Leaving It All On The Ice

Neil Peart drumming the Rush song Freewill

As regular readers will know, I’m a fan of Canadian rock legends, Rush. I love their music and their teamwork. I appreciate they are not everyone’s cup of tea, you have your own freewill – you choose.

I recently watched an interview where drummer Neil Peart was talking about how he feels at the end of a Rush concert performance. For those who don’t know, when Rush play live they are on stage for almost three hours, it’s one helluva performance. In the interview Peart told us that when he comes off stage, physically he hurts. ‘I like to leave it all on the ice’, he says. Neil Peart is 59 years old and in great shape, and you’ve gotta love his attitude to his work.

Although my daughter has a drumkit and occasionally lets me have a go, I’m no drummer, but like Peart I love my work. Tomorrow I’m off to Newcastle for a couple of days to help some people make work better. I’ve prepared and rehearsed because I love to give my best when I’m with other people. Of course I can’t be sure of a virtuoso performance but I can be sure I will give the best that I can. And from my experience, that in turn seems to help others give of their best too. And come Wednesday evening I am confident I will be exhausted, and that I will ache, and that I will have left it all on the ice. I’m grateful to my customers for motivating me this way.

When will you next have the chance to leave it all on the ice, and will you take that chance?

 

 

Author: Doug Shaw

Artist and Consultant. Embracing uncertainty, sketching myself into existence. Helping people do things differently, through an artistic lens.

8 thoughts on “Leaving It All On The Ice”

  1. You are preaching to the converted. I am actually in a Rush sweatshirt as I type. Tom Sawyer is in my top ten best of. Peart is a hero considering the dramatic life issues he’s had.

  2. As my son would say, and I loath to use this american term but find it fit for purpose on this occasion “AWESOME!”

  3. Right on, Brother Doug. I too leave it all on the ice. And even though I’m my own worst critic and sometimes feel like I didn’t perform well, I still wave goodbye to it out there on the ice.

    “Some world views are spacious, and some are merely spaced.”

    1. That is a lovely sentiment Kevin. I need to skate well, and then leave with good grace. Thank you for the inspiration.

Leave a Reply to Karl Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *