There are two memory references today so I’m gonna let Larry take the heavy lifting on this one (mostly because it’s Rush related) and I’m gonna take the fun lighthearted one.
From the time Gabriel was born and until Connor was in school full time, Larry and I worked different shifts. We did this so the boys did not have to go to daycare or a sitter, which was great for them but not without its difficulties for us. At this point in time in 2000 Larry would have been on second shift and I was on day shift and we were on the 6th year of working separate shifts, it was exhausting for both of us, but we tried to find little ways to show our appreciation for each other. On this particular day I had bought some sort of pasty for Larry and left it with a note and some misappropriated Blink 182 song lyrics. It may not have been roses but the sentiment was the same.
Throughout writing all of my Rush posts, I've thought a lot about my obsession and why. If I had to choose one word it would be inspiration. I mean come on, your husband has an obsession as well - drinking or fitness or sports or traveling. So stop judging mine! I know it has made me a more intelligent, well written, compassionate person.
So when I say this is one of the best, if not the best song Rush ever released, you might want to sit up and take notice. And I guarantee that if you ever find yourself in a life or death situation that depends on the answer to the question "What is the best Rush song ever?" - if you answer with The Garden, you will walk out of that situation. The only other possibly correct answer would be "there are too many to name, so I can't choose one". If you name any other song, you aren't making it out of there alive...
It should be noted that The Garden is the last song on the last album Rush ever released. Coincidence that their last song spanning a 40+ year career is their best? Not really - they spent those 40+ years getting better and better and better.
So there must be a reason I choose this day for this song.
On July 11th, 2015 I watched my last Rush show in Denver, CO. After this show, they only had ten more and then that was it. They were done. I will share that it was Neil who called it quits. After 40+ years of drumming and being 63 years old, he wanted to go out on top. In January of 2020, the world was shocked to hear of his passing. Not only because he was gone, but also because he passed on January 7th and it was kept private until January 10th so his family and Alex and Geddy could mourn privately. That fact alone should tell you how respected and respectful Rush was. In this day and age keeping a celebrity death quiet is astonishing.
Also - remember January, 2020? When a Global Pandemic was starting to grip the world?
Anyway, I am super fortunate that I actually got to see them twice on the R40 tour - the Columbus and Denver shows. They only played the U.S. and Canada so every other Rush fan around the world didn't even get the chance to possibly see them one last time.
Prior to the R40 tour announcement, for 2015 I had already planned a lengthy three week motorcycle trip that I then had to rearrange so that I could see them in Denver that very last time. This was my "Dances With Wolves" trip that saw me ride Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Iowa. Just an all around epic trip that was partially solo, partially with Shannon. But that's a story for another day. Below I'm including part of that ride report - the day I rode into Denver knowing that the next day would be the last time I would ever see them live.
Fun Fact - yes, I did ride 658 miles that one day. And that WAS NOT the longest day of riding I had on that trip.
I will also share that on my last day of employment with Lbrands after 29 years, the thank you and goodbye email I sent included this song along with a little more specifics as well - I'm including that below as well.
Fun fact - it was the only email in my entire career where I Cc'd Les Wexner, the owner, founder and now more commonly known as the billionaire who assigned Jeffrey Epstein to be his Power Of Attorney.
I could go on and on about this song, my thoughts and feelings about it and Rush, Neil's brilliant writing, etc.
I would just ask that if you only listen to one Rush song on this journey, it should be The Garden. Pull up the lyrics and listen to it...you won't be disappointed.
So you might have heard in team day that the thing most people who met me during my 29-year career with Lbrands, know me as being is one thing - a Rush fan. And in all my time working here, I have only met one other person who is what I consider a true fan (read fanatic). His initials are Jeff Ausenbaugh in case you were wondering (Sorry Jeff…)
I did, however, meet, date, marry and convert a certain employee because she was forced to listen to them going on 27 years now (Sorry Shannon…)
I think we all should draw inspiration throughout life, and Rush is how I’ve drawn mine. Rush is a thinking band – so if you learn or read the lyrics, work to understand what inspired them, and then be introspective, you’ll probably walk away thinking a little differently. And I believe reflection can and should lead to positive, actionable change.
Trust me – if you had met me in January 1990 – you’d know I’ve changed. A lot. I was pretty much a 20-year-old idiot in 1990.
Whatever you think you know about Rush, it’s probably completely wrong. Especially if you think all Rush fans are like the character Johnny Atkins from The Goldbergs. That was not me in High School. At least in my mind.
So, what better way to say thank you and goodbye than to pass along something I hope you take the time to digest and think about.
The inspiration for this song comes from Voltaire’s Candide.
From my perspective, this song points out the pointless of what we do through the span of time.
But every moment means something that defines who and what we are.
It is the ultimate dichotomy. In universal time, we are nothing more than a blink of an eye of existence.
But when we take what we do and look at it from the perspective of what happens just before “it” and just after “it” (the “moment” in the song), these collective moments are meant to define us. Cultivating a solid reputation – being Honest. Trustworthy. Compassionate. Humble.
All of which can be easily destroyed with a singular action. (Many of you have sat through my boring speech about growing a trust tree and how quickly it can be cut down. For the record, I’ve been telling that story long before this song was written).
I think we should consciously approach everything we do with deliberate thought (like constantly tending to a garden); to make every moment matter.
Treat one another well while we are here, for our time is short. And for those times where we are remembered, we may be lucky enough to have something nice to be remembered by. I thank each and every one of you for our interactions – I always walked away with something new to think about.
For a long time, I had an inspirational carton on my refrigerator (one of my very few non-Rush inspirations) that said:
“Live your life so that there is standing room only at your funeral.”
I hope that I have done that. And I hope that you feel I have as well…
Ghost of a Chance 