Welcome to the first "Amazing Things" (People and
Places) News - e-zine! I've been working on getting this out for a while
now, and thought I'd get it off to you before we're well
into '07!
What a terrific year it's been, and because this
newsletter/e-zine is not going to be "The Me Show" in
print, I want to tell you a little bit about me, and a
lot about everyday people doing Amazing Things!
This year I worked with the wonderful agents at
Carmel Music and Entertainment (www.carmelme.com) who
books me, Peter Polzak and Big City Jazz on some really
cool gigs. A lot of them were private / corporate gigs,
but several were concert dates. Then, Peter Jim and I
started recording "Spirits in the Material World" which
had a "semi" release in November and will have a big ol'
official release in '07. And, if I do say so myself,
it's reeeeally good! (Available at
www.cdbaby.com as
well as Transitions Bookplace in Chicago and Unity
Churches.
I also won the wonderful award from NAWBO and The
Business Ledger; The "Influential Women in Business"
Award, I was floored! (And honored.) Some of the other
recipients were women I am in a Round Table group with
through The Women's Initiative at Itasca Bank. Diane
Middlebrooks, who heads up The Women's Initiative is an
Amazing Woman who has helped me so much in the last
year, as a friend, and mentor.
www.itascabank.com
I passed the Music Director torch at Unity Church in
Crystal Lake a year over a year ago, and I had such a
wonderful time there. I learned so much and I'm thrilled
at the beautiful growth they are having!
My new home for spiritual studies and Sunday singing
is The Center for Spiritual Living in Chicago
www.chicagocsl.org The only Nietzhe quote I know is:
"If you want me to join your church, you'd better have
better music".( Now, I have no idea if that's a true
quote or not, but I love it.) And that being said, he's
have LOVED CSL!
Christine Lavin has a new compilation CD
It's a CD
AND a COOKBOOK! My dear friend, mentor and Bitchin' Babe
inventor, Christine Lavin has a new compilation CD out
called; "One Meat Ball" www.christinelavin.com it's
fantastic for many reasons. It's a CD AND a COOKBOOK!
Now, is that a great idea or what? I tell you You'll
find my song (Butter), and a recipe in there of my
sister Brenna's for Mexican Wedding Cookies (yum) - you
know those cookies, they're like the almond crescent
cookies at Christmastime that everyone "LOVES"!
Karen Contor-DeMar is going to climb Mt Kilimanjaro
My beaautfil friend, both inside and out, Karen Contor-DeMar is going to climb Mt Kilimanjaro with her best
friend Carla in Feb to benefit Africa. This is what I
mean when I say Africa just might save America - and
perhaps the world.
You can read more about it at:
www.globalallianceafrica.org
The most Amazing person I met in 2006
A Story to Remember Some of you know I do a show in Rockford IL
every year called "Jim Sullivan's Hometown Holiday" and
it is more fun than Heaven allows! Well, this year was
no different. We were joined again by extraordinary
musicians; Randy Sabine, www.randysabine.com and
Shawn Wallace as well as the great comic actors Steve
Vrtol and Linda Abronski. Jim's closing story is always
a wonderful window into growing up in Rockford.
Well, this year as I was on my way into the theater
for a dress rehearsal and show that night, I was
carrying EVERYTHING I needed (you know, I'm always
trying to stuff a 10 LB day into a 5 LB bag!) including
a Grande coffee from Starbucks, my favorite drug of
choice. Well naturally I tried opening the door to the
theatre without putting anything down. Yep, that coffee
spilled all over everything from my guitar to my clothes
bag! Naturally it got on my 2nd act white outfit!
UGH!!!!!
I dropped off anything that wasn't soaked and said
I'd be right back and did anyone know where a dry
cleaners was. "nope" Well, I keep my angles workin'
overtime as it is - so they took over. I have theee BEST
angels. Their specialty is car keys.
I pulled into the first drycleaners I saw. There was
very little else around. I went in and blabbed my tale
of woe to the wonderful young woman behind the counter
about how I needed it tomorrow for sure, and I could
work around it tonight. She heard her boss say "Monday"
and explained briefly my situation. When she took my
name, she said; "Megon, my name's Michele and I'll take
care of it myself". She was really positive and helpful.
I thanked her profusely and then invited her and a guest
to the show. She said "Really"?! I left there felling so
grateful and confident she'd take good care of me and my
coffee stained white suit.
I called her the next morning, and sure enough, it
was all ready to be picked up. As I pulled in the lot, I
remembered to bring a copy of "Amazing Things" for her
because she was really doing an amazing job, and as I
thought about what I was going to write on the cover I
thought about how proud her parents must be of her and I
was going to tell her that, when this thought flashed
into my mind: I wonder if she's a Foster child" Now, I
have NO IDEA why I thought that.
I went in, there she was, cheery but not sappy, you
know, 'just a nice kid. She told me the coffee came out,
and everything was AOK with my clothes. She said "her
guy had to work, but she was going to bring her
Grandmother to the show, Great I said, I think she'll
really enjoy it. I paid her and took out the CD's to
sign. I said "here's some of my music and a song written
exactly about people like you called "Amazing Things".
And by the way, your parents must be very proud of you"
That's when she said "Oh, I don't have parents" My heart
sank with already knowing that somehow. I said; "are you
a foster child"? No, she said, I disowned my father when
he shot and killed my mother".
Breathe.
Now, I wish I could explain the moment, but I will
tell you she said it in a very solid, even way. She was
not a victim, and she was not steeped in self pity. When
I told her how sorry I was and that that made her really
remarkable, she told me it had been almost 5 years and
she was really doing well. Then I told her about Rhonda
Britten (www.fearlessliving.org) and how she witnessed
the same thing at 14, and how she is one of the finest
life coaches in the world today.
Friends, we have so much to be grateful for, and I
know we are all aware of that more often than not. So,
instead of resigning to give certain things up for the
New Year, maybe we could take certain things on; like
following our instincts. I don't know why I thought
about this girl and her parents. I don't know why I had
a flash that she was sadly separated from them. But I do
know why I spilled that coffee. It was so I could meet
Michele and be inspired, moved and touched by her
courageous story. It was so The Universe could slow me
down long enough to focus on the beauty of Life, a
terrible Beauty - but Beautiful just the same.
An Essay: How Africa Will Save America - Perhaps the World
So, here's to 2006, 'not always comfortable but
always a gift, and here's to a Beautiful '07. We're so
blessed to be alive, present, and together. Thank you so
much for your support, it means the world to me. The
Lads for Liverpool were so rightAll you really do need
is Love.
You're Amazing,
Meg
PS, I almost forgot at long last I have PEOPLE!!! Yes, starting Jan 1, I will be working with a fantastic woman Kelly McCarthy. She's going to take about 7 LBS from my 10!!! And we're going to make 2007 about getting the music and laughs to you asap!
