Road life is pretty interesting. I mean, boring. But yet exhilerating. Exhausting, but adrenaline charged. A lot of sitting around. A lot of heat-exhausted, worn-out people everywhere running around aimlessly. A friend of mine compared touring to camping - but the boring parts, where you're just sitting around wondering when you're going to get your next shower. People look at the mammoth tour buses with eyes of wonder. Wow...how amazing must it be inside! Yes, it's pretty cool. Actually, it's great to have somewhere to escape to that has air conditioning! There's a front and back lounge, each with TV, DVD, satellite, etc., a little kitchen, an even littler (and stinkier) airplane-ish bathroom, and twelve coffin-like bunks (six on each side, stacked three deep). The bunks have TV/DVD players in them, but I prefer throwing on the iPod and listening to something soothing like Amos Lee, Teitur, Jamie Cullum, etc.
Once you leave the bus, everyone is always checking you out, wondering if you're someone famous that they should know. Every time I get a ride from a driver to go to the hotel (we get a "day room" to shower in) they ask me who I am, or what band I'm with. I'm tempted to lie, but usually just tell them I'm just me and that they never have heard of me. I try to be patient with people who just seem to want a piece of someone famous, probably so they can tell people later something like, "You won't believe who I drove to the hotel today!"
Yes, Mr. Louisville, you drove Mark Smeby to the hotel. That's SMEEEE-bee. Like Phoebe, you know, from "Friends"? I do pop music and not even your cool teenager knows who I am. But that's ok with me. Why? Because I'm surrounded by family and people back home in Franklin who know me and love me, regardless of how famous or unfamous I am. They know all my strengths and all my weaknesses, and help remind me of the truth about myself when I lose sight of it in the midst of both the applause and humiliation that come with life on the road. To be honest, they actually prefer it when I'm not on the road. Part of me feels the same way.
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