Well, can you guess what I had for dinner on Saturday….? Lol.

Man a year can certainly go by quickly when you get to be my age. As Holy Week 2026 has passed I’m reminded of Holy Week 2025 and the subsequent days thereafter. The evolution of the past year brought back memories of how I began to appreciate Holy Week in the way that I currently do.

I was not raised in the church in the typical way, but was raised by a church going family. My grandmother, great aunts and uncles and my Aunt Betty attended church nearly every Sunday. While I was not required to go I did witness them preparing for church, putting on their Sunday’s finest, singing  hymns and having prayer in preparation for the service.

Between the ages of 5 and 18 I estimate that I attended church about twenty times. Upon high school graduation at the age of eighteen I realized that I was at a crossroads. I was working a part time job but anticipating going to college. As a high school sophomore, I qualified for concurrent enrollment, meaning that I could have been taking college classes while still in high school and possibly enter college having already finished my freshman and possibly sophomore year. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the family structure or the support to make that happen which dampened my outlook a little bit. But God had me……

The summer after I graduated a thought came into my mind.  I needed guidance. And to a lesser degree, I need closure.  As an adolescent I grew up in a small community which would generally be characterized as “the ‘hood”. Despite the poverty and lack of ideal living circumstances, my “hood” gave me power and wisdom the which you would have had to live through to understand. (ByH2O You Know!). I had long since moved away by eighteen but went back on a regular basis to visit relatives who still lived there.

In the home where I use to live there was a short field of about sixty feet wide in the back. There was a tree line and a creek just beyond with one particular tree that I would climb as a youngster. As I was not a great tree climber, this particular tree had branches that aligned perfectly for me to climb easily and at about twelve to fifteen feet up there was a perch where you could sit and no one would notice you were there. On the days when I didn’t wanna be bothered I would find humor in sitting in the tree and watching my friends come to my house walking up and down the field near the creek looking for me. When I finally did appear I would laugh my ass off as I told some grand story as to where I was as they were conducting their search. I have to admit I was a great “storyteller”.

So the summer after I graduated I went back to the tree for the first time in years. I visited my childhood home and met the people who lived there. They granted me permission to go to the backyard so I could climb the tree. Surprisingly, it was very similar to what I remembered and easier to climb than I had imagined. So I made my way up to my usual spot. And sat down just thinking about life. What was I gonna do moving forward? The first thing that came to my mind was to ask God for guidance. And that is what I did. I can still clearly recall myself speaking out loud and saying these almost exact words: God I don’t know if you are real. I hope you real and I think you’re real. I need your guidance. So if you do exist I need you to tell me where I belong at this point of my life. I’ve been the man of my house for a long time and now I need to know what’s best for me and my family. Real talk….

I sat there for a few minutes afterwards and then realized that I had to make my way down that tree. As I was climbing down, I suddenly remembered that I had a fear of snakes and decided to jump at about the eight foot mark to speed up my exit. I then ran from that field for the very last time.

A few months later when school started in September I was still working my part time job. My mother worked for a state agency in conjunction with the career center and recommended that I go speak with the career counselor.  As fate would have it, this person’s office was located on the campus of the local community college, the very college where I would have completed concurrent enrollment in high school.

Upon arriving on campus for my scheduled date it turned out that the counselor was not in his office but was due to return some time later that day. With that in mind, I decided to walk across the campus just to check out the “student life” and also gather information for possible enrollment in classes. I barely made it from one building to the next before a middle aged lady came up to me and asked if I needed a job. Being a bit caught off guard I was somewhat hesitant, but I said yes. She literally took me by the arm down to an office where I started to work as a temp and eventually became a full time employee. Lo and behold one of the benefits of full time employment at the campus was free tuition. As my grandmother would say, “Hallelujah”. Full time job and FREE education! And that was just the beginning. Let’s get back to Holy Week.

After being on campus about a year or so I started to notice a group of well dressed gentlemen usually in pairs walking around the campus with the boxes. They would appear at certain times of the year. As people walked by, these gentlemen would hand out little green books that I didn’t recognize as I had never seen them before. Honestly I avoided these men on most occasions because I was usually busy working and I did not want to “buy” whatever they were selling. It wasn’t until maybe my third year on campus that I decided to not avoid these gentlemen on site. As I walked by one of them said to me, “Hey young man look like you’re walking with a purpose. Would you like one of these?” As he offered the unknown “book” I politely declined as many of the students before me had done. The gentlemen then said, “Why are so many young people afraid of the Bible? It is a great reference for showing how to be a better person”. I proceeded to walk by without responding, but I had to walk past again as I returned to my office.

As I returned course I encountered the two gentlemen once again, the one who spoke to me initially now having a confident, but pleasant, smirk. “Those are Bibles you’re handing out”, I ask. He replied yes. “For free?” He says yes. His extended hand reaches a copy to me. I accept it and say to him, “This is my first Bible”. He asks, “How old are you son?”  I state my age. He nods approvingly and says, “Perfect. Let the Bible be a lifelong companion and you will lead a good life.”

