There Must Be Peace And Understanding

If I Can Dream
Favorite Line(s):
And while I can think,
While I can talk
While I can stand,
While I can walk
While I can dream,
Please let my dream
Come true,
Right now
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On This Day In:
2020	#45: Lies And Hate-Speech Are Not Moral Leadership
2019	Be Brave
2018	What Else Matters?
2017	Slow Go
2016	A Tiny Ripple Of Hope
2015	Liberating Books
2014	Discover God
2013	Without Witness
2012	Nutritarian

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Every Second

I Lived
Favorite Line(s):
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places
The things that I did
Yeah, with every broken bone
I swear I lived
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On This Day In:
2019	Two More Reasons Trump Is Such A Poor Leader
2018	Conservatives Have 20/20 Hindsight
	#Forever44
2017	Dodgers Choke Away World Series
	Firing Director Comey = Obstruction
2016	Why Do Republicans Always Seem To Be Angry?
2015	All Things Being Equal
2014	Fearful Light
2013	Unexpectedly Knowledgeable
2012	Seems Obvious
2011	See The Specialist

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I’d Rather Live In HER World

Mid-Night Train To Georgia
Favorite Lines:
I’d rather live in his world
(live in his world)
Than live without him
in mine
(Her world is his,
his and hers alone)
[Why I agreed to move to England back in the 1990’s when my Hil got homesick.   —   KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2019	And #IncompetentTrump Is A Failure At Both
2018	To Excel At Your Craft
	Day 12: Waiting
2017	Like When You Can Order Others To Fight For You
2016	Holding Fast
2015	Alms Or Balms
2014	A Day At The Beach
2013	Pillows
	Steppin’
2012	Invincible Summer
2011	Being Objective
2010	First Things First…
	Northwest Passages – Intro
	Northwest Passages – Day One
	Northwest Passages – Poetry
	Northwest Passages – Evening One
	Northwest Passages – Morning Two

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They Are All Good

For The Good Times
Favorite Lines:
Hear the whisper
Of the rain drops
Blowing soft
Against the window
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On This Day In:
2019	Another Thought On #45’s Poor Education
2018	As Long As You Survive Each Experience
	WordPress to Facebook Test…
	Day 7: Oh, Yeah!
2017	A Good Habit
2016	The Minds Of Trumpism
2015	Expressing Nonsense
2014	A Real Fight
2013	Unravelling
2012	I Resolve
2011	Practice, Practice, Practice
2009	Phoenix Trip (July ’09)

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He Broke Even

R.I.P.:  Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020)
Some versions of a very few songs are just “special”.  They evoke in the listener, a memory of a time, a place, a smell, or (sometimes) of a lost love.  Kenny Rogers’ version of “The Gambler” was bit of all of the above for me.  I have no idea how many times I’ve heard or absently hummed along to this song (or many of his other hits).  He certainly dealt me more than one “ace”.  I hope he felt he left the table a winner…
“And when he finished speakin’
He turned back toward the window
Crushed out his cigarette
And faded off to sleep
And somewhere in the darkness
The gambler he broke even
But in his final words
I found an ace that I could keep.“
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On This Day In:
2019	The Right Anger
	Another P&P Review
2018	Does Fatalism Equal Mental Health?
2017	Choice
2016	Growing Worlds
2015	Change The Tide
	Martyr, n.
2014	You, Too!
2013	Bitter Stand
2012	Lost For Words
2011	On Market Reactions…

