(Taken from The Bryan Duncan Website)

Nifty Noodles/ Ft Lauderdale CR

12/20/04 Monday night Ft Lauderdale
I donated my time to a Brass tacks recovery program in south Florida. One of the original Celebrate Recovery’s. Many here are the dregs of society…. Amazing guys with unbelievable stories. “King” looked like Santa in a tattered sort of way. There were a few guys here still drunk… they came for the free food. I walked to the store with a guy named Tattoo… he got caught in the crossfire with a friend who was shot to death for stealing a kilo from the Russian Mafia in New York. He was especially moved by “if you pray for me”. Bill was wearing a really nice suit, looked like a bank president. “I been sober six months” he told me… and “I’m not in charge of anything” he said referring to his look of importance. Cigarettes were plentiful outside the Salvation Army post where this concert was held.

I loved the hang time. Talked to a married couple recovering from drug addiction together and celebrating their fourth year of marriage. Inside, even during the sound check (while people were in the lunch line) you could see the positive appreciation for the soul music and the blues as I goofed around on the keyboard. One guy was matching my note for note… even the really high stuff… turns out he used to road manage for Billy Preston. I could here him singing with me on “this Christmas”.

I can’t tell you how much more in tune I am with the power of my own songs in this environment. I am more in tune with why I’m here and why my mistakes cannot be regretted. It is here where I can trust God fully to do what he needs and by pass me if he likes. Sympathy is not what these people need. Purpose and vision are in short supply. And I see something I have that I’m not always thankful for. I can’t see my purpose on regular days. I’m like a gun in the closet, useless I’m needed.

I went to a supper club after the show called Mango’s in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Had great food and heard an unbelievable band playing Jazz and Soul. They were perfect musically and the sound was fantastic and the environment was relaxing and still I thought “where is the impact of just playing really good music” I’m grateful for the middle ground at least for this weekend. Too Christian for the heathens and too good for the Christians. I was good tonight and in fine form…and I felt like a daisy on the side of the freeway. God plants a soul where he will. The best I can do is to bloom.

OK… so there’s that bryan D