Publishers Perspective: Don’t Worry, Be Happy!
– By Josh Warburton –
The last two articles I wrote could likely be summed up by something like “don’t worry, be happy” and “the only constant is change.”
I stand by them, but rather than a third installment of “unsolicited advice from Josh,” I thought maybe this month I’d just share with you a couple of experiences.
I’m a lot more private these days. Gone are the days of frequent public performances. And long gone are my days of regularly hanging with large groups of friends or hosting big get-togethers. I also have only been writing articles once per month and not doing the little community articles I did for a while… mainly because I haven’t been as tuned in to local happenings. Those articles can take a lot of time and energy, and sadly they’ve sometimes had negative responses rather than be the gift to the community I saw them as. Instead, much of my time these days is spent creating the backyard oasis I’ve always wanted, complete with stages, a well-manicured lawn, fruit trees, and grapevines, as well as working on other home projects and hobbies.
I’ve seen a lot of memes about people liking the solitude the pandemic created. I never thought I’d be one of those people… but, it turns out I am. I’ve always described myself as a people person and have enjoyed interactions with crowds and certainly the roar of an audience while performing. But times change, and people change.
That said, I still write these monthly articles giving folks a little glimpse into my life, as I recently heard that someone said, “I don’t know Josh, but I feel like through his articles I do know him.” Which to me is a fantastic compliment. I live and write by two expressions: “write what you know” and “write from the heart.” So it seems I may be accomplishing that, even while also enjoying a lot more Josh time these days.
Just like the seasons, life is cyclic. Unlike the seasons, you don’t always return to the things you’ve done or places you’ve been in the past. Mark Twain famously said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes,” which is kinda how I think of my life. Many things I’ve done for periods, and then not for a while, only to revisit them and sometimes in a different form. This series of articles is one of those things. Over the 25 years we’ve published, I’ve written a monthly article, probably about half of that time. Sometimes I just have more to say than other times, and frankly, lately, I haven’t had a lot to share, so for the last few pieces, I just kind of settled on some general ideas and philosophies that had come to me. This is another month like that.
My girlfriend suggested maybe I write about our recent trip to the coast or other current events in my life, but I realized that I haven’t necessarily wanted everyone knowing all my personal happenings as much lately. I’ve been posting way less on social media and generally just use it for Marketplace and finding things in isolated little Kanab. And I’m loving it!
I also used to host gatherings quite regularly, every week in Springdale for vegan potlucks at one point! Partly because of covid that hasn’t really happened in the last year and a half… but this state of things won’t last forever. And I’ve got the yard pretty dialed in. So now I just need to want to see people again, and we’ll be good. Happy reading, and (maybe) we’ll see you out there!
Viewpoints and perspectives expressed throughout The Independent are those of the individual contributors. They do not necessarily reflect those held by the staff of The Independent or our advertising sponsors. Your comments, rebuttals, and contributions are welcome in accordance with our Terms of Service. Please be respectful and abide by our Community Rules. If you have privacy concerns you can view our Privacy Policy here. Thank you!
Click here to submit an article, guest opinion piece, or a Letter to the Editor