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Passed Too Swiftly

There is a recently released biopic of Freddie Mercury out now, which means there are numerous social media links to the music of Queen.  Now, there is (IMHO) little doubt Queen was one of the most significant rock bands of the 1970’s – 80’s.  Everyone has heard of “Bohemian Rhapsody“, “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions“, but I’ve recently been listening to one of the bands last releases: “These Are the Days of Our Lives” – over and over again.  I hope you enjoy the video (and the lyrics below) as much I do…
These Are the Days of Our Lives
Sometimes I get to feelin’
I was back in the old days,
long ago
When we were kids,
when we were young
Things seemed so perfect,
you know?
The days were endless, we were crazy, we were young
The sun was always shinin’,
we just lived for fun
Sometimes it seems like lately,
I just don’t know
The rest of my life’s been,
just a show
Those are the days
of our lives
The bad things in life
were so few
Those days are all gone now but
one thing is true
When I look
and I find
I still love you.
You can’t turn back the clock,
you can’t turn back the tide
Ain’t that a shame?
Ooh, I’d like to go back one time
on a roller coaster ride
When life was just a game
No use in sitting and thinkin’ on what you did
When you can lay back and enjoy it through your kids
Sometimes it seems like lately,
I just don’t know
Better sit back and go,
with the flow
These are the days
of our lives
They’ve flown in the swiftness of time
These days are all gone now but
some things remain
When I look
and I find,
no change
Those were the days of our lives,
yeah
The bad things in life
were so few
Those days are all gone now but
one thing’s still true
When I look
and I find,
I still love you
I still love you
Performed by:  Queen
Written by:  Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor
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On This Day In:
2017	On Our Wall (Part 1)
2016	Or The Ripples From A Good Life
2015	Titles And Reputations
2014	Unfolding
2013	Again
2012	Needs
	Damned
2011	Potter & Prejudice
	Blink, Blink

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Ways

True Love Ways
Just you know why
Why you and I
Will bye and bye
Know true love ways
Sometimes we’ll sigh
Sometimes we’ll cry
And we’ll know why
Just you and I
Know true love ways
Throughout the days
Our true love ways
Will bring us joys to share
With those who really care
Sometimes we’ll sigh
Sometimes we’ll cry
And we’ll know why
Just you and I
Know true love ways
Throughout the days
Our true love ways
Will bring us joys to share
With those who really care
Sometimes we’ll sigh
Sometimes we’ll cry
And we’ll know why
Just you and I
Know true love ways
Songwriters:  Buddy Holly and Norman Petty
Performed by:   Buddy Holly
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On This Day In:
2015	Be Happy, Too
2014	At Least Smile
2013	Comfortably Bound
2012	Certainty
	Thinking About Fathers
2011	And In Every Level Of Media

 

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Love Is Just A State Of Mind

The following is a song I recently stumbled upon on YouTube.com. It’s not one I remember, so obviously it never changed my life, but I like it so much I’ve added it to the lyrics on my “poems” page. Enjoy the song, then read the lyrics…
The world I used to know…
Some day some old
familiar rain
Will come along
and know my name.
And then my shelter
will be gone
And I’ll have to
move along.
But ’till I do
I’ll stay awhile
And track the
hidden country
of your smile.
Some day the man
I used to be
Will come along
and call on me.
And then because I’m
just a man,
You’ll find my feet
are made of sand.
But ’till that time
I’ll tell you lies
And chart the
hidden bound’ries
of your eyes.
Some day the world
I used to know
Will come along
and bid me go.
Then I’ll be leaving
you behind
For love is just
a state of mind.
But ’till that day
I’ll be your man
And love away
your troubles
if I can.
But ’till that day
I’ll be your man
And love away
your troubles
if I can.
In the world
I used to know
Written by:   Rod McKuen
Performed by:   Jimmie Rodgers
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On This Day In:
2015	Waiting?
2014	Big C, Little B (II)
	Where God Has Not
2013	Chasing His Dragon
	Shaped And Molded
2012	Believe In Yourself
2011	Cultural Equivalence
	Why Not?
	Books About Books
	The Basis For Adult Continuing Education

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Additions

Today I’ve added two song lyrics to my Poems page.  I’ve also updated six more of the ones already on the page to include the YouTube videos.
The additions are: “Lydia – The Tattooed Lady” and “People Got To Be Free“.  The performances are by Groucho Marx, and The Young Rascals, respectively.
Both of these songs are songs which just popped into my head when I woke up and stuck there for the rest of the day.  Both are from my earlier years – the first (“Lydia“) before I understood the “implications” of being a female in the circus and “tattooed”.  While humorously presented, it has a quite serious side.
The second song is from one of my all time favorite groups as an early youth: “The Young Rascals“, later shortened to just “The Rascals“.  These guys had a string of hits, and this is one of my favorites.  I’m sure there will be more to come…
My favorite lines are:
“Ask me my opinion,
My opinion will be
It’s a natural situation
For a man to be free“
The six updates are:
I Am A Rock
Like A Rock
I Hope You Dance
She’s Gone
Like A Rolling Stone
I’m A Believer
If you don’t know these songs or haven’t read the lyrics lately, you owe it to yourself to check them out.  Then you can drop down to the bottom of the page to enjoy the performance.
As always, read the lyrics, enjoy the performances, then go support these artists or the artists of your choice.  Participate in supporting the Arts locally!  Keep Art alive in your community!
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On This Day In:
2012	Telling Her
2011	On Torture

