Little Moments

As I sat on the front porch swing of my grandparent’s house this past weekend, I was reminded of an earlier time. Times when we would spend the summer nights catching fireflies and eating slush pops. This visit was an important one. My grandfather was not doing as well as anticipated before his heart surgery. My mom, dad and I drove up. My cousins in Omaha and St. Louis as well as my aunt and uncle from Kansas City all gathered at my grandparent’s house for Easter. While they have lived in other houses, it is the only house I've ever known. A classic two-story country home with a basement. The front porch with its sky blue ceiling, flowers always planted next to the wide wooden steps. This is what songs are written about. It was here that I realized all visits are important ones. While the house and everything about it reminds me of the moments, those moments made me who and what I am today.

Thank you Clay Walker!

Last Wednesday the Rodeo Austin crowd was informed Sara Evans would not be the entertainment for Thursday night, because of a case of Bronchitis. Clay Walker, we were informed would be filling in. So I am writing this as a thank you to Clay, and hopefully to let him know how much I for one appreciated him jumping in at the last minute.

I was also lucky enough Thursday to receive a chance to meet Clay and what a nice guy he is. Very quiet and soft spoken, but all that changes when he gets on stage. He entertained the crowd for over an hour (the contract time is an hour). While there were no inflatable beach balls this year it was still a grand time. The crowd was also informed of his new recording with Freddy Fender on "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" which Walker sang with powerful conviction. Last year when Walker performed that song, he told us about singing it a wedding, from a father to a daughter and while I had never thought about the song that way that is how I will always think of it now.

Watching his performance that night, it made me smile as I remembered a paper I wrote in 7th grade (1993) addressing three of the top new talents that year, John Michael Montgomery, Doug Supernaw and Clay Walker. And while all three are still performing and recording, Clay Walker is certaintly still making the biggest impact, a man who started out by asking... What's it to you?

For more information on Clay Walker and to purchase a wristband to "Band Against MS" go to http://www.claywalker.com