Perhaps not one of my finest moments… During my first year of college teaching, at a regional state university somewhere south of Indiana, I had a trumpet student who thought he knew it all. I’ll call him Bob. No matter what anyone mentioned, Bob said he had already heard of it or had done it. … Continue reading Dick Slangsteen
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.
Discomfort
I still have a page from an old trumpet method book – chromatic studies – where I boldly scrawled, “repeat until you die!” Obviously, I was feeling frustrated enough to shout at myself in writing. The “advice” was valid though. I kept working on chromatic studies until I became proficient and didn’t feel the need … Continue reading Discomfort
Heroes
Originally written in 2020. I grew up watching shows like Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Maverick, Paladin, The Rifleman, Wyatt Earp, and The Lone Ranger. I probably owe more of my sense of morality to those shows than I want to admit. I realize it would be easy to criticize these TV dramas for being simplistic, anachronistic, or … Continue reading Heroes
Windows
In 1973, I had an opportunity to be appointed to the US Naval Academy. I had met all the academic requirements and passed the physical exam. All that remained was to have my congressman write a letter of recommendation. Before he could do so, I needed to let him know whether I intended to accept. … Continue reading Windows
Birthday 67
My 2022 birthday thoughts in less than 1000 words. It seems to me “the best years of my life” were not in high school but were when our kids were little. I admit I often didn’t think so then. When we’re starting out, we don’t tend to think in terms of future nostalgia. We just … Continue reading Birthday 67
A Christmas Meditation
“It’s a preposterous story,” my friend stated. “What is?” I asked. “The Christmas story.” “How so?” “The same way fairy tales, action-adventures, and science fiction require you to suspend disbelief.” “So, you think the Christmas story is unbelievable?” “In a word, yes. Think about it. A generations-old prophecy. A perilous journey. No room in the … Continue reading A Christmas Meditation
To the Stars
“It is a bitter thought, but you must face it. The planets you may one day possess. But the stars are not for man.” – Karellen, the Overlord, in "Childhood’s End" by Arthur C. Clarke I grew up watching “Star Trek.” To use a cliché from the original series, I was fascinated by the prospect … Continue reading To the Stars
Gratitude
An intern once asked a CEO, “How did you learn to make such good decisions?” “Experience,” the CEO answered. “But how did you get experience?” “Bad decisions.” Our decisions make us who we are, for better or worse. Even so, a lot of life is beyond our control. It seems to me, no matter what … Continue reading Gratitude
Change
When I first started playing the trumpet, I misunderstood a few things. For example, I thought I was supposed to tongue between my lips – which sounds like thoo – so my attacks were fuzzy, and my tone wasn’t very good. I had to unlearn this bad habit, and many others, to become a better … Continue reading Change
Justice
In one of my favorite scenes from “A Man for All Seasons,” by Robert Bolt, Thomas More’s relatives try to convince him to have Richard Rich arrested. “Alice More: Arrest him! Thomas More: Why, what has he done? Margaret More: He's bad! Thomas More: There is no law against that. Will Roper: There is! God's … Continue reading Justice
MurrayWorks 