THANKS, ANDY!

Do what you love, the money will follow, they say. And if you are really lucky, I suppose, fame and glory might tag along, too.

I broach this subject because I had a very interesting conversation Saturday evening with someone who, indeed, has done what he loves for, as he says, forever. And yes, he gets paid. But as for fame and glory?

Not a concern for Andy Fleming, singer/songwriter for the band Brother Trucker.

I first heard Brother Trucker perform at Doug and Michael's Old School Pub here in town just about a year ago. Live music in Podunk? Practically unheard of at the time, and the place was packed.

Tonight, after spending the day up to my eyeballs in dust and black mold cleaning out my basement, at the urging of my friends Cindy and Diana, I decided to go hear Brother Trucker again at The Pub...

Not as packed as it was a year ago at this time...but according to Andy, it was still a great time and they were sincerely glad to be here. You can just tell by talking to Andy that he really loves what he does.

And the best part -- one of several best parts, actually -- is that I didn't have to plunk down $325 to meet and greet Brother Trucker and hear their awesome music -- mainly all their own, great, original stuff. I just waltzed right in -- no cover charge -- sat right down, and during their breaks, gabbed with them.

You gotta love life in a small town...

Well, you don't GOTTA...but you do meet some of the most interesting, passionate-about-their-craft people in small town Iowa when you are least expecting it.

As a writer, I so get the compelling need to do what you love...that is why I blog. Sure, I gotta keep my day job 'cuz blogging -- at this point, anyway -- doesn't pay the bills or supply health insurance. And newspaper reporting - which I dedicated 20-some years of my life to -- well, I've been there, done that, even had my own weekly newspaper. But that wonderful little newspaper, after an almost three-year run, was pretty much my swan song from the daily paid grind of the newspaper biz...

I love blogging because for me, it's like having my own newspaper column (what I always wanted to do, and did do for awhile) -- be it daily or weekly or monthly. My blog is what I want to make it. On my timelines, my own deadlines. I always give each blog post my best shot. I just don't make any money at it.

I have my regular followers, though. And thanks to the internet, people from all over the world have visited my blog (mostly unintentionally via a Google search, perhaps, but visitors nonetheless). Several have taken the time to comment, to share how a particular blog post has made them laugh, or cry, or think. And maybe, just maybe, that IS enough...

Granted, I may not be famous like my fellow Ohio University classmate, The Today's Show's Matt Lauer, or even well known in these parts like another OU grad, Des Moines' KCCI TV anchor Cynthia Fodor. But truly, in the big scheme of things, what does that matter?

I am doing what I love! I am writing! It's my passion!

And thanks to Andy and Brother Trucker, I'm even more inspired now to keep on bloggin'.

You see, I read on Brother Trucker's FB page that, indeed, the band's goals do not focus on fame and glory. "The biggest goal is always to do our music as well as it can be presented," Andy is quoted as saying.

I'm with Andy: fame-schmame.

I blog, therefore, I am.

Thanks, Andy! It was great to see --and hear -- you again.