KATIE TAKES A HIATUS FROM THAILAND

Katie writes from Seattle:

Last week my entire family flew to Fremont, Nebraska (aka The Sticks) to see the place where my mother, aunts, uncles and grandparents lived before venturing out West. It was in Nebraska that we all sang in their old church choir at Midland Lutheran College, where my grandfather was a professor of music waaaaay back in the 60’s and 70’s. While grandpa directed the choir, I sang and played guitar with my brother… my first official public performance as a guitarist. Whoop whoop!

My grandfather was honored with the prestigious Alumni Achievement Award and an endowment was set up in his name titled, The Gene Nelson Endowed Scholarship for Choral Music. It was quite a big “to do” for our family as both of my grandparents are retired professors of music, all four of their children are musicians and all of us grandchildren have a deep reverence for music. Every last family member blubbered and sniveled nostalgically as my 85 year old grandfather regally stepped onto the podium and became our revered leader of the band once again... a scene which often painted my earliest childhood memories with comfort.

I spent a lot of time with my grandparents as a child, and thus developed a fierce love for them. As a toddler I’d sit for hours watching my grandpa direct his college choir. He always looked so noble and stately, as if Father Time himself were directing the sun to rise. My grandma’s stories from her travels overseas first inspired me to come to Thailand seven years ago. I have always been in quiet awe of these two giants who sit at the bottom of my family’s totem poll and lift everyone else up in the balance.

Dan Fogelburg’s lyrics capture perfectly my catharsis from this short time spent at home:
The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old.
But his blood runs through my instrument, and his song is in my soul.
My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man.
I’m just a living legacy to the leader of the band.