Solitude is something to be cherished. Being lonely should not be confused with being alone. The former is rooted in sadness while the other can be considered healthy selfishness. Fishing buddies are worthy treasures, but times together can be few and far between.

Limiting our salty pursuit of that which we love until friends reunite is no way to fully fulfill our need to sit on a beach and just cast, hoping to hook our prey. This is the type of solitary confinement I enjoy and one where being alone did not at all feel lonely.

This door. This seemingly benign stage door with its imperfect skin, dimpled complexion and transparent patches has served as a gracious portal through which dreams have become reality.

Through this humble entryway has passed some of the greatest musical minds of our era. This simple means of ingress and egress has watched, in quiet reverence, the awesome breadth of talent the stage can boast. It reminds me of a servant’s heart who readily sheds the pride of achievement and deflects the praise to those more deserving.

It’s the aperture of opportunity that can focus great light of personal achievement or one that closes following devastating disappointment. Sometimes, the journey is paved with favor, but for most, it’s a road where hard work in silence culminates into the blissful noise of success.

In the meantime, I’ll be right here, keeping watch over this gateway to stage left, providing care and safety for anyone who passes through it. Those that are willing to stand inside the fire of celebrity and fame, whether deserving or not, have a golden ticket waiting to be punched when their name is called.

If only this little avenue of dreams could talk, oh the stories it would tell.