I had a lot going on in my life in 2012, which is why I completely missed that Led Zeppelin, the greatest rock band of all time, got the Kennedy Center Honors that year.
I just watched the entire tribute and I’m balling my fuckin’ eyes out. So much raw feeling and so much culminating and represented by those tribute performances. I wasn’t sure if Robert Plant approved of the performances when I saw some of his facial expressions, but it became clear he was completely fighting back overwhelming feelings of emotion and tears.
Why was it so powerful? Because that honor is everything we all dream of, to take a bad situation, to find a way to be creative, and to nurture that into something truly great. That is the story of Led Zeppelin.
Sure everyone thinks they want to be a rock star, but I think what we really want is validation that our greatest dedication and sacrifices to develop our talents and contributions actually matter. It’s a central part of most religious teaching, so it much run deep within all of humanity.
I also happened to watch a biography of Spike Jones, skater turned photographer, turned academy award winner always keeping true to who he is, never becoming too big, always full of a feeling of wonder and fascination for what he can learn and do next. This same creative energy is what drove Led Zeppelin and all those receiving the honors.
These two tribute videos are a real reminder to find what truly inspires and drives me and give everything I can to make it happen. This is what Campbell meant when he said, “Follow your bliss.” But do I have the courage to fight back confusion, frustration, depression, and all the negativity in the world?
My main frustration is that my bliss is constantly changing. I think it might be that my actual bliss is exploration itself. Sometimes I feel like the only thing I’ve truly mastered is the art of exploring and learning. I’m an obsessed explorer, always looking for paths that lead in radically different directions, whether it be physical or metaphysical, emotional or scientific, technical or artistic. Everything in my life seems to stem from my obsession with exploration and learning, the language fluency, the coding, the writing, the guitar, the outdoor stuff, even the live-streaming, and years in Second Life. They all make it easier to explore in every way possible.
Will my life ever be worthy of a Kennedy Center Honors award? Nah. But I can certainly take this reminder to focus more on what I want to leave behind with my life and less on the crushing realities facing humanity. Even if all of humanity is wiped out in 30 years (as many noted scientists now quietly predict) the spirit of those who lived will remain. What will my contribution be? I know there is more beyond this life. I just don’t know what it will be. But that’s the fun of it, not knowing. So I’ll do my best with the time I have left.