Home

It's funny...I have so many places I could call home.  New York State, South Texas, East Texas, Nashville, Montana, etc.  I guess that means I'm a lucky guy in that I have grown up all over the place, as opposed to being raised in a small town, never leaving and never really seeing the "world".  

Some would argue that living in one place your entire life is a good thing, and I imagine it is for those people.  I can't fathom it, and am thrilled for the wide variety of communities I've experienced in my life.  It has helped me realize that although things/people look different on the outside, we are all much more similar than it appears.

I had both good and bad experiences growing up in Texas.  It was quite a shocker when, at eight years old, I moved to Fort Worth with my family so that my father could begin his study at Southwestern Theological Seminary.  We packed the car in upstate New York and drove south several days until we pulled into our new driveway in Wedgewood.  I remember being so devastated that people there were driving cars (as opposed to riding horses) and there were no ten gallon hats anywhere in sight.  I was crushed.  So what was the big deal about Texas?  It was the same as anywhere else...or at least my last home.  The hardest part of moving to this flatland was trying to figure out what people were saying.  I was positive that I was going to have to learn an entire new language...and that was way before we moved to south Texas a few years later.

All in all, it was a good move and we all grew to love the people who became our new friends.  All it took was an open mind and heart.  Man, that's so hard sometimes...but absolutely mandatory.

I'm thrilled to be back in Fort Worth this weekend.  It will feel a bit like coming home.  I know the people are warm and friendly, have their own language, and, for the most part, are probably happy to have me here.  Ah, the southern hospitality!

Please come by and say hello after the concert!

Tags: home, fort worth symphony, southern hospitality