In Pearlspective

I t seems like everyone has a label these days: liberal, conservative, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Christian, agnostic, atheist, feminist, racist, activist, and several others. These are all very common labels, but they represent very different ideas and none of them are neutral. Image by rawpixel via Unsplash U nfortunately, these labels have recently taken center stage by replacing some others that used to be considered important and even celebrated. Labels such as American, neighbor, citizen, family, and helper used to be very common and they were often considered equal with the greatest label of all: Friend . W hat changed?!  Folks, I'm only in my early twenties but even I can remember a time when it was more important to take care of people than politics ! Yes, I understand that politics are important but WHY would anyone who wears the label of "American" harm or kill another person with the same label, just because of differing political viewpoin...

I can't remember not liking to fish. In fact, I love to fish! I don't get to do it often but I enjoy it immensely when I do. I call each fish by name, whether or not I keep it, because I figure if a fish is smart enough to bite my hook then he is worthy of my respect! Every good fisherman has good fishing stories and of course, the reason for having good fishing stories is to tell them; with fishing season now or nearly open in several states, this seems like a perfect occasion to tell one, so here goes: Image by Ruth Haining - RBDesign A s a traveling performer, it has been my privilege to see many beautiful places throughout the USA. One of those places is the upper peninsula of Michigan, aka the"UP", which I've visited the last three summers. Thickly wooded and riveted with lakes, it is the perfect place to go fishing on a day off. Having relatives with a lake cabin and multiple fishing boats makes it even more perfect! I 've gone fishing every t...

S ome people are more emotionally driven than others. I am not one of them. However, lately I have been almost overcome by some emotional desires. These desires are so strong, yet so conflicted, that I hardly know how to express them. In fact, I've often tried to avoid expressing them at all, but I must express them somehow to release this tension, at least in part, if possible. T he desires I am speaking of relate to a very special individual whom I met several years ago. His name is Jesus. He is the perfect, sinless, Son of God. He created me, loves me, and wants to have fellowship with me. Such fellowship was impossible though, because my selfish heart had rebelled against him in pursuit of my own sinful desires. N ow and then I glanced at him and I sensed a faint longing to know him. Wasn't I created to know him? Shouldn't I at least try? I slowly, hesitantly moved towards him, only to find that I could not get to him. My rebellion had literally separated me...

O ne thing I've learned from being a traveling musician is to plan for plans to change. This lifestyle is very unpredictable and offers little routine beyond this loose protocol: Image by Glenn Carstens-Peters via Unsplash Step 1: Prepare for show. Step 2: Perform show. Step 3: Recuperate from show. Step 4: Repeat steps 1-4. T hat's how it goes, Folks, and that's how it's gone for the past several weeks. I managed to sleep, eat, and think between steps, but every time I thought I'd actually have some spare time, something new would come up. It's fun, crazy, and sometimes stressful, but it's a good life and I can't think of anything I'd rather do right now. There's really nothing predictable about it though, because anything from the weather to vehicle problems can mean a complete change of plans, and sometimes even canceling plans altogether. Y ou know what though? It's okay for plans to change sometimes. Maybe it's eve...

I drove under a clear blue sky, across the desert, through the mountains, and into a beautiful valley. I saw the other cars hurrying along the highway to their destinations with nothing holding them back. Throughout the drive I heard no gunshots, I felt no explosions, I saw no threat. I saw America. Image by Aaron Burden via Unsplash I saw a sea of people gathered in one place, watching a football get kicked, thrown, caught, and dropped. This sea of people could safely gather in mass, and the only enemy in their view was when the opposing team had possession of the football. The sea was divided as two sides took turns cheering for the possessor of the football, and yet they were united in their love of football itself. Throughout the duration of the game, and even at the conclusion, I saw no heated or hateful protests. I saw no acts of terrorism or violence. I saw America. I stood on a stage and I saw a crowd of people in front of me. I sang, they, clapped, we all s...