finally after fifty years of hard work... to trust 100% my true intent in life and say to anyone else wanting to apply false motive or intent... fuck you. And, I have been doing it all, through gratitude.
| January 04, 2022
Main Street Las Vegas, Nevada
Limitations that life and age create are taking hold. For many years I would pride myself in how I would hop up and into the truck bed. Then I found a need to manipulate how I did that so it would remain easy and still look easy. Then I watch it all become slower. Through the years I laughed at myself on how the jump became a climb and the a clumsy type of lift and fall in. Now its like almost pathetic and soon I will no longer be able to do it anymore. People say, get a step stool. It has never been about comfort. It was about the fun of the look and doing it. Now, using a step stool is like using a cane or walking. It may get the job done but it is not my idea of... fun. Still... it is what it is.
| January 03, 2022
Charleston and Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, Nevada
Wow, what a year last year was. Do I continue onward? I did today. Mo and I planted ourselves on a random street corner. It still feels a little stupid to do that everytime but hey... what the hell. Someone always comes buy who has not seen us in years and all they communicate is gratitude for knowing us. I especially love seeing again people who were once homeless now with a home and usually for a couple of years. They are pure miracles. You cannot know how damaging it is in spirit to have lived on the streets and find your way out of the nor, how difficult. Again, but for the grace of God, it is a miracle for those people. My work needs to transition this year or end. That... is clear. Realizing the attainable as I see it is difficult to do but I now know from a lifetime, nothing ever turns out exactly as I see it. It may be similar but never exactly. The only "exactly" is spiritual and emotionally. I have truly manifested my spiritual and emotional desires in life.
| January 02, 2022
Main Street Las Vegas, Nevada
I reformatted this website for 2022 today in record time! I'm very proud of myself. In the early years it took a full day and now... about an hour. Mo and I also took to the streets today. People are very happy to see us. We met a family, living on the street... a mom, son and dad. They all got up onto the piano and we spent some time. The city has been promising people housing on a large scale... they had best come through with what they are saying as those on the streets are having a hard time and depending on that hope. On their own, there are a myriad of blocks to find housing. Credit reports, lack of documents, job salary, past records, etc... it goes on and on. Myself, finding another place to live even though I have a 100% positive record with everything... the fact that I cannot prove an income at the level needed to get a decent place is my block. Anyway, there was almost a crowd hanging around the Traveling Piano by the side of this open road in a nondescript area on Main Street. The Traveling Piano presence is a major comfort for those who know us.
| January 1, 2022
In an Alley, Las Vegas, Nevada
We are diving right into 2022! Mo and I went out with the Traveling Piano just for a short while and ended up less than a block away in an alley. We met a few people and spent some time with them. I still have some candy, socks, gloves etc... in the back of the truck and shared them. We had some music... other people in the area found us and we're just in awe. With the pandemic roaring worse than ever, the Traveling Piano is needed more than ever. At night I was walking with Mo and we passed a guy in the dark. He stopped and said, "I know you" and then started to piece together in his head who I was. He still remembered the Chili I made and gave to him on a cold night about a year ago! People in the area living on the streets are finding us for the first time since we have been back and here is what makes me feel really good... they are recognizing me not through Mo but by my face. Most people in the past, they see the dog first and make the connection of who we are through him.
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