Good Night, Indianola
Cup-A Joe, my primary access point to the internet in Indianola
INDIANOLA, IA - I write this on the eve of our final week of the tour. Because we'll be in hotels all week, tonight will be my final night spent in my apartment on South J Street in Indianola. It has become difficult to tell if this week snuck up on us or if it's been late to arrive. We're all pretty tired, but the excitement of finishing the tour should give us a nice energy boost to get through these final shows.
My final weekend here wasn't terribly exciting.
Brian and I went to the movies in town on Friday night, and I spent much of
Saturday running errands and doing some personal housekeeping in preparation for
leaving Iowa. All eight of us went out to dinner on Saturday night to a place
called Mosaix in West Des Moines. It was probably the fanciest dinner the eight
of us have had together in Iowa, and it was a nice way to spend some time
together here in Des Moines for the last time. The food was good, if not
promptly served, and I enjoyed
myself.
As we all sat at the table for dinner, I thought back to our first meals together in January. We were all being very nice to each other in those early days, and I wondered how long the collective pleasantries would last. If I've learned one thing over the last three months, it's that, over an extended period of time, people will eventually just behave as themselves. If you wait long enough, a person's true personality will come to the surface - and it won't ever leave. Don't get the wrong idea. I think that, as a group, we still enjoy one another's company quite well. If anything, I think that we're collectively in a much better place as far as that's concerned now than at any point during the tour.
The group dynamic, as far as I could tell, followed an arc. As I said above, everybody was exceedingly nice in the beginning. The passing of time and the wear and tear of travel, however, understandably brought with them some small amount of friction. When people have different personalities, it necessarily means that they deal with adversity in different ways. In the middle weeks of our tour, we certainly had our share of disagreements. Some seemed petty even back then, but there were a few incidents that really highlighted the differences among us. Even at our most tense, though, we were generally civil and humane to one another.
The timing of our vacation in mid-March was perfect. After spending a week away from each other, we all returned rejuvenated and with the common purpose of finishing the final four weeks in a positive way. There was more laughter in the van again, and work was a pleasure. Whether we were conscious of it or not, we became more accepting of everybody's personalities. Things were much more relaxed, and we all gave each other space whenever we needed it. I would even go as far to say that some of us rubbed off on others in positive ways.
So that brings us up to now. The eight of us are set to embark on our final week together, and I have every reason to believe we'll have a terrific time. In spite of the meager portions of sleep some of have had in recent days, I'm confident that the energy will be high. We have performed well as a group over these last few months, and nostalgic as I am, I'm sure I will look back fondly on this ensemble.
The end is, at long last, finally within sight. I'll go to sleep momentarily, and when I wake up, I will be a little closer to being home. I already know it will be a good morning.
As we all sat at the table for dinner, I thought back to our first meals together in January. We were all being very nice to each other in those early days, and I wondered how long the collective pleasantries would last. If I've learned one thing over the last three months, it's that, over an extended period of time, people will eventually just behave as themselves. If you wait long enough, a person's true personality will come to the surface - and it won't ever leave. Don't get the wrong idea. I think that, as a group, we still enjoy one another's company quite well. If anything, I think that we're collectively in a much better place as far as that's concerned now than at any point during the tour.
The group dynamic, as far as I could tell, followed an arc. As I said above, everybody was exceedingly nice in the beginning. The passing of time and the wear and tear of travel, however, understandably brought with them some small amount of friction. When people have different personalities, it necessarily means that they deal with adversity in different ways. In the middle weeks of our tour, we certainly had our share of disagreements. Some seemed petty even back then, but there were a few incidents that really highlighted the differences among us. Even at our most tense, though, we were generally civil and humane to one another.
The timing of our vacation in mid-March was perfect. After spending a week away from each other, we all returned rejuvenated and with the common purpose of finishing the final four weeks in a positive way. There was more laughter in the van again, and work was a pleasure. Whether we were conscious of it or not, we became more accepting of everybody's personalities. Things were much more relaxed, and we all gave each other space whenever we needed it. I would even go as far to say that some of us rubbed off on others in positive ways.
So that brings us up to now. The eight of us are set to embark on our final week together, and I have every reason to believe we'll have a terrific time. In spite of the meager portions of sleep some of have had in recent days, I'm confident that the energy will be high. We have performed well as a group over these last few months, and nostalgic as I am, I'm sure I will look back fondly on this ensemble.
The end is, at long last, finally within sight. I'll go to sleep momentarily, and when I wake up, I will be a little closer to being home. I already know it will be a good morning.
Posted: Mon - April 11, 2005 at 12:49 AM
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Published On: Apr 11, 2005 12:49 AM
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Published On: Apr 11, 2005 12:49 AM