Oh man, I remember hearing the Charlie Daniels 8 track for the first time (kind of like a CD, and a cassette tape inside of a 4″x6″ plastic box). The songs were awesome, but two songs still make me want to dance and air-fiddle in my truck bed. I know, weird mind pic. Those two songs? “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and “The South’s Gonna Do it Again.” Both pretty air fiddle worthy songs. I’m referring to the kind of air fiddle that breaks the strings and leaves you in desperate need of an oxygen mask. I still want to get in the truck and dance when I hear them. Maybe Hector will surprise me one Sunday morning while I’m on the platform. But why? It’s just music. NO!!!! It’s more than that. It’s a remembrance of fun, carefree days. It’s also a fantastic workout. But wait! There’s more. It is also one of the best ways to totally embarrass your kids.
This is a life of 80-hour workweeks, delivering our children to endless sporting events around the state, debilitating debt, divorce, cancer, terrorism, aging parents, and I could go on and on. This life requires us to walk away from the iPhone, laptop, spreadsheet or next critical meeting about meetings and air fiddle! Can you smell what I’m stepping in? We all long for happiness, fitness, success, peacefulness, holiness and so much more, and yet it feels so elusive. After five and a half decades, I am just now realizing how desperately I need to jump in the truck bed, crank up some Charlie Daniels, and air fiddle! To just work up a sweat that soaks your underwear. Don’t get all “Oh My” about that. If you sweat, you know what I’m talking about.
So why don’t we air fiddle more often? There are an endless array of answers to that question. Here are four possible answers that might apply to you, as they do me.
– I’m a grown man or woman. That’s not how adults are supposed to act. (Get over that)
– I’m a well-educated woman or man. Truck bed air fiddling is below me. (Really?)
– I’m a busy adult. I have no time to fiddle in trucks. People are countering on me. (Then you need this – chill)
– I’m not that kind of person. I’m a quiet, behind the scenes kind of person. (Come on, you know you want to)
I will guarantee you that whatever your hang-up is, you need to have some goofy, funky, weird, let your hair down fun. Every human needs fun. Go ahead and find your version of air fiddling. If you don’t, you are missing out on the joy of the Lord. While it’s a bit odd, I can see King David air fiddling to Charlie Daniels. Yes, that David. The same David that took out a lion, a bear, a Philistine giant, and survived King Saul’s hunt for him, with orders of shoot to kill. The same David that had already been a cheater and a murderer. And the same David that God himself described as the man after His own heart. David, the scriptures say, danced naked. Whoa! Stop this runaway train! Let’s let that little episode escape this little moment we are having here.
David knew heartache, loneliness, betrayal, sorrow, regret, death and so many things that we can easily identify with. But David knew how to play that funky music and get down – get down. He knew that when he was in a funk, leave it all with the Lord and dance like a fool.
Maybe you have no sorrow or loneliness, no heartache or anxiety. Maybe you’ve got your proverbial poop so together that you don’t need to play your air fiddle like a lunatic and tear it up. But that’s not true in my life. The more I sense this world falling apart, the more I need to air fiddle like it’s my job!
As for me and my house, we air fiddle. We dance. We sing loud and out of tune. And we have fun. Go ahead and find your music thing (ABB). Then email or DM me and I’ll explain that one. The first person to get to me with the correct answer will receive a $25 gift card.
– If you are a classic rock kinda person – crank up the CCR Stones, Boston, or Heart. – If you are a country kinda person – crank up your Blake Shelton or Dirks Bentley.
– If you are a jazz kinda person – crank up some Miles Davis.
– If you are a Justin Bieber fan, turn in your air fiddle,as there is no hope for you.
You get the idea, right? Then set your heart on a little air fiddle exercise and get after it. I will guarantee you that you’ll feel better about the day and it’ll put a little extra swag in your daily routine.
If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably wondering if I have really done this air fiddle, dancing, unlike the stars thing to Charlie Daniels in the back of a truck. The answer is HECK YEAH! One of these Sunday’s we might just invite everybody to join me.
Go Ahead & Tear it Up Today,
Chuck