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R.I.P. – Tom Laughlin

Thomas Robert “Tom” Laughlin (August 10, 1931 – December 12, 2013)
Before Steven Seagal (all three word title movies), before John Rambo (“Rambo” series), before John McClane (“Die Hard” series), before Paul Kersey (“Death Wish” series), before Kwai Chang Caine (“Kung Fu” TV series) – there was Billy Jack in “Born Losers” (1967).  Tom Laughlin brought to the big screen the start of the modern vigilante movie genre with the character of Billy Jack.  It seems strange how a little martial arts on the big screen, mixed with some social awareness and righteous indignation can affect people’s lives.
As a twelve year old kid I remember thinking, “Wow, I’ve got to learn how to do that!”  What I was looking at was Hapkido – a Korean form of Karate (open hand fighting).  Ten years later, I found a Hapkido dojo in Germany and studied it for almost a year during my off hours (I was in the Army).  That was set aside once I returned to civilian life…  Until I found Judo, while I was in college.  I took that for a semester, too.  When I moved to England in the ’90’s, a friend from work (who was a black belt in judo) said he’d love to get me on a mat and asked if I was interested in going to a dojo to learn Aikido.  My friend (Dave) and I found a local dojo and began our lessons.  We continued on with that for about two years.  It was great having someone who was a lifelong martial artist as a co-student because he could explain things in much greater detail than I could ever have gotten (except in one-on-one personal lessons).  For his side, he got someone who was bigger and heavier who he could throw around for a couple of hours twice a week.  We both moved on and I stumbled on to a Philippine “combat” style of Aikido while I was in Saudi Arabia which I tried for another year.  And then finally, once back home in America, I was back to traditional Aikido at a local dojo for several years (until I developed AFib and went on blood thinners).
Practicing martial arts, of course, lead me to read about martial arts, which in turn lead to me reading about martial philosophy and then philosophy in general.
Did I ever “become” a martial artist?  No.  Did I ever learn how to do that?  Not hardly.  I never took it seriously enough to be more than what I was – a novice and a bit of a dojo sampler.  Did I enjoy it?  Yes, very much.  Did it affect me?  Yes!  And for at least some small part of that, I have to thank Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin).
Beyond the enjoyment of playing Aikido itself, I learned timing, balance, grace, philosophy, and I gained a certain amount of inner peace.  For all of which, I will always be extremely grateful.
R.I.P.  Tom
Signed,
KMAB (A Fan)
[Please also go check out the song lyrics to “One Tin Soldier – (The Legend of Billy Jack)” on my poems page.   —    KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2012	All Aboard
2011	Sail On, Sailor

