Graduation 2023

The North Harrison High School Class of 2023 celebrated commencement yesterday. It was a great time.  My dear wife, Carrie, and I sat near the top row of the bleachers and were able to take it all in. It was a sight to behold!

I had the honor to sing a song for this bunch on Friday during graduation practice.  I never get tired of breaking out a tune I wrote with graduates in mind.

Mr. Kellems, our principal, went over the finer points of graduation during practice.  The whole ceremony turned out very well a coupled days later.

As I said, it was an honor to sing for this bunch.  I had many of them in class this year and they made it a memorable (for good reasons) school year.  Thank you!

Some of the caps took flight after the turning of the tassels.

Recording 

On Saturday, the day before graduation, I found some old friends.  My musical partner and engineer, Jeff Carpenter, and his studio.  They are both dear friends.  Both full of memories of pure sweetness.

Jeff takes care of me.  I show up with a stack of tunes and a guitar and his magic makes it sound like I belong there.

There is a true comfort I find in this space.

I had my game face on before we began.  The last time I was here was before the dreaded Covid crisis.  I had not seen Jefferson since 2019.  You wouldn’t know it.  We just took up where we left off.  Fortunately it is always like that for us.  No pulling up the ground when we get together.

When we are in this space, the hours melt like a cube of ice on the roof of a Mustang in July.

There were some nerves and apprehensions on my part.  I think that should happen.  When that goes away there’s nothing left to appreciate.  When you settle down and really start going for it, good things happen.

In Memoriam

I’d be remiss if I did not speak a word about Mrs. Janet Petty.  She passed away today at her home in Alabama.  She is the mother of my dear friend Brother Tim Petty.  Brother Tim, our hearts and prayers go out to you and your family.  I know her suffering is over.  Regardless of the circumstances, when we lose a loved one there will always be an empty feeling for a while.  I know Mr. Petty will have a time of it.  God bless him.  Mrs. Petty liked to laugh.  I was fortunate to be able to laugh with her a few times.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson