What's Up With Summer?

Or, Ballad of the Fig—never showy, costs so little

Where did the last forty-five days go? Or even the last seventy-six days?

What’s up with summer?

All I know is that I swam exactly one time at the Y and my grandkids are all either back in school already or the University students will be shortly. For crying out loud, last week I went to a scrimmage for my grandson Robert’s high school football team! This once-revered season has become less a glorious summer and more an elongated pause. Now back when I was a kid, we knew how to do a robust, creative three-month summer (insert: blah, blah, blah).

Currently, it is 96 degrees outside. That’s a Nashville 96 though, which may as well be 126. So I know summer is not really over. I won’t be going anywhere but my brown chair. Maybe Walgreens, since it seems I have to go there once or twice a day—it being a requirement of aging and all.

While I’m sitting here though, out of the heat, I’ve decided to revisit the calendar.

June had a great start. My son, Sam Ashworth, and I filmed two episodes of our upcoming songwriting show. Eager to tease this to you all, but not quite yet.

Okay, I see we had a nice Father’s Day hang too. Multi-fam, multi-gen gathering. Well done all, and thank you. BTW, any of you other Former Opening Acts lusting after my T-shirt can get your own. Just ask. Peter Frampton was one of the few people who got the meaning of it on first glance.

I see my grandson Robert finally got off the couch and committed to a fitness regimen. Well done grandson. The least a grandfather can do is set an example . . . and I’ve tried to do just that. Unlike grandson, I work hard at keeping an inch or so of soft subcutaneous tissue over my muscle mass. It’s a preference. A look. But his is cool too.

Speaking of looks. I see the always-talented, ever-imagining Jeremy Cowart took some photos of me for my book launch. That’s right. Very shortly you’ll be hearing from me about my debut novel ONCE CONCEALED NOW REVEALED. Nashvillians, go ahead and put Friday, November 20th, 6:30PM at Parnassus on your calendar now.

There’ll be plenty of opportunities for you all to get involved in the fun, including singing in a choir on one of the songs that comes with the novel. Who wants in?

Along with the very generous help of Matt Huesmann, Lipscomb University, and others, I was able to film a scene from the novel for the upcoming Kickstarter campaign. These two talented actors, Chloé Godard (L) and Katie Boeck (R) dramatized my words with craft and style. Thank you!

Also, I grew a fig. By the end of August I hope to have grown at least ten. I cannot accurately express how much joy this brings me, and Andi too. She described today’s two as “velvety.”

We’ve been doing plenty of celebrating. Lots of birthdays, including someone’s 70^th. Family from Cali came out and we made a time of it. Thank you Karoly and Clark, Paula and Boomer, and Devin for making the trip. However, because family and food have an unbreakable bond, I will not require food for at least another three days.

Well, it didn’t take me long to find a hundred things that filled up a summer—we’d be here all day if I kept sharing.

In summary, Andi and I did our thing, which we love, and it’s so simple: rise each morning to a new day filled with promise and possibility—even with the steady pains and problems. I did finish my novel and it’s all prepared for release. I did get to see my grands and grown kids often. That simple pleasure of knowing and being known is like the fig. Never showy and costs so little, but always delicious and memorable.

And I did play my piano every night before bed (as is my improvisational praxis). I either make up a song or run through something I’m working on. If you’ve read my memoir then you know the Michael Omartian story and how I came to be blessed with this instrument. If not, I leave the necessary retail choice up to you. Until next time, love and peace to all.

Working title? “Ballad of the Fig”