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Uncle Joe’s Song

Today, I took Hil and my mom to my sister’s so I could watch the football game with her husband, while the ladies went out for some wine tasting.  On the way home, my mom asked me if I remembered “Old Uncle Joe”.  Joe wasn’t really our uncle.  He was just an elderly man who lived in the same apartment building we did.  Joe was a World War I veteran.  He used to sing us little songs from the early days of radio and phonographs.  My mom’s comment was that not many people can say they grew up actually knowing someone who fought in World War I (tomorrow is Veterans Day).
I said that I did remember Joe and I asked if she remembered that little song about the Irishman which he taught us.  She said she did not.  After a few minutes, some of it came back to me and I started singing it for them.  I didn’t remember all of it.  Just the part after “rigged him out so gay”…
As usual, curiosity got the better of me and I looked the song up on Google…  The first verse and chorus follow:
Jim O’Shea
Was cast away
Upon an Indian
Isle
The natives there
They loved red hair
They loved his
Irish smile
They made him
Chief Panjandrum
The Nabob
Of them all
They called him
Jij-i-bob Jhai
And rigged him out
So gay
He wrote
To Dublin Bay
To
His
Sweet-
Heart,
Just
To
Say
Sure,
I’ve got
Rings on my fingers,
And bells on my toes
Elephants
To ride upon,
My little Irish
Rose
So come to
Your Nabob,
On next
Patrick’s Day
Be
Missus
Mumbo
Jumbo
Jij-i-bob
J.
O’Shea
Song Title: “I’ve Got Rings On My Fingers” Written by: F. J. Barnes and R. P. Weston Originally written in 1909
I didn’t know this was a “proper” song or that it was fairly popular in its day.  I also didn’t know there were other verses.  At least I don’t remember ever hearing them or singing them.  You can Google the song title and the lyrics are available on multiple sites and a couple of recordings are available on YouTube – including one version on a scratchy gramophone.
Hil commented (while we were in the car) she was surprised I remembered so much of the song since I obviously learned it quite young.  I admitted I was pretty surprised too.
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On This Day In:
2012	Still Trying
2011	Not Deserving

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Bruises Before Bed (Or Why You Didn’t Answer)

This week I was driving to work, bored with sports and political radio, I switched over to some easy listening and lo and behold heard two great songs!  One I’d heard before and the other I don’t remember hearing before.
Anyway, they were both so terrific I immediately committed to remembering their catch lines (not all that easy for someone who’s getting on in years) and wrote them down when I got to work so I could listen to them when I got home.  (We are not allowed to listen to internet music at work…)
The two songs are: “Bruises“, performed by Train (featuring Ashley Monroe) and “Should’ve Gone To Bed“, performed by Plain White T’s.  They are both easy listing cross-overs between Pop and Modern Country sounds.  Very enjoyable with ear-candy / stick in your head hooks.  Bruises is another classic song about boy and girl meeting ten years later and asking about what’s been happening.  The interesting thing is although there is an obvious “connection” happening in the song, both are “once burned, twice shy” and nothing may happen except the “promise” to keep in touch.  My favorite verse is:
These bruises Make for better conversation Loses the vibe that separates It’s good to let you in again You’re not alone and how you’ve been Everybody loses We all got bruises We all got bruises
The second song (“Should’ve Gone To Bed“) is the new one for me.  On the radio, it sounds as if it’s a song about regrets and calling some number of “Ex’es” after the relationships are over.  In the “official” video, it appears to be a song about a man who’s afraid to tell his girlfriend how he feels until he’s on the verge of losing her.  …And then they make up (to presumably live happily ever after).  It surprised me to come away with the two completely different reactions to the same song depending on if you were listening to it, listening to it and following the lyrics, or watching the official video.  I guess the line which strikes me is most of us have broken up in our relationships, tried to move on and then when there’s a problem (or were just feeling lonely), we pick up the phone and call the “Ex”.  Sometimes they answer and the cycle starts again.  Sometimes they answer but the cycle doesn’t restart.  Sometimes it ends just as badly as before; and sometimes everyone is spared the drama because the other party just doesn’t answer the phone or return the call.  Being human, we assume it’s because they don’t want to talk to us anymore.
Someday the geezer’s among us will be telling the kids how (in our day) people didn’t have caller ID or voice mail or home answering machines, and sometimes relationships didn’t work out – not because one or both sides didn’t reach out to the other to make up – but simply because one party wasn’t there to answer the call.  The concept seems “funny” in this age of always-on connectivity…  Sometimes things just happen (or don’t happen) for no particular reason.
As always, check out the lyrics off of my Poems page, then go listen to the recordings – and in this instance, make sure you go find the “official” video for “Should’ve Gone To Bed“.  Let me know if you got the same reaction to the lyrics versus the song versus the video.  And remember to support the Arts in your local community.
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On This Day In:
2012	Extra Gears
2011	Say What?
2010	Hello Frogs…

