From time to time, Chuck and I do encounter interesting people. What makes them special is that they have taken a leap of faith which has propelled their lives in new directions, often at midlife.
On a recent airline trip, we shared our row of seats with Linda Hooper, the (now retired) middle school principal from Whitwell, Tennessee whose diversity assignment launched the Paper Clips Project. The goal of the project was to collect six million paperclips so students could better understand the Holocaust. Their efforts sparked world-wide interest and resulted in an award-winning documentary film. There is now a Holocaust museum on the school’s campus.
Most recently, we met Joseph Carr. In his own words, he took a “leap of faith” to abandon his career as a wine industry executive and launch his own winery in California. Joseph Carr wines have received stellar reviews, and are now available in more and more places. He’s particularly proud of his “Josh” label, a blend he calls his “garage” wine, and one that is perfect with casual foods like pizza and burgers.
While neither encounter was directly on point for music, what each teaches is that there’s nothing about age that can or should be limiting.
Following a dream — taking a leap of faith — takes courage and a strong sense of something that just “feels right.” Leaping is scary, but not taking that chance will only leave regret and disappointment.
Getting connected to music again at midlife is not as great a leap of faith as changing careers or letting children lead you to international celebrity. Yet it does take a leap of confidence to get started and to play with others when you haven’t done it for years.
Take that leap – and let music bring you faith.
Midlife Musicians 