Author: mmwordsmith

Who Am I? Why am I here? Why are any of us here? These are first-class essential questions. The kind of questions many people laughed about when Admiral James Bond Stockdale posed them in a vice-presidential debate in 1992. Who wants a politician to wax philosophical when he could act like he knows all the answers? Apparently, people like me. The need to question and reflect seems to be part of my personality - an inextricable part. I believe I need to take these kinds of questions seriously, but while doing so, try not to take my answers or myself too seriously. My guess is as good as anyone else’s, after all. Maybe the lesson, if there is one, is to struggle with questions like these, to stretch my capacity for understanding, to challenge my ability to tolerate divergent views, to look at life creatively, to remain unafraid to cling to old ideas when they are good and move on to new ideas when they are constructive. The great moral philosopher, Red Skelton, once said he believed we are put on earth “to create and not to destroy.” I sincerely hope my stories and musings will somehow help others grapple with their own questions and follow their best impulses towards creating a better world.

Simplicity

For many years I became depressed during the holidays. At a time when many seemed merry and bright, I felt sad and alone, as if the message of Christmas hadn’t quite reached me. Often, I felt like a Yuletide Sisyphus, trying to push a gigantic snowball up a wintery hill only to have it roll … Continue reading Simplicity →

Spirit and Truth

“Say the secret word and the duck will come down and pay you 100 dollars.” Some variation of this line was used on the radio and TV show, “You Bet Your Life,” which was a small part of my childhood. The show combined the wit of Groucho Marx, light-hearted interviews, and a game in which … Continue reading Spirit and Truth →

What’s the story?

As a young musician, I was taught, "Early is on time. On time is late." Often there is a specified “call time,” 15-30 minutes before the “downbeat,” or “start time” of the gig – excuse me, the engagement. Like the military, “if you’re on time, you’re late,” and “late is unacceptable.” A band I played … Continue reading What’s the story? →

Control

I remember reading the syndicated comic strip, There Oughta Be a Law! From 1944 to 1985, Harry Shorten and Al Fagaly highlighted many of the ironies, absurdities, and hypocrisies of the time – the worker who was often late coming to the office but was always on time for golf – the neighbors who paid … Continue reading Control →

Camelot

I'm grateful to my mother for getting me stories on records when I was in elementary school. For example, I listened to “Tale Spinners for Children” stories of Robin Hood and The Knights of the Round Table among others. I have written about how stories like these helped shape my sense of right and wrong. … Continue reading Camelot →

Reactions

Once upon a time, as I prepared for a sabbatical leave, I made notes on each of my trumpet students, so my replacement would know what they had worked on and what I planned to cover that semester. I made a list of warm-ups, studies, solos, and duets for each student, with a short paragraph … Continue reading Reactions →

Thank You, Dad

For Father’s Day, here are some of my dad’s best remarks. Dad is 95 and I doubt he would remember saying most of these, but somehow, they have a way of resurfacing in my mind, usually at odd moments. I believe most fathers and father figures have said similar things to pass along what they … Continue reading Thank You, Dad →

Making Stuff Up

Four decades ago, there was a scandal at my university. One of the pastors from the founding church sent an “open letter” to as many church leaders as he could. Given that this was well before the advent of the worldwide web, such a scandal would likely be far greater today. In short, the man … Continue reading Making Stuff Up →

Warped Words

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.” “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that's all.” – Lewis Carroll, … Continue reading Warped Words →

Hindsight

The idea of time travel fascinates me. I’ve seen far too many movies and television shows related to time machines. In the interest of full disclosure, I believe the past is the past. What has happened has happened. There is no “going back.” It seems to me what matters most is what we do in … Continue reading Hindsight →