Live the life that’s left

I rediscovered this post while I was thinking ahead to my 70th birthday, which is today, and while I was again thinking about Willow The Best Dog There Was™ who departed this life on my birthday two years ago, forever merging the day I entered this world with the loss of my dearest friend of fur. (Thanks Tom Groenfeldt for the ancient photo of me and my girl.)

The post below was posted March 11, 2020, with a somewhat out-of-focus photo of Willow looking a tad anxious. We only had slightly more than a year left together, though we didn’t know that, but I am glad I took the time to savor our time and love that old pup with all my heart.

Anyway, it seems like the sentiment works for a 70th birthday, so without further ado, I turn the microphone over to slightly younger me:

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We spend a lot of time thinking back about what happened, what could or “should” have happened, missteps made, things that didn’t get done that could have made things better, things that did get done that seem to have made things worse.

We all know something about regrets and second-guessing. If only I’d taken steps to get out of that situation long before I did; if only I’d stayed and toughed it out … if only I’d saved my money instead of spending it or going into debt … if only I’d said something; if only I’d kept my mouth shut … if only I’d carved out time to write that book; if only I’d written a better one … if only I’d done something when I had the chance; if only I hadn’t done what I did …

What’s important to know is that regrets burn a lot of energy, and second-guessing wastes a lot of precious time.

There will always be books that could have been written by now, thoughts that could have been shared, words and actions that can’t be taken back. Every life, every day, is packed with what could have happened but for whatever reason never has.

What happened before is finished and done, and every minute spent despairing about How Little Time Is Left To Do What I Could Have Been Doing All Along is a minute that could be spent doing. Tuck those regrets in a safe place and move on.

Do what’s left to do with the time that’s left. Write the novel, sing the song, build the fence, clean the storage room, read the books, reread the best ones and the most fun ones. But let go of the regrets.

Live the life that’s left: It’s all we can do anyway.

70 songs that always move me

Some songs are forever linked to particular memories — my first girlfriend yelling “stop the car!” so she could jump out and dance to “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress” on the radio — sitting in stunned wonder as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band played their 10-minute version of “Ripplin’ Waters” at the Ryman Auditorium — staring at the radio asking “WHO is THAT?!” the first time I heard “Good Vibrations” and “The Word” — watching transfixed as Art Garfunkel on TV performed a new song called “Bridge Over Troubled Water” — grinning as Red and Son of Red slow-danced to “A Simple Man” on his wedding day …

Of all these lists of 70 for my 70th, the hardest one to corral was this one. So many songs, how do you stop at 70? But here is a selection of songs that continue to make me emotional or cause me to jack up the volume, all these years later.

In no particular order — I only numbered them to make sure I stopped at 70.

1. Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys

2. The Word – Sara Groves

3. (Just Like) Romeo and Juliet – The Reflections

4. Frenesi – Artie Shaw

5. Sing Sing Sing – Benny Goodman

6. Powerhouse – Raymond Scott

7. The Lamb Ran Away With the Crown – Judee Sill

8. She’s A Lady – John Sebastian

9. Darling Be Home Soon – The Lovin’ Spoonful

10. Lady-O – Judee Sill

Continue reading “70 songs that always move me” →

70 albums I play regularly

Red and I met because of record albums. She was tired of hauling two boxes of vinyl LPs from one house to another, so after her latest move she looked on AOL for people who listed vinyl collections among their hobbies.

“I’ll give them to you, no charge, I just want to get rid of them,” she said. “Are you interested?”

I was. But the more we talked, I became interested in more than just the records, and by the time we got together to exchange the two boxes, it was more like a first date than a transaction.

The rest is history, and her ploy backfired. Instead of two boxes to move next time, there are dozens. On the other hand, she personally won’t have to haul them.

In other words, music is an essential oil. It soothes the savage breast and moves the wild thing and all that.

The first major purchase of my life was the $2.74 I plunked down to buy, of all things, Ballads of the Green Berets by SSgt. Barry Sadler. I have kept purchasing albums at a clip where I’m sure I now could go several months playing them day and night before I started repeating.

But some do find their way onto my turntable or CD player more often than the others, and as we approach my 70th, here are 70 of those most beloved albums (in no particular order — I only numbered them to make sure I hit 70).

1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles

2. Wildflowers – Tom Petty

3. Smile – The Beach Boys

4. Conversations – Sara Groves

5. Judee Sill

6. Kongos – John Kongos

7. John B. Sebastian

8. Parallelograms – Linda Perhacs

9. On the Threshold of a Dream – The Moody Blues

10. Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen

Continue reading “70 albums I play regularly” →