Life Journey

Rob Mitchell is a singer/songwriter from Nashville, TN. He has played songs around Nashville and appeared at the Bluebird Cafe. Musical influences are James Taylor, Jim Croce, Jimmy Buffett and John Denver. Rob is not a writer but what he wrote for us is a real writing gem:

Life Journey

Today the weather in Nashville is brisk. I woke to a chilly wind from the North whisking it’s way accross the dairy farm behind my home. Our dog is still curled deep in the cedar chips inside of her dog house as I fill her bowl with water. She stirs and looks at me with a bareful look. I think she wanted to sleep late too!

I notice my steps are short and stiff. The ache is evident in my thighs. Last night was the second of my new nightly routine of running. One mans quest to regain lost youth and health. As I walk back inside I make a mental note to learn to welcome the pain as that is my benchmark of progress. I’ll now cook breakfast for the kids and let my wife sleep late. She deserves the break.

After dropping the kids off at school I begin my 50 mile drive into work. I turn off the radio so I can reaquaint myself with my inner voice. That is the voice of my youth. I try to hear him encouraging me as he did in the old days. The clutter of my daily worries has driven him back into dark places as of late. When he went back there to the fringe of my forgotten subconscious is was when melancholy wandered in. I listen for him and his words of encouragement and hope as the asphalt ribbon runs beneath the car. He speaks softly at first. Unsure and not having the confidence that comes with youth. However the more I listen to him his voice becomes more assured.

I am still the person I was at 20, 25 and 30! So what if the road was more rugged than it appeared on the map. But isn’t every journey an adventure? Don’t all of us end up in detours sometimes or make a wrong turn or two on the road of life? We don’t stop the trip because we get lost. We look at the map again or we ask directions. What if where we finally end up isn’t where we thought we wanted to go? If we choose to linger here a while it can only mean that this isn’t such a bad place to be afterall. Hopefully we can learn from the experiences in our journey and if nothing else come of it; we can look back and say it was one heck of a road trip we took!

Manuel Marino

Manuel Marino is a seasoned Senior Producer, Music Composer, and Artist with over a decade of experience. He specializes in branded entertainment across various mediums, including video games, films, and advertising campaigns. With 20+ years as a game music composer, Manuel has worked on numerous platforms, creating diverse orchestral soundtracks. HIRE ME