Winning Words 8/12/11
“If tomorrow never comes.” (Ronan Keating – Sung by Garth Brooks) Many of us have prayed, “Now I lay me down to sleep…If I die before I wake etc…” Garth Brooks sings about a man who wonders about that. “Will she know how much I love her?” We live in a world of uncertain tomorrows. A smile, a hug, a kiss, some good words. Most of us have some unfinished business. YouTube the GB song. ;-) Jack

FROM LG IN MICHIGAN: Today's Q evoked some thoughts for me... My eldest brother passed away at 53 from a heart issue... It was sudden and tragic... Since then I have more fully grasped the concept of "Life's short." I try to live now always remembering that life is short. Harboring resentments seems like wasted time when evaluated against that reality. Expressing concerns fervently, seeking forgiveness quickly, and conveying love tenderly and immediately--these pursuits seem like a better use of my time...////FROM JACK: Winning Words is a chance to remind others (and myself) to think about some of the really important issues, before it's too late...And to act on them, too.

FROM GOOD DEBT JON: Nice song. Interesting lyric set-up and rhyme scheme, I learned something. I was not familiar with this song. Great message.////FROM JACK: Which is more important to a song? The lyric, or the tune? Both are important to me, but I know of instances where I like the tune, regardless of the lyric, and vice versa.////MORE FROM GDJ: You need both. Prosody (my definition as understood by writing songs for three years), is the agreement or the "third thing" created from the combination of music and lyrics. It allows that the music and lyric are greater than the 2 separately. Good writers understand that the singer is an instrument too and that they must complement the other instruments. For example you would not have an ominous minor chord with the words "I'll always love you…" unless you are aiming for humor.

FROM BLAZING OAKS: I think when we're elderly, especially, we know how swiftly catastrophic things can transpire...we've seen it in the lives of friends and close relatives: I think we ARE more intentional in expressing thanks, love, and blessings. I will think of this as I traverse the beautiful Rail Golf Course with my oldest son today...and thought of it as family gathered here for dinner while Marcia, my twin's oldest daughter, and a Lutheran Pastor like her dad (now serving in TX) visited briefly. We lost both of her parents within 5 mo. of each other! I just read that for its 40th anniversary Starbucks has a new drink coming out. It's sugar-free, and fat-free, and has no whipped cream. It's called coffee! Better grab one of those, before it's too late! :-)////FROM JACK: I don't know if you're responding to yesterday's or today's Winning Words, but your words are appropriate for both..."We're not in Kansas anymore" and "If tomorrow never comes." You've walked the walk. BTW, our food store sells bags of Starbucks. I bought a package this week. They also sell 8 O'clock.

FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Jack Zukerman sent me a good line earlier this week "Old age isn't for sissies."////FROM JACK: Sisyphus was a Greek mythological god who rolled an immense boulder up a hill, only to have it roll back down again, and the sissy repeated the task over and over again throughout eternity. Old age can be like that for some people.