Four Score and... 4 Years Ago...

Exactly four years ago, September 4th 2012, I stayed up super late, woke up super late, packed The Fustang last minute, and proceeded to drive out of my driveway, down highland avenue, and on to an adventure. I got to the big bend in the road, one where a tree used to be by my elementary school, and I realized I wouldn't be driving around that bend every night... and I started crying. Hysterically. I was not only going on a month long, unplanned adventure alone, I was not only moving west, I was moving out.... after 26 years of living with my amazing parents that I love, miss, and talk to daily. But just like that fateful day and the 30 that followed, I had to dig down deep in my gut... and pull from a place that's overcome heart break, misfortune, illness, disease... and swallow the lump in my throat to make room to bury the tears.... I took a deep breath, pulled myself together... and off to NYC I went to see Alberto. I blasted the Barenaked Ladies song, "Too Little, Too Late"... laughing and rocking and hiding within the irony of it's awesome grunge power.... and then the next song went to "The Boss", Bruce Springsteen.... "Born to Run". And it switched. I switched from being sad and scared to thinking, "I can do this. I need to do this." It's been four years. Overcoming my car nearly catching on fire in Grovetown, Georgia, I made it across and loved every single wandering second of that trip. But it's been hard being here. Not just the missing home part, but hard to get a job... to manage money... hell, to do laundry! (i never had before!). But I've made it. I used to drive empty down the roads past my parents house to the reservoir, houses probably wondering what was blasting over the calm owl cries of a fall or winter night, shouting over the crickets of September evenings... it was me. driving around. blasting "Future Classics by Mike Fusco"... because I do love my songs. I believe in me. I don't love the people they were once about, but I seem to notice people confuse that when they hear them. I hope they understand it's because EVERY OUNCE OF MY HEART is in those songs that just came to me... never coerced or forced, just boiled over at the time I was living. What am I getting at?

I would have NEVER believed those lonely nights getting Dunkin drive thru and blasting my songs on the way home to my studio that the VERY SAME SONGS would be playing.... main act and center stage at Hollywood's House of Blues or The Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip. But it happened. I woulda never thought one could just hop in their car and a few months later be on major television. But it happened. I woulda never thought I would meet celebrities or have Shakira call me a handsome nurse- but it happened. And now? I have a Nursedes Convertible. I drove The Fustang across the country again with Chris, my best friend, to bring it back home. I fly home at least 4-5 times a year... nearly every two months... and that time is better than ever. But here I am... sitting at Dunkin on Hollywood and Vine.. typing to you to say I'm still me. Here or there, I'm still me. I still believe in my songs and love them. And if I make it everywhere or nowhere, it doesn't matter cuz I'll be me during it. I have done a lot and learned a TON in four years.... more culture than 26 combined in the nice bubble of Wallingford, CT. But I know where home is... I know what love is and I'm sooooo happy and feel so blessed... I go home all the time and I haven't gotten it through my head yet to be someone "Normal". Normal has been a word worse than death for me. All my life growing up, I wanted to be normal. I wanted to be skinny like my brother, not shop for pants in the H (husky) section. I wanted cool pants or sneakers.... then you get to a point and you realize who you are. Fortunately, in high school and beyond, people have liked who I am. So... That's my long way of saying Happy Anniversary to adventure... Follow your dreams... Do ANYTHING you've always wanted to do- Take a surf lesson, travel, get a tattoo, ride a horse, dye your hair, anything that fulfills that thing inside you that you ALWAYS wanted. It's okay to be you... I haven't done all I wanted to in the 4 years but I was laying the ground work. Don't give up on me because I gambled on myself... maybe some friends or family didn't believe I could do it, but I have so far. I've been called "Crazy" and "Brave", and both are probably very accurate lol.. but I'm just being myself. I have a vision board and I plan to do it all, and then make another board because there's so much to be done in this world.

I am living proof that it is NEVER too late to chase after your dreams....

Baby, I was Born to Run...