I know several people that are always amped up about some major public issue. It might be guns, Obamacare, tax policy, the governor’s latest stupid statement…pick the poison.

Here’s the thing I’ve learned. None of these people can affect a damn bit of difference about their issue of the day. I like most of these people, but their sense of doom wears me out.

Here’s one more thing you should know. I used to be one of those people. Everyday was “the end of civilization as we know it,” or so I thought.

Then one day, I realized that my own psychic well-being was being compromised by my tilting at these windmills that were too big for my abilities.

Once I began focusing less on the big things and began taking on tasks and “problems” scaled more to the size of my little corner of the world that I occupy, my outlook improved.

I’m sure the world is just as dark as I used to think it was, but by making a small difference on most days, I began to surprise, and at other imes, even scare myself at how much better the world appeared to be. Sometimes perspective is everything.

I’ve reduced the number of players in the JBE, but the musicians I’ve kept around and some of the new ones that I’ve chosen have really improved our ability to play and make beautiful music together.