DREAMS OF CHILDHOOD

Always the cowboy

When you’re a kid you have dreams, aspirations and they seem as achievable as devouring your favorite candy bar. It didn’t matter that this was the 1970’s, you were going to grow up to be a cowboy (insert Kid Rock’s Cowboy or Toby Keith’s I should have been a cowboy songs) riding your horse chasing outlaws and those pesky Indians. Perhaps you had dreams of riding around on big red trucks on your way to fight a three alarm fire. Did you dream of being a policeman or something else courageous? As for me, I wanted to be a cowboy as captured in many early photos. Then off to be a race-car driver. I would have made it to the NASCAR circuit I have no doubts. There was that brief stint of wanting to be a wrestler but I was always drawn back to being a cowboy or a race-car driver.

One thing I noticed while pondering the dreams of childhood is there was no fear of the achievement. There was nothing saying, “You can’t” not did any of those seem ridiculous. Imagine a child of the 60’s & 70’s growing up to ride into town on his horse in 2015. It’s a pretty funny picture isn't it but not to a seven year old. Something changes as we get older. We begin to hear those words which put limitations on our dreams and place roadblocks in path of our aspirations. The worst part is we begin to believe what we hear and those roadblocks become insurmountable. The dreams die slowly becoming stories we tell our kids.

Sometimes those dreams die because they just don’t make sense like being a cowboy chasing outlaws. Other times they give way to true dreams of what you want to be when you grow up. I've heard several people tell me they have always dreamed of being a teacher, a policeman or a fireman. Others have told me it wasn't until they became adults before they realized what they wanted to do. For me, I am a mixture of both. I knew I wanted to entertain, I just didn't know how I was going to accomplish this or what form it would look like. One thing I did know was I could not sing or play a guitar. So American Idol and the Voice are safe.

Sometimes you really do have to grow up to realize what you are going to be when you grow up. It’s the resolve of adulthood that allows you withstand the barrage of naysayers saying, “You can’t” and figure out how to get around the roadblocks in your way. Sadly, though many don’t. They succumb to the pressures. Again, for me I think I have figured it out. With years of being in front of different audiences in different situations I have come to the realization that I am both an Entertainer and an Educator. That’s right, you read it correctly (we will discuss this in future blogs).

Childhood dreams didn't see the roadblock nor did they hear the naysayers so they dreamed. As an adult it is our job to silence the naysayers by doing what we have the gifts to do and to walk around the roadblocks standing in our way. This is accomplished simply by pressing on. It isn't easy. Of course, neither was moving that pile of dirt with my Tonka truck, but I moved it. So, I will write more stories designed to make audiences laugh and speeches developed to encourage people. Seminars will be constructed to help people learn how to be communicators and leaders. Perhaps you’re sitting there and reading this saying, “You can’t.”

“LaLaLaLaLa, I can’t hear you.” 

LOOK TO THE BIRDS

Listening to the birds and watching the squirrels. Florida living. 

There is nothing like waking up early in the morning to experience the stillness of the day. The quiet that permeates throughout the neighborhood. The slowness by which everyone moves seems to be everywhere. As I sit on the back patio of my home here in Florida I am reminded of the coolness of the morning. The threat of rain doesn't even begin to dampen the spirit of the squirrels playing in my yard nor does it silence the singing of the birds in the trees. They each have awaken to the same morning I have, with the same tasks, yet they play and sing.  Kind of like the seven dwarfs from Snow White whistling while they work.

They have work to accomplish much like me. They have nuts to gather and worms to collect. The other day I saw a hawk flying with a large clump of Spanish moss in her beak to add to the family nest. A pretty cool sight to say the least. Soon she will be laying eggs, protecting them from the elements and then off to find food once her babies enter the world. Yet they sing. They play. How can this be? How can they do this when there is work to be done? Responsibilities to be taken care off? I think there instincts keep it all in perspective so they have a song.

