Top Twenty Six Songs

At this point in my life these are my top twenty-six songs that I can press play and enjoy anytime, anywhere. You know, those songs that the within the first few beats and notes you are hooked. These are the songs that I will immediately stop when scanning on the radio dial.

(I did notice after I reviewed this list that most of the songs I picked include a lot of horns and lead keyboard parts, which is probably not a surprise to anyone who knows me. Shout out to all you former trombone and keyboard players!)

I also can't help thinking about how many of these songs unlock nostalgic events in my past. (For instance: "Saturday In The Park" reminds me of playing this song in our band in High School marching down the streets of Gatlinburg, TN.)

One song that didn't make the cut but always invokes a strong memory is "Sailing" by Christopher Cross. (Always reminds me of driving the coast of California during the late 70's) The Jackson Five song, "I Want You Back" was off of the first cassette tape I received from a favorite uncle for Christmas. Elton John's song, "Your Song" was a favorite song to play during my high school years. And so on . . . enjoy!

Sharing Information For All Time

This may seem like an oxymoron but I don't share personal information on social media platforms. I think social media can be a wonderful place to connect with family and friends but it isn't my communication platform of choice.

I prefer to do my communication face-to-face and if that is not possible then with a phone call. There is too much unseen information and context that can be left out when texting or posting, which is one of the reasons I don't embrace those social media platforms.

No Matter What . . .

I love Tennessee football.
When they are good,
When they aren't,
When they bring me joy,
When they don't,
When they hold my attention,
When they can't,
When they make me proud,
When they make me proud.

The Mystery Of Who They Are . . .

As I type these words I'm sitting in my parents living room and giving thanks for them and for their positive impact on my life. I just finished a book by Ian Cron, "Jesus, My Father, The CIA and Me" and in this book he talked about the mystery of knowing our parents deeply, and even forwarded the opinion of if we should seek to discover stories about our parents. His reasoning is as follows, how can we really ever understand the motivations, environments and relationships that drove their decisions? Since it is impossible to replicate their environment in which life-decisions were made should we even attempt to discern the motivation behind such landmarks?

The quandary is that the people we love will always be the most shrouded in mystery, unattainable to the probing questions of their mortal loved ones. This is how it has always been and will always be. I’m reminded of this quote from the TV show, Madam Secretary, (This quote is from the Mom to her oldest daughter) “ If you never listen to anything I say again for the rest of your life, please hear this: Everything is more complicated than you think it is right now. And the only way you come to know that is through experience. And that’s what this whole process of growing up is all about.”