Saturday, September 7, 2013

Don't wait say it now..."In The Living Years"

As a somewhat successful songwriter, I am always moved by well written lyrics that touch upon a truth in life... "Say It Loud, say it clear, you can listen as well as you hear, it's too late, we we die" - "In The Living Years" I have just returned from two memorials today. Both of these events have helped me to reflect on spending time with those in our lives that we love, and really being engaged, since tomorrow is never promised... One memorial was for the Father of a dear friend who was very old, and had lived a distinguished life of community service, as a Teacher, Leader and Father, the other one was for a friend who was a Musician, Songwriter, Father of 4 young children and well known Pro Audio Consultant who I knew, and had worked with, but didn't know what he had going through... Martin Joseph Conroy, was the Father of my good friend Bill, whom I met via a Bible study group I was leading. Bill's Dad was the son of Irish immigrants from Castlebar and Claremorris. He received his BA from Loyola University in 1955. Martin earned his administrative credential at USC in 1978. He created a public service program on CBS called "StepsTo Learning" which showcased the excellent teaching in Los Angeles. He served for 37 years as a Teacher and then as a Principal. Martin retired as Principal of Reseda Community Adult School. Then at Pacoima Junior High as Director of the Television, Film and Arts Center, he helped create the groundbreaking program "Newseekers" which aired on PBS.
I only met Martin once when he came with his Son, my friend Bill to our Bible study....What a life he lived, Huh? Martin touched my life profoundly, simply by showing up for his Son. It meant so much to Bill that his Father was there for him, and with him. It was just that simple.... Mr. Conroy passed away August 31, 2013. Troy Dwayne Morris was a Husband, Father of four children and a well known and well liked Pro Audio Consultant who started out by studying at The Full Sail Recording Arts program in Winter Park, FL. Troy moved to LA with his wife, in 1992 where he began working at the legendary Westlake Audio Recording Studios. Troy moved from the Studio group into the Sales group and became a well known fixture in our community. We worked together from 1999 - 2001. At the time of his passing, he was a Pro Audio System Designer at Westlake Pro, which had been bought by West LA Music.
Although I had known and worked with Troy, and I also saw him regularly at our neighborhood grocery store, I could have known him better. I should have known him better. I did not know everything he was going through, nor did I see the pain he dealt with on a daily basis. It wore him down. This struggle took him away from us. I would have liked to have known Troy more deeply and been more aware of his life and struggles... Troy passed away July 21, 2013 Moral of this story, don't wait to ask someone how they are, don't give up on people when they are down, don't just ask "how's it going" and then keep on walking... Take some serious time to invest in peoples lives...it's really worth it. You never know how much it might impact their life.... To donate, and help Troy's family, please go to this link: http://westlakepro.com/troymorrismemorial.html

Friday, September 6, 2013

Well folks, I'm back at it! I have neglected my blogging because of life changes and challenges, but that has never stopped me from moving forward in the past! Keep your eyes open for more frequent Blogs here! The NEW NEWS, is that I have most excellent fans in the Great White North of Canada, who have graciously decided to sponsor a website for me since I never got around to making a gussiemiller.com page!!! YES, FINALLY a gussiemiller.com site with music and my new CD project as the MAIN focus!!! I'm SO excited, since the site looks AMAZING!!! I'm highly flattered by this honor since we are STILL (yes, it's still being recorded) working on "Forever Plan". We'll be posting some new and some old stuff up here, and mostly things that just fall out of my head. Life's STILL a struggle for creative people like me, but with God's help...we carry on! See ya soon! Gussie