Jesus, himself, mentions this when discussing worry. He says, “Do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; not for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matthew 7:25-26 NASB). So they sing and play.

Have you ever noticed how much happier you are on vacation? There are no worries, no boss breathing down your neck and there is a song in your heart. OK, maybe not the song part, but you are generally happier, right? Why is that? Simple, you aren't worrying, you are living. You have a weight lifted. Life can be pretty heavy at times with schedules to keep at work and often times at home. There is many a morning I look at my “to do list” and just feel overwhelmed. Too many times my “To Do List” becomes my “Things I want to do but didn't list” and it tends to get longer. But I think for first time in my life I have actually “looked at the birds.” I have seen that responsibilities and work needs to get done but it isn't all there is. There is singing and playing to be had.

So as I continue to watch the squirrels and listen to the birds, life comes into a better perspective. There is still much to do on my list of what needs accomplished this week but why should I worry about it. As I take each one on it will get accomplished and I will celebrate with playing or singing (don’t worry there is no one around for me to torture with my lack of ability).

As I enter 2015 I will look at the birds and the squirrels. Perhaps you would like to join me.

Vic Clevenger presents The Christmas Message

GET YOUR HEAD IN THE CLOUDS

Do you remember those family trips when your parents would keep you looking at the clouds to see the shapes as they emerged trying to save you from boredom and keep their sanity? In those clouds you saw everything from a dog to a dinosaur to a pirate ship. The sky, in those days, was a giant canvas full of endless possibilities for a child’s imagination. One summer afternoon the sky was a brilliant blue with clouds like cotton balls floating by, each changing shapes with the wind. I would see cars, animals and a variety of other pictures. Even today I will look at the sky to see if there is anything painted on the canvas of heaven.

From a very young age we are taught to look into the sky and use our imagination. This skill of seeing disguised clouds floating along in the horizon would serve us well on those long summer days outside. As the wind slowly and gently blew them across the sky they would appear alive while a metamorphosis would take place before our eyes. Sometimes they would change into something better and other times just a big cotton ball. But each time you would look into the clouds, you could see something different and then you began to grow.

As you grew your parents kept reminding you to get your head out of the clouds. Face the realities of the world in which you live. You will become a steel worker, a teacher, run a restaurant or something else reasonable. For some these are their dreams made real but for others not so much. Regardless of what you would become, you were encouraged to get your head out of the clouds and back to earth. In a way, they would be protecting us from pipe dreams that lead us to disappointment and preparing us for a life of real experience. Who could blame them really? They didn't know of anyone who had their head in the clouds and survived.

However, so many success stories come as a result of people seeing their goals “in the clouds.” It doesn't matter if it is a movie star or CEO, they saw it. They imagined it. Sometimes their image changed with the age of time and the winds of reality but they kept their head in the clouds. Those kids who began writing songs as an elementary student dreaming of stardom would later become the Taylor Swifts of the world. Then there’s the guy who struck out of a small town to become the George Clooneys of Hollywood. Perhaps they heard “get your head out of the clouds” but they chose not to pay any attention to it.

The reality of life is this. Dreams change and perhaps yours has. Another reality is not everyone can be famous but flip that coin over because some can be, so why can it not be you? The clouds are full of limitless possibilities of shapes and sizes. So are your dreams. You can become whatever you chose to become. You just have to stay determined and focused. It certainly won’t happen if you don’t do anything towards the goal of capturing your dreams.

If you want it, then get your head in the clouds.

FROM THE DARKNESS COMES THE LIGHT OF CREATIVITY

The door is left open, nightlight is turned on yet it didn't deter the occasional a jump into the parent’s bed in the middle of the night. Have you been there? If you are a parent, of course you have. You’re also familiar with the words, “I’m afraid of the dark.” “Why be afraid of the dark?” we try to reason with the frightened toddler. But how can you reason with someone who has seen a mountain lion poke its head out of the closet or felt the monster under the bed. The noises heard from the dinosaur outside the window have the covers pulled all the way up only revealing two eyeballs searching the room.

