Transcription
Around the Cosmic Campfire by Tony Wright
Chapter 17: Some Really Short Shorts
Story One: Michael McDonald
When I was singing on the road in the early 70s, I was doing a gig regularly in Davenport, Iowa, on the Mississippi River, in a restaurant called The Dock. There wasn't a lot to do in our spare time when we weren't on stage at night, but I found that poking around in the town's collection of antique stores could occupy a lot of time. I also found a great record store, as we were still buying vinyl records back then. There were also used books and miscellaneous things for sale, and I used to meander around in there from time to time.
One day, I was in there perusing when I heard, on the stereo system, a recording I recognized called "Sailing" by Christopher Cross. Then another one of his came up, and I heard the voice that made me stop completely in my tracks. And it was that of Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers. It was that unmistakable sound; no one sounded like him. He floated in a counter-melody with Christopher on "Ride Like the Wind," and suddenly all I could hear was Michael. All the rest of the music, and even Christopher's voice, disappeared. So did the room I was standing in. It was quite an odd moment. Then I got some information on my radio station of my brain that I always unbeckoned to tune into. You will know him one day.
I stood stunned for a moment and shook my head and wondered how in the heck would I ever know Michael McDonald? I got myself out of that thought process, sort of shaking it off, and I carried on with my perusing. But I kept thinking that would be so incredible and lovely. Anyway, I wondered for a while how it would happen. I let it go eventually, but I never forgot that strange moment in the bookstore.
However, many, many years later—it could even have been 30 years—I answered the telephone at my healing retreat in the woods outside Leiper's Fork, Tennessee, near Franklin. I had been off the road as a singer for over 20 years and was doing massage therapy and healing work for many of those years. I did not advertise, and everyone I worked with on my wooded retreat was a friend of a friend of a friend. When I said hello, I realized it was Michael calling—that Michael, the Michael McDonald. He wanted to hire me to work on his wife, Amy, as she'd had an accident on a horse and also was needing some special care for the health issues she was struggling with.
I was floored. I did not advertise anywhere; I worked only through word-of-mouth referrals. I was stunned. How did I not drop the phone? I connected with that voice I had heard years ago, or should I say that incredible voice we all heard many years ago. I'm still here today. He wanted bodywork as well. I made arrangements. Even when something seems like fate to me, I still get nervous, and I certainly did. I loved meeting them both and went to their home to do body work. The first time I worked on Michael, I remember my knees almost buckled. It was just surreal. Yes, of course, celebrities are just people, but for Pete's sakes, this was extraordinary. But the amazing and wonderful person he was made it easy to know him, and that was the only time I felt awkward. I take that back.
Sometime after that, I got custody of Michael on his 50th birthday. Amy was sick in bed, and so I went to the Indian Springs Road property and picked Michael up to bring him out to my retreat and do bodywork on him there as a special birthday present from Amy. When I got to their house, I parked on their hill to go knock on the door. When we then got back in the car and I started driving us out to my house, about 15 miles away, something smelled pretty awful. It was something like rubber burning, and I don't know what I didn't know what to say or do. I got into a cold sweat. I looked down only to find out I had left the parking brake on while parked on their hill. Good grief! The more I tried to make things so perfect, the more I fumbled. He was always very light and easy about how things went. I learned to laugh at myself as time went on and never experienced that silliness again. I stayed the course, helping them down through the years, and in fact, I worked with them for 10 years in three different places they lived and enjoyed every moment of it. Amy was such an angel to work with, also. They moved eventually from my area on back out to California to Maui as well, and I have not been a piece of their caregiving team for a few years now.
But why do these things happen? I don't know, but I know I have been very enriched by the grace and kindness of them both and continue to wish them well on their journey. Sometimes I will think of both of them, and the oldie but goodie with Christopher Cross comes onto the radio, and when I hear it, I just smile and appreciate the message that comes my way. Nothing is ever an accident. Can we all just tune in to the God station of ourselves and get messages all the time? I believe so. I am totally grateful I can tune into those messages and pray for the divine nudges that push me on my way.