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Absent Friends

Way back when (in the ’70’s), I got a chance to go to Frankfurt to see Pink Floyd live in concert.  It was a terrific event and I really enjoyed both the music and the show.  I guess this was a famous tour and I remember it distinctly because it had a giant pig come out from the stage and circle over the crowd.  They also had a large circular screen which showed artistic depictions of images from their albums including “rock dinosaurs” and prisms.
One of the songs I’ve always liked by them is a hauntingly melancholy plea to a lost friend, “Wish You Were Here“.
Sometimes I feel like a another lost soul livin’ in a fishbowl…
My mother-in-law fell recently and is now in the hospital with a fractured bone in her back.  My wife is upset that she can’t be there for her mum, so I’m upset for her, too.  If you pray, please offer up a prayer for her mum to get better soon.  If you don’t pray, be nice to someone and (I believe) the positive energy will still reach her.
I hope you’ll check out the lyrics on my Poems page and then go listen to the song on your favorite music provider.  Remember to go listen to as much live music as you can and support your local arts.
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On This Day In:
2012	Hangin’ With His P’s
	Help Save
2011	Six Facets Of Good Leadership

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Movies And A Lifetime Of Lyrics

 

Over the weekend, I spent a couple of days with my brother and his son.  We caught a new movie: “Oblivion” and watched a classic: “The Long Ships“.  I had a couple of days off, and I meant to spend them getting caught up on my blogging, but sometimes life gets in the way of our “plans”.  Anyway, I’m also posting a bunch of lyrics to songs (seven in all) which I’ve been holding in a queue, waiting for me to find time.  This is a fairly lengthy post, so I hope you’ll hang in there to the end…
Oblivion  —  movie review
I am a big fan of Science Fiction in general and Sci-Fi movies in particular.  I’m not a big fan of Tom Cruise (the star of this movie), but I’m not anti-TC either.  I get why some folks think TC is a complete flake due to his faith (Scientology), but I don’t really care about those issues of his personal life as long as he continues to act in entertaining movies.  Oblivion was an entertaining movie for me.  First off, does it work as an action movie, yes.  Next, does the SciFi make sense (in the movie – not is it “scientific”), yes.  Is there a reasonable story line with a twist (a la “The Twilight Zone”) at the end, yes.  Are the special effects good, YES.
Okay, so now the down side: Can TC act?  So-so.  No.  Well, not any better than usual.  Do the other actors make up for TC.  No.  Did I expect them to? No.  Why not?  Because he’s the lead, so I expected TC to carry the bulk of the acting.  Does Morgan Freeman save the film.  No.  Is TC’s relationship(s) in the movie believable?  No.  Does the movie make sense scientifically? Nope.  Are there big “what the heck’s” in the movie?  Yeah.  Do they matter? Nope.  Is the movie a homage or a rip-off of a bunch of other Sci-Fi movies?  I can see both sides and don’t care about either side.  If a movie works for me on its own, I don’t care how many other movies it rips-off or what genre it pays homage to.  Bottom line: if you’re a TC fan – must see.  If you’re a Sci-Fi movie fan – go see.  If you’re an action/adventure movie fan – go see.  If you fall asleep or go to the toilet a lot during movies – wait for the DVD.  Oblivion isn’t as convoluted as Inception, but you do have to sit there and pay attention.  Final recommendation: Strong recommendation.
The Long Ships  —  movie review
This is a true classic!  The story of Vikings and Moors seeking a golden treasure (but for very different reasons).  This is an action/adventure movie – swashbuckling and epic with a bit of pre-Monty Python thrown in for good measure.  The lead is Richard Widmark and the “bad” guy is Sydney Poitier.  Widmark is a barbarian Viking and Poitier is a Muslim/Moorish king.  An interesting side note is that there is an inter-racial marriage in a movie dating back to 1964.  While I remembered this in the movie (as I was watching it), it didn’t “strike” me until after I’d finished watching it and looked up the date of the movie.  The other interesting thing for me, was seeing a African-American in a role of a King – more precisely, a non-African King.  If this wasn’t the first such occurrence, I can’t think of what was…  How would I rate this movie?  Let your 8 year old son watch it with a group of his friends and then watch them go berserker with broomsticks and garbage can lids.  (Do they still make garbage cans with lids in this day and age?)  Anyway, the 8 year old in me rates this movie: HIGHLY Recommended!