Recently I read a quote, “Creativity, like human life itself begins in darkness.” This to me proved to be profound because, we have never been more creative than when we were little kids in the dark. There laying in our bed, the darkness of night around us, we created monsters with multiple eyes and sharp teeth. Ghosts hid in the corner and the alligators on the floor almost daring us to get out of bed. As we got older we began reasoning and what we had created had become a shirt on a hanger or a pair of shoes barely under the bed. As we got older the fear of darkness dissipated as did our creativity.

After reading that quote I began to think about the darkness and why we were so creative then. Outside of just plan paranoia, which I might add most kids don’t have, I think there are 3 reasons why were more creative in the dark. If we can reacquaint ourselves with the darkness perhaps creativity will reign once again in our minds. We have forgotten about the mountains we conquered, the robbers we caught and the sword fights we experienced. Perhaps, we can once again, be creative.

In the darkness there is quiet. When you laid there in your bed, you would hear every growl of the monsters and the click of their claws against the floor. All because the quiet drew your attention to every sound and you had no other option than figure out what it was, those monsters. There is a benefit to the stillness of the night (or morning) which permits you to hear your thoughts. If you want to get in touch with your creativity again, mark out a time where you can just be quiet. Perhaps it’s on you back deck with a cup of coffee as the birds sings. Maybe you have to wait till the kids are actually down for the night before there is a stillness for you. Whatever it is, you need to find it. Even the Bible gives value to the stillness and quietness. It’s when Elijah was finally not distracted by the noise and commotion that he heard the voice of God, in just a whisper (1 Kings 19:9-12).

The fear comes in the darkness when we lay there alone. Mom would tuck her little man into bed then leave and there he would be by himself. Sometimes even the bedtime story wouldn't work, often feeding into our thoughts as we lay there with no one around but the monsters. A lot can be said about finding some time where there are no distractions. Nothing but you and your thoughts running wherever they may. Each morning I awake before everyone else (or at least I try), grab my pen and pad then write whatever is in my head, free-writing (not typing on my computer) three pages each day. I have written jokes, articles, have had ideas for TV shows and been very creative when it’s just me. Not to mention all the ‘To Do’ and grocery lists I have created. But it’s more about capturing my thoughts, its unleashing a flow of creativity which allows me to explore areas otherwise pushed aside or not even seen due to the distractions around me.

The third reason we were more creative in the darkness was because we used our imagination. While we laid there engulfed with darkness, we saw what wasn't there. We would hear sounds and then imagined what they were. They were real to us, those monsters under the bed and dinosaurs outside the window. We just knew once we were tucked in for the night our floors turned in moats or lakes filled with kid eating alligators. But it only happened when it was dark and we saw them with our mind’s eye, our imagination. Then we got older and our imagination grew dimmer as more light of reality shown on it. We just forgot our bed was actually a ship floating in the ocean and our cap guns would protect us from any danger.

The next time the lights go out and you are blanketed with darkness don’t be afraid. Instead, use the light of creativity to open a whole new world.

HALLOWEEN: Have Fun, There's Nothing To Be Afraid Of

It’s Halloween time and I am looking back on the stuff I used to like. I guess I still like them but just never do them anymore. Such as Trick or Treating. Going from door to door in the neighborhood dresses in a costume and asking…no wait…expecting the person behind the door to give me candy. My mom would tell me stories of when she was a kid and instead of candy it would be money, mainly pennies or nickels. Beggers night is what she would call it. When you look back on it, I guess that is what we did and in a way they still do.

Then there are all the stories to go along with the night. Ghosts, Goblins and Witches rule the night going in and out of the shadows. A full moon’s glow with and eerie night cloud floating by it only makes the most scary night of the year more fun. Then hospitals opening the doors to X-ray candy and those apples Mrs. White always gave out to the neighborhood kids. They would look for razor blades, synergies and any other spooky threat perpetrated on the un-suspecting youth.  Nothing was ever found or reported but still they would look, adding to the “terror” of the night.

