Recently we watched “The Boys in the Boat,” a film about the 1936 Olympic rowing crew from the University of Washington. While there were many timeless lessons in the story, it seems to me the best was the idea that to win, the team had to learn to row as one. “Every man for himself” … Continue reading Pull Together
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.
Words and Works
Once upon a time, I lost my keys in the snow. Obviously, they didn’t make it to the bottom of my coat pocket. I realized this when I got to my office. After I retraced my steps, there was still no sign of them, so I mentioned their disappearance to our custodian, Mac, when I … Continue reading Words and Works
Superiority
In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Data, the android character, is stronger and tougher than any human. His memory is more accurate, and his brain is much faster. He was built to last for hundreds of years. Data is clearly better than humans in many ways. More recently, a Russian science fiction television series called, … Continue reading Superiority
Making the Grade
I required listening quizzes as part of my jazz history course. These consisted of 10 excerpts selected from the assigned listening. Students would choose from titles and artists on numbered and lettered lists. So, if I played, “West End Blues,” by Louis Armstrong, a student could answer the letter of the title and the number … Continue reading Making the Grade
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
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