At the height of my piano-playing career, I performed nightly rock and roll shows at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. I lived in a penthouse at the hotel and dated a model who was taller, younger and way better-looking than me.
I was miserable.
Today I play a totally different kind of show. I’m grateful when a couple dozen people show up. Maybe they recognize me, maybe not, even if I’ve played for them before. My fee wouldn’t cover dinner at the MGM Grand.
I’m a musical performer at assisted living and memory care centers in Oklahoma and surrounding states. My audiences are people with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative conditions.
I have never felt happier or more fulfilled. Those years in Vegas seem like a bad dream. I was addicted to cocaine back then. My model “girlfriend” couldn’t have cared less about me. I felt empty.
How did I get from there to here? Turns out, getting what you want
