Former Dr Feelgood guitarist has just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given nine months to live. As he embarks on his farewell tour, this is what he says about it:
“The things that used to bring me down, or worry me, or annoy me, they don’t matter anymore — and that’s when you sit thinking, ‘Wow, why didn’t I work this out before? Why didn’t I work out before that it’s just the moment you’re in that matters?’
“Worrying about the future or regretting the past is just a foolish waste of time. Of course we can’t all be threatened with imminent death, but it probably takes that to knock a bit of sense into our heads.
“Every little thing you see, every cold breeze against your face, every brick in the road, you think ‘I’m alive, I’m alive’ — I hope I can hang onto that.
“I’ve had a fantastic life. When I think about the things that have happened to me and the things I’ve done, I think anybody who asks for more would just be being greedy. I don’t wanna be greedy.”
Hat-tip to the Gloria Mundi blog.
Wise words from a frontier we tend to approach very gingerly, if at all, until we have to! Much to learn about mindfulness and good living from Wilko, so thanks to him. As for learning from his guitar technique, which he always says is “simple” – good luck! Hope the farewell tour goes well.
Heard him interviewed on radio – it doesn’t sound like he has much to fear nor regret. The best of luck to him.