I’ve been struggling, thinking about the heartbreaking dissapearance of Chuck Morris – who played percussion for the band Lotus – and his son Charley.
I didn’t know Chuck personally. I did happen to see him and Lotus at Myth on Feb. 11.
Morris and his 20-year-old son were kayaking on Beaver Lake in the Arkansas Ozarks on March 16. They never returned, and the subsequent search for the two shifted to a recovery, terminology that presumes the two drowned on the massive reservoir.
I certainly won’t speculate on what might have happened or circumstances.
There’s a number of news stories published that detail what is known at this point.
Chuck’s family is still in need of help, though the extended Lotus family has stepped up in a big way to offer support. Please consider helping his family. Go here to help and for updates from the family.
It still hurts me to think about the loss of life here because the two happened to be doing something that we humans struggle to find time for these days.
Our bodies, minds and souls need that connection with nature.
As I have experienced myself, it can be difficult to prioritize that need over the demands of life.
It can be even tougher when you are a musician having to plan around busy touring schedules. Chuck had taken advantage of a roughly two-week break in Lotus’ touring schedule.
There are few ways I would prefer spending time outdoors than in a canoe or kayak with a dear family member or friend at a beautiful place such as the Ozarks.
But any time we head out on big water (Beaver Lake has a surface area of 44 square miles) there is a chance something can go wrong, whether we are expert or novice, whether we are fully prepared or up a creek, as they say.
I’ve had my own moments in camping and paddling when I felt unprepared for what the elements were throwing at me. I’ve used those experiences to push me to be better prepared in the future through improved gear and increased knowledge — rather than just giving up on the idea of camping in the backcountry.
I’m going to use the example Chuck set — him finding the time to spend time with family, not the tragedy that ensued — to see to it that I better prioritize that need for connection with wilderness and my closest humans.
The next time I get into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, I am sure I will remember Chuck and Charley, and others who have had similarly tragic circumstances. I will think about all of the good Chuck did for the jam scene, how he was considered a quality human by those that knew him, and how he left behind a loving family.
I’ll pour one out for Chuck and Charley, retire to my sleeping bag, and let the ambient sounds of Lotus in my earbuds put me to sleep.