I ended up collecting 3 of those bibles, later learning that they were given out by Gideons International. I kept one in my car, one at my desk and one on my nightstand. I did not start reading right away, but made a personal promise to read the book from beginning to end.

I never read the Bible in its entirety. However, I adopted the practice of reading scriptures recommended for particular circumstances. That started in my early twenties. Over the years I started reading scriptures  recommended as Verses For The Day. In addition and for balance I later added reading my daily horoscope. I continue this to this day.

For some unknown reason, starting in the Summer of 2025, I stopped reading my morning scriptures and horoscopes. Every morning I’d wake up, grab my phone and start my day without my morning Word. I had so many distractions that I tried to do everything I needed to do all at once. I “didn’t have time” to read in the morning”. This went on for months. Until one day in February while mindlessly scrolling the above picture appeared in an ad. I got the message.

Easter was approaching. Great time to recenter my spiritual focus.  I get back to my morning reading which I now do with my phone. I do not know the whereabouts of my Gideon Bibles as I have long since used my phone for reading. Also, the print had gotten way too small for “progressive glasses”! I watch “The Ten Commandments” as I do everything year. Cultural misappropriation notwithstanding, this is still a great movie.

I’m gonna make a personal promise to have my morning reading every day, not just for Holy Week.

Have you ever planned the perfect day only to have it altered against your wishes? Have you ever had your plans changed unexpectedly for the better? It happened to me this past weekend.

All week I had adjusted my schedule so that Saturday would be clear. I had some home projects to finish and I wanted to make time to work on a song I had started. It was looking promising by Thursday so I was optimistic. My Friday night turned into Saturday morning as I stayed up until 2am to get a head start on my schedule.

Saturday morning. 7am. I am awake. I don’t jump out of bed right away, just easing into my free and clear day. I decided to run a few errands while it was still early. I like to beat the crowd when I have to go to the store. After a couple of stops, I head back home and fix myself some breakfast. Just as I was about to settle in my phone rings.

“Hello hey what’s up dad?” 10:40am. My father is in the driveway. Okay. It’s early so I can hang out with dad and still get things done. So I’m talking to my father for about an hour or so and my phone rings again. “Hey Jeff what’s up dude?” My brother wants to stop by to get my opinion on something. “What time are you gonna be here?”  “Dad is here by the way.” It’s approaching noon. My brother says he’ll be by around 3pm. So my father decides to hang around until then.

Next thing I know my father is chilling in my recliner. I’m running up-and-down the steps and in and out the back door on the deck trying to get my housework done. We’re having a great time and great conversation. So much so that we don’t even realize that we’ve gone past lunch. My brother finally arrives around 3 and I ask if anybody wants to eat and nobody’s interested. So we continue the conversation talking about family, sports and  motorcycles just enjoying the day. My wife and sons come in and join the conversation and then my nephew calls….

After my nephew talks to his dad, his grandfather and then myself he tells us that he may stop by. And then my sister called. She contemplated whether she was gonna come down or not, but my dad and brother told her that they wouldn’t be here much longer. They ended up staying until around six o’clock, by the way… And then my cousin called.

My sister, my cousin and my nephew decided not to show up because it was so late in the afternoon, but those of us who did had a good time.

I started my weekend by thinking that it would be perfect because of what “I” wanted to do. As it turns out the day was even more perfect because of what God wanted “us” to do: enjoy and love our family. That’s Real Savage right there!

Now y’all know I like sweets right? Well I was planning to finish some music and then clean up my garage after dinner. Finished dinner around 5. Talked with my family for a few. Sat on the couch for what was supposed to be a minute.

So after a two hour AARP nap I woke up with a craving for a snack. “Can’t buy any store made cakes”! It’s like 7:45pm Sunday evening and no way is “she” gonna bake anything. So I take it personal. Challenge accepted. So today was my first attempt at chocolate chip cookies. 8pm. Done by 8:30pm. Not pretty but taste better than expected. Altered the ingredients slightly. And one big benefit of baking them myself: I had a few extra chips “on the side”.

Question. Have you ever been charged with a task that you thought was somebody else’s responsibility and it turns out it was yours all along? Has God ever put you in someone else’s situation where action was needed but you deferred only to realize that your decision was needed all along? Follow me.

I have inherited a situation that requires me to issue directives or to seek answers from people that may be affected by the outcome. This situation has lasted far longer than it should have. Resolution is easy but those involved aren’t listening to the answers. We are all guilty of not hearing what someone has to say from time to time because we’re human. Let me share a story with you.

In my late teens and early 20s I worked at a college. A college workplace is a great breeding ground for social development because you meet people of all professions, ages, races, religions and genders. And for a young man, it can be a lot of fun too…… I met a lot of good friends there.