A Lifetime of Song Lyrics
Sometimes songs from the past  just pop into my head.  Sometimes I hear a song and look it up and it leads to another (and another).  The following are a number of songs which I’ve either loved for years or recently heard and loved instantly.  In my head, they span a lifetime of feelings and relationships.
The first is one from my childhood: I’m A Believer as I remember it being sung by the Monkees.  This is a song of young/teenage hope and despair.  Why can’t I find the one person who will love me / Oh, there she is now!  You know a song is a classic when it becomes a hit again 20 to 30 years after the original release (see Eddie Murphy as Donkey in “Shrek“).
As we get a bit older, loves (and lovers) come and go…  Love The One You’re With is the anthem to those “with company” on a “lonely” night.  Love The One You’re With is a classic from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
The next song is a “goofy” song which I remember from my 20’s.  It’s not deep or philosophical, it just makes me smile – even 30 years later:  Panama Red.  Panama Red is not a “classic” in the traditional sense of the word, but ask anyone who heard it a few times “back in the day” and they’ll tell you it definitely is.  The song was done by a quasi-country group called “The New Riders of the Purple Sage”.  In fact, NRPS was actually kind of a spin-off of the Grateful Dead (a quasi-psychedelic rock band).
Eventually, (if you’re lucky) you find the “right” person.  Time starts to pass and you realize that some people just make you a better person:  God Gave Me You.  This song has been covered by Blake Shelton and that’s the version my lyrics come from.
I was raised a Roman Catholic.  I’ve spent many years as both an atheist and as an agnostic.  Some time ago, I came back to my faith in a personal and loving God.  My personal faith doesn’t always correspond to what I see happening in the world and with the Catholic Church, but Catholicism is the faith I was raised in, it remains the faith I’m most comfortable with, and it’s the faith I try to practice.  This next song is a “faith” song.  It could easily be a RC or Protestant song, or a Muslim or Jewish song for that matter.  The song is:  You Raise Me Up
The verse I particularly like is:
There is no life – No life Without its hunger; Each restless heart Beats so imperfectly; But when you come And I am filled with wonder, Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.
Maybe it’s because I suffer from AFib; maybe it’s because I’ve held each of my children, as newborn’s, in my hands and seen perfection.  The version I drew the lyrics from is by Secret Garden.
Almost inevitably, a “bread-winner” feels the burden of responsibility providing for their family.  The weight is heavy, but willingly accepted.  At some point, though, we must recognize the one precious thing we can truly give our family is our time.  Hence, the next song: Don’t Miss Your Life.  This song is performed by Phil Vassar.  It really strikes me close to home – too close.  I only hope I have enough time left to make up for all the time I’ve spent “providing for”.
At the end of the day, we see our children grow up.  They set out on their own lives and all you can feel is the outpouring of pride and love which has continuously welled up over the years.  The next song: Butterfly Kisses, isn’t so much a good-bye as it is a celebration of the continuity of life.  Giving life, sharing love and hoping for the future.
I know this has been a lengthy post and I’m grateful to any who’ve hung in there all the way through.  I hope you’ll visit my Poems page to view these lyrics, go listen to the performances, and then go spend some time with your friends and family.  Peace…
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Like A Shark

You write.  That’s the hard bit that nobody sees.  You write on the good days and you write on the lousy days.  Like a shark, you have to keep moving forward or you die.  Writing may or may not be your salvation; it might or might not be your destiny.  But that does not matter.  What matters right now are the words, one after another.  Find the next word.  Write it down.  Repeat.  Repeat.  Repeat.
—   Neil Gaiman
[From the “About” page of Maria Mankin and her web site: “Books, j’adore“.
For me, blogging isn’t the hard bit.  Making the time for it when there is so much of life to be lived (tasted, swallowed whole, squeezed out like lemon juice) is the hard bit.  Reflecting and writing is the easy bit.  I guess that’s just the cowboy in me…   —  KMAB]
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