Hey friends, how did this first week of 2024 treat you?
As I sat down to consider which song to play for today’s serenade, I kept coming back to this one. It’s a song I often play as an opener, so maybe there’s some ‘opening of 2024’ vibes happening here. This song serves as a sweet opener for three reasons:
- It helps me ground into a rhythm, warm up my storytelling self, and transition into gig mode.
- It’s not typically well known to the folks listening. There’s something freeing in that.
- I’ve been playing it for nearly 20 years so it helps connect me back to my roots and early influences as a singer-songwriter.
Tampa to Tulsa // Cover
Originally by The Jayhawks
I was introduced to The Jayhawks and this song by my then co-worker, now friend, Butch Boswell. I was fresh out of college and found a part-time summer job at a local music store, Blue Note Guitars. Butch was the head repair person and manager there. He sold and repaired some of the most incredible high-end guitars I’d ever seen with unflappable confidence and skilled expertise. I ended up working with him for a little over 2 years before we both left to pursue our next chapters. However, in that short period of time, I learned more from him than I could ever write here.
Butch played ‘Tampa to Tulsa’ in the store often, sitting tall with legs crossed on a high stool, fingerpicking with precision, singing with his commanding yet soulful voice. Whether playing or selling or fixing guitars (or just living his life), he always seemed to embody a compelling charisma and determination. This had a profound impact on me in my early 20’s and I’ve been cultivating these qualities in myself ever since. Butch left Blue Note to start his own repair shop and eventually became a luthier. Now he builds and sells his own line of high-end guitars, most recently a commission to build a custom model for Mark Knopfler.
The driver just smiles / With every mile he’s closer to the arms / Of the woman who loves him
This line reminds me of Butch and his journey. I continue to be inspired by how he followed his dream. First by getting clear on what brought him joy, then taking the leap, and now continuing to show up for himself day in and day out. Butch modeled for me the long-term impact of practicing confidence, honing skill with tenacity, and meeting the unknown road ahead (and oneself) with a ‘fuck yeah’ smile of deep knowing. He taught me to trust this idea: good things are certainly coming when you move toward what brings you joy.
Reflection
What smile-inducing dream(s) are you moving toward in your life?
One of my dreams is to someday own a Boswell original. The even bigger dream that keeps me showing up for myself everyday is to coach and support amazing humans like you. If you have a dream or intention you are actively moving toward and you’re at the point where you could use some support, book a discovery call with me. I’d love the opportunity to hear about whatever amazing dream you are moving toward in your life and help you realize it.
