Silence

Hello darkness, my old friend 

I've come to talk to you again. 

Just seeing the words makes you think of the melody. The harmony. The chords.

But what version do you hear in your head?  

Simon and Garfunkel or Disturbed? 

Each version has a life of its own. 

Each version evokes its own mental lightning bolt. 

The Simon and Garfunkel version brings more nostalgia.  It makes you think of the past in a melancholy way.  You are remembering. The images of your memories are blurry but you try to hold onto them forever.  There is a longing flame that won't die. 

The Disturbed version brings more pain.  It makes you think of the past in a regretful way.  You want to forget. The images of your memories are crystal clear but you want to forever let them go.  There is a dying flame that burns. 

One song.  Two interpretations. That's the quintessence of music.  One hears it with the heart.  The other with the head.  One smiles.  The other cries. 

On a music sheet, they are just words and symbols.  When performed from one's point of view, they come to life.  And that life point of view will always be from the vision of the performer and the ear of the listener.  

And whispered in the sounds of silence

Heard differently. 

Turn the Page

 

Life. 

It's a long book.  It has several plot twists and turns with new contributing writers and editors every day.  There is a long list of protagonists and antagonists. Several chapters that are uplifting and several chapters that absolutely crush you.  Things that make you laugh.  Things that make you cry.  It's a never-ending story. 

It's hard to grasp the whole story with only one chapter.  But, every once in a while, you hit a small chapter that gives you the essence of the whole. 

May 2018 was one of those chapters for me. New job, lost my sister, got married all in the same month.  That's a lifetime for some people. 

End of July to the beginning of September 2020 was another defining chapter. 

Experienced my son Jack's virtual HS graduation ceremony. 

My wife and I watched live from our bed sharing a glass of wine. 

Moved both my son and daughter into college.  

Jack is a freshman playing football at the University of Dubuque.  

Laurel is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. 

Took a trip to South Dakota with some great people. My gorgeous wife Lynn, Laurel, and her boyfriend Will and my youngest son Charlie and his friend Simon.  What a glorious adventure.  

Seems like a good five-week run, right? 

Now, mix in the plot twists and you have a real interesting read. 

• My mom's struggles with anxiety. 
• All three of my student children dealing with virtual school and the COVID 19 consequences. 
• No football for my sons. 
• Topline revenue concerns for my company. 
• Friend's losing their businesses. 
• Social concerns. 

There are even more of these critical plot twists but that's what keeps us reading until the epilogue, right? 

Life-like Pulitzer prize stuff right there all in 5 weeks.  A microscope chapter of the telescope book. 

Novel. 

That's Life.