What about all those movies which would come out at this time. The Nightmare’s which happened on Elm Street or the camp kids getting hacked by dude in a hockey mask. Then there was the crazy brother who terrorized his sister, especially around Halloween. Not to mention the Screams, the houses at the end of the street and the campy ones making fun of all the others. Designed to frighten people, these movies were a God-send to guys on dates. Fun nights were had as we played protector or were they just wanting us to put our arm around them? Ahh a mystery for the ages.

Haunted houses, Halloween alternatives and a variety of other events helping create memories in our minds as we get older. Entertaining every one with stories around back-yard fires as we cooked hotdogs are on a stick and with those gooey marshmallows. We impart these rites of passages to our kids so they can have the same yet different memories to pass on to their children.

So this Halloween, put on your favorite costume, watch your favorite scary movie but most of all remember this is for the kids. Allow them to have fun and teach them to enjoy life by not being afraid of those things that can do no harm. We need to stop raising our kids to be afraid at every shadow and raise them to enjoy living.

Have fun…there’s nothing to be afraid of.

LIFE ON THE ROAD IS NO VACATION

My "Five Star" Hotel Room

Life on the road is a glamorous life. You’re on vacation all the time. There’s a party 24/7 in your five star hotels. The only reason you aren't in a four diamond hotel is you don’t want to appear haughty and out of touch. Picked up at your door whenever it’s time for your show and you’re whisked away to a microphone in the glow of a spotlight. Once autographs are signed and pictures taken you’re then chauffeured back to your awaiting king size room with a pillow top king size bed befitting the celebrity you are. Well, that’s what people think…shoot it’s what I think, sometimes.

I have stayed in fine hotels and have seen many great sights. From the Puget Sound to the Niagara Falls, to quote Johnny Cash, “I've been everywhere man.” I recently had my first trip to Canada and have swam in the Caribbean. This, many believe is the norm, but it isn't, at least for me it’s not. I think many celebrities feel the same way. What you consider a vacation is our job. I know we aren’t building cars in Detroit or farming tobacco in Kentucky but its work still the same. For the most part, all most see is the escape from real life, i.e. a vacation. Flashing bulbs of cameras, nice clothes and fancy cars, that’s the life.

Well, today I’m in another city and I’m not even sure I can remember the name. My “Five Star” hotel is a block room painted diarrhea green with one wall that’s orange. The complementary mouthwash has something floating in it and there is no coffee. I didn't even know they made hotels with no coffee anymore. I have been on the road or as some call it, vacation, for 9 days and I have 2 more to go. On Monday I’ll be up at 4am to drive to the airport to drop the car off (yep I drive myself everywhere) and catch a flight back to Florida where I will wash clothes to get ready to do it again.

I’m not complaining, you see, it’s the life I chose…rather, it’s the life that chose me. To not be touring, traveling the friendly skies or driving the country’s highways would be denying what I was made to do. I've never been a homebody and I have always wanted to see the world from a windshield and in some cases, a rear-view mirror. Dreams and the pursuit of those dreams have been my driving force for as long as I can remember. Standing in front of a mirror, hairbrush in hand, singing Elvis songs complete with guitar (no strings on it by the way) I dreamed of being on the road…being a star. But chasing a dream as I have come to find out is hard work.

Waking up each morning full of hopes and promise only to fall asleep at night wondering if there is still more to do then you begin again the next day. Each time you get a gig or even an interest you count it as a good day but those days you hear nothing provides you with a choice. Do you doubt yourself leading to giving up or do you wake up that next morning, no matter how tired, with hope and promise ready to grab that dream? If this life chose you, then you wake up ready.

Life on the road is no vacation, but for me it’s a dream coming true.