One year I met this lady who became a good work friend. My job required me to visit some of the offices during the week and I would see her two or three times a month. We always had great conversations. When school opened for the Winter semester I ran into her shortly before Valentine’s Day. She asked me what Cupid was gonna get me for Valentine’s Day and I said  a whole bunch of chocolates and sweets as my girlfriend at the time knew how much I liked candy. I asked her what she wanted and she said a dozen of yellow roses and some other things that her “boyfriend” was gonna get her.

I didn’t see her on Valentine’s Day but ran into her a few days afterwards. She didn’t have her usual smile and seemed to be a bit distant. She said yes when I asked her if she was okay. I asked how was her Valentine’s Day and she said it was okay. When I asked if she got her yellow roses she looked at me sadly, stared deep into my eyes and said, “Well, no because the only person I ever mentioned it to didn’t get them for me.” Wait a minute, did I miss something…

Ever since that day I’ve made it a point to listen and not just hear when people are talking to me. You may miss something important if you don’t. I still miss a word here and there, but not many. Remember this: sometimes what is NOT said is just important as what IS said.

So I have listened when my opinion was solicited for my current dilemma. Which does  NOT involve hopeful suitors. Now I hear what is needed. It’s gonna take more than just a dozen yellow roses though………

Dennis Chambers (left) is one of the world’s all time greatest drummers. He happens to be from Baltimore, Maryland. Rashon Savage (right) is a talented up and coming drummer and happens to be my son. It’s a blessing to have your musical hero be from your home town. It’s even more of a blessing to get to meet them in person. Thanks for the time Dennis.

Been a minute since my last post. Had something I needed to finish and also my creativity was lacking focus. I’ll get back to my Black History posts but for now I have something else I’m gonna share.

I’m the type of person who thinks a lot. Once my mind gets an idea it tends to want to consider all of the details. Just a part of my personality. There were times in my past when I may have been considered a procrastinator. Maybe so, but it wasn’t intentional. I admit to wasting time due to overthinking every now and then.

So fast forward to the current century (Yes, I’ve been alive since the 20th Century…..). When the Year 2020 came around I decided that I wanted to be more of a “go getter”. So I made some life changes to give me a personal boost and to set my foundation. So far so good.  But…

I still emphasized “thinking through” the process before proceeding with action. Had to change that. So, December 2025 I wanted to sing “Christmas Time Is Here” with my family. Before I knew it Christmas Day turned into Christmas Night and I hadn’t even practiced the song. It was 8pm. I sat and thought about it and then realized that I WAS SITTING AND THINKING ABOUT IT!  Not Again.  Nope not this time and not about my music. 

Go put on my favorite red sweater. Grab my newly gifted hat to tame the glare of my partially bald head. Turn on the PA. Turn on my beautiful Deluxe Reverb amplifier. Plug in my Inspired By Gibson ES335. Grab the mic. Let’s do it. No thinking. No practice. Hit the record button on my S23, run a couple of takes to remember the words. Done. Whatever its gonna be is what its gonna be. Okay boy…!

After ten minutes of editing it goes straight to The Real Life Corner and to my near dormant YouTube channel @savagemusic26. No hesitation. Didn’t even think about it. That was a personal challenge for me. 

See, I try to be too perfect sometimes. It gets in the way. As a more seasoned man I have intentionally changed that philosophy. It took a little help. Read some articles and studied some of my favorite human success stories. And then…..I asked AI. AI stated: create your own motivation by taking action once the idea is clear. Any unnecessary thought delays essential early progress. Small steps one step at a time. Point taken.

So no hesitation when I wanted to sing and share two of my favorite songs. Should have learned my lesson from 2020. It was 2019. I had not played electric bass for more than ten years. I hadn’t even owned a bass guitar for several years. I walk into a music store and pick up a bass. Next thing I know I’m plugged into an amp playing loud (and mostly wrong..lol). My wife encouraged me to buy it but I say that I’m only owning musical instruments if I play well enough to earn money.

Next thing I know I am gifted that very bass for Christmas 2019. Time to get a gig. I contact a few bands and churches and send out audition videos. With only a couple weeks practice I wasn’t optimistic about my chances. Got four offers to play. Had a gig by the end of January 2020.

When I posted the recent videos I had no expectation of getting offers to play. I am using these videos as a means to practice for a future “audience”. Well, I received a few offers to perform with other bands/ artists. Flattering.

I KNOW that I am not a great singer. I don’t practice. I dont look at myself in the mirror. I don’t know that many songs. But I am gonna keep singing simply because I love to do it. Thanks for all of the encouraging words. And for those who find some “unintended” humor in my singing no problem. I’m laughing at myself too.

Get ready for the next video. As soon as I decide what to sing. Dammit! Here I go overthinking again.

You have no idea how many secret trips I had to make so I could sneak this Coke soda into my house. I am not allowed to drink soda, particularly dark soda, because it is unhealthy.

Well, I balanced it out with some home-made chocolate chip muffins with some chocolate chips on the side. Don’t worry. I’ll finish it all before any body even knows it was here.