By: Ted Nugent
“Man started out living in a cave. Felt right at home nobody’s slave. Only wanted a happy home. Only wanted to be left alone.
Now it’s my turn to show my stuff. Its sometimes fun its sometimes rough. I’m workin’ hard to earn my way, but lucky me my work is play!
Workin’ hard, playin’ hard, helps through each day and night. Workin’ hard, playin’ hard, makes everything all right!”
Those are the lyrics to my 1977 killersong “Workin Hard Playin Hard”.
I call it Spirit Dance Music for breeders.
I don’t really write songs, in between hunts, inspired by The Great Spirit, I just unleash the spirit of my life in killer grooves and excitable guitar jams.
I simply cannot help myself.
The inescapable rugged individualism, independence and stimuli of our hunting lifestyle inspires everything I do, especially the powerful musical force that is a huge part of my calling here on earth.
As my killer band and I jam like mad men in preparation for “The Music Made Me Do It Again” summer tour 2019, the ferocity of our jamming is a direct result of our dedication, love of the music, smart prioritizing and clever balance in our lives that keeps our energy fired up.
My love of life, overall health and ultra-high energy level at the tender age of 70 is clearly a direct result of my conscientious life choices and soul cleansing, battery charging time in the great outdoors as a gungho hunter.
Nature truly heals and I spend a lot of time throughout the year deep in her embrace, wisely using all her powers and energy to maximize my life, liberty and pursuit of happiness time here on planet earth.
And I’m not just talking actual hunting time during the season, but rather all year long, getting out there every possible day I can, slowing down, jacking up my radar, connecting deeply with the pulse of the wild, touching the good earth and monitoring my dynamic relationship with nature, hands-on, boots on the ground, dirt under my fingernails, tooth, fang and claw, life and death, blood and guts reality.
I know I’m not alone, and just based on daily conversations with my many friends and exponentially expanded by the phenomenon of social media, there are many millions of us that subscribe to, grasp, embrace, live and celebrate these glowing, glaring self-evident truths.
Say Hallelujah like you mean it for we are the chosen!
With thousands of wild turkeys being brought to bag by the minute, massive slabs of delicious fish filets getting yanked out of rivers, ponds, streams and lakes, springtime is as perfect as any time to keep our natural predator radars alive, exercised, honed and flexing, all the while balancing our precious gift of life in the absolute best way possible.
Quite honestly, I cannot imagine any other activity or routine available to mankind that could possibly compare to the overall quality of life benefits of our time functioning in nature as God intended.
I take my Mathews bow and a quiver full of stump shooting Judo tipped arrows with me just to keep my eyes sharp and archery touch tuned up.
At a slow, ultra-observant pace in the wild, learning to see, hear, smell and sense everything, that higher level of awareness will certainly serve us well no matter the pursuit or endeavor we live in our daily lives.
I know for a fact that it maximizes and inspires my guitar touch and my overall connection to the people in my life.
Seems all my buddies have killed their turkeys already. I haven’t gotten mine yet, but I have killed some delicious spring squirrels and a dandy wild hog, plus a slew of yummy crappie slabbers!
Life is good, but it is better in the great outdoors. I keep trying to explain to my Labradors Happy and Sadie that bird and duck season is a long-ways off, but spring and summer will provide plenty of outdoor fun in the meantime, and before you know it, the full glorious fall force of nature will be upon us, and life will get better yet!
The Great Spirit awaits us! She calls our name! She wants us, she needs us, she loves us! Go hang with her and let her take you away. She will cleanse your soul and make your life better everytime.
If you truly love someone, you will take them with you! May The Great Spirit be forever at your side!