I'M FLYING HIGH

Here I am at over 30,000 feet in the air and all my mind is thinking about is, “air travel is barely 100 years old.” I remember learning in history class even one of the Wright brothers flew planes in World War 1. This is just fascinating to me. With every bump in the…wait, how does air have bumps? They call it turbulence which I guess is air pockets, rough weather and nothing to be concerned about, so they tell us when it happens. All because two brothers from Ohio took an idea of air travel and made it a reality. For which I thank them and my pilot. For me air travel is the best way to go. Always an adventure worth experiencing and fodder for stories.

I remember one flight we hit one of those air pockets and dropped a several feet. Just how many feet I don’t know but we fell none the less. The little boy in the seat in front of me turned to his mother and asked her a question just as sincere as it was loud, “Hey Mom. If we fell from this high would we die?” The mother, obviously embarrassed, tried to quiet him while answering his question. Every few minutes and until we landed, the curious toddler continued to ask, “How about this high, Mom?” The mom knew she was fighting a losing battle trying to teach him talking about crashing in a plane isn’t a great topic for conversation. As for me, I laughed and hoped he would ask it louder. It was more entertaining than an in-flight movie.

Air travel does has its ups and downs though. The lay overs in towns you don’t know and not enough time to leave the airport to experience them. Recently coming home from some shows in upstate New York my wife and I had a delayed flight which erased any time to grab something to eat and almost erased our being able to get to our connecting flight. I hate running through airports. Well, I don’t run…ever. I may walk fast but never run. There is always a story to relay when asked how was my trip.

Once I was getting ready to head through security and got fast passed. They had chosen me to get pre-screened which bumped me to the head of the line. I didn’t have to take off my shoes or anything. Through security I headed to Starbucks as is my ritual. When I got there the guy in line said, “Here, go ahead of me, I’m waiting for someone.” This is turning out to be a great flight. Arrived to my seat on the Boeing 737, removed my flip flops and settled in to relax while reading my book. As we took off on my perfect flight sent to me from the Lord above I heard a young child say, “Uh Oh.” I’m the father of two girls and I’ve heard enough “Uh Oh’s” to know this wasn’t good. Soon my bare feet discovered the source of this “Uh Oh” as they were covered in slushy. Almost on cue, another child began to cry. My perfect flight quickly became less than perfect to say the least.

But today I am having a great flight to Michigan. Other than my head plugging up, it’s perfect (the two children on the plane are behind me and quiet). It’s the 13^th Anniversary of 9/11 so I am feeling patriotic, proud to be an American and grateful to those brothers from the Buckeye state for developing this mode of transportation. In spite of the kid asking his mom if we would die or my slushy covered feet, I love to fly. This has taught me to take the good with the bad. The good is always better but without the slushy feet and layovers, I may not appreciate the good as much. This is such a great lesson to remember for our everyday walk in life. All because two bicycle repairing brothers made the dream of air travel a reality.

So today, at 30,000 feet, all I can say is, “Nice job Mr. Pilot. But if we were to fall from here…” 

I HATED SCHOOL

I hated school. There I said it. I said what almost every student thinks and how they feel each time they wake up at 6am so they can be at school by the time class starts. My youngest daughter is actually up at 5:30am getting dressed, putting together her own lunch all while hollering at me to hurry so I can drive her to her “job.” When she arrives home she’ll watch a little TV then its homework. Supper time allows her a little break but then she is right back at it until bed time, which for her is about 8:30ish. No wonder she dreads Mondays through Fridays. I did to, except I wasn’t near as studious as her. For me I enjoyed being at school to see all my buddies but those dang classes got in our way. As a result I was an average student scooting by on barley enough. Not my daughters, for which I am both grateful and extremely proud.

As I get older, though, I realize what I missed by not being a student. To me it was a classification of what I was but it wasn’t who I was. It’s that distinction that kept me from being as successful as I could have been. I still may have never been Valedictorian or Salutatorian but I certainly could have done better, perhaps even have earned some scholarships for college. I was content to show up and just fill the seat until I got to see my buddies between classes. If I could go back with what I know now, things would certainly be different. I would have studied more played less, well maybe not played less certainly loafed less. Making better use of my time.

I have now applied that “study more loaf less” concept to my work as an entertainer. I still like hanging out with my buddies or sit on a boat fishing but it all has its place. Because if it doesn’t I will remain a no name comic among other no name comics all of us hanging out talking about when we “make it” not really doing what it takes to get where we want to go. Too many of us take our good time high school/college living into our career life then wonder why some make it and we don’t. This came home to me a while back when I was hanging out with a comic who got “the call.”

We were all hanging out when this comic was invited by a friend of ours to come over to the house to watch sports. A great invitation. Food, drinks and sports on TV how could you turn this down? Not to mention the opportunity to hang out with a great friend he’s not seen in a while. What would your response have been? If you’re like most of us you would have said, “I’ll be there as soon as I get up and shower.” Not this comic. He simply declined the invite. He wanted to go. He wanted to spend the day watching football but there was something more pressing, his career. In order for him to reach his goals, he needed to chill in his hotel room, alone, to write. To be creative. To prepare. To research. Because he knows to reach his goals, he needs to be a student and that requires some sacrifices.

Every successful entertainer, CEO or sports figure is a student. They are a student of their craft. They know sacrifices will need to be made in order to be in the top of their class. Do they play? Do they loaf or have down time? Of course they do. The difference is knowing when play time is and it’s not all the time. They realize the need for rest and when it’s the proper time. This is the mark of successful students.

Hello. My name is Vic. I’m a student.

HAVE YOU MISSED ME?

Have I been missed? Did you wonder where my weekly words of wisdom have gone? Did you say to yourself, “He must be super busy and that’s why he isn't writing anything”? I certainly hope I have been missed even if my words are far from wisdom. I wish I could tell you I have been so busy conquering the entertainment world that I just couldn't find the time to write. I wish I could even tell you, life got in the way, preventing me from putting my thoughts in cyber form for you to read. I wish I could tell you, my dear reader, a lot of things, but truth be told, I can’t.

Life didn't get in the way nor have I been so busy that I couldn't write. My trouble is I've had a bout of the Lazies. TV shows needed watched. Naps needed taken. Mindless, near comatose, pure laziness was all it was. I apologize to you, reader of my prose. I wish I had a better excuse. I wish I could say it was a hangnail on my typing hand. I wish I could have even hung up a sign reading, “Gone Fishing” but I didn't even do that. I just didn't feel like it. I didn't want to write (and you know how much I love it). Then I wondered if I really had anything of value to say. If there was any real value found in the pictures I try to paint in your mind. But here I sit on an airplane thinking I have robbed you of any value you might find. In reality, though, I have robbed myself these past weeks.

You see, I write because I enjoy it. I hope you do as well, but I do it for me. I do have thoughts in my head and writing helps me fine tune those thoughts into my own masterpiece. I guess most writers or composers feel the same way. They don’t necessarily write for you the reader but rather because it is in them and it has to come out. A great poem, story or even a song is written from the mind, the heart of its author. Emily Dickinson’s poems weren't discovered until after her death and she is listed in literary history as one of the best. She wrote them for herself and we were blessed to discover them. Beethoven was blind yet composed great music because it was in him and needed to come out.

Although I hope you read my words and enjoy them, I write them for me. I write them because it’s in me to write them. My words may not roll of the page like an Ernest Hemingway novel or an Edgar Allen Poe story, they are still my words put up for you to read and hopefully take away something useful. If not I will continue to write for my own therapy and edification. If you can gain anything from this today, take this, do not let laziness keep you from doing what you should be doing. For you not only rob us of your gift but you rob yourself of being who you are.