Fractures

Like a broken bone leaving its mark, there are events we experience which can change us forever. They can break us into tiny pieces or make us or make us better when put back together again.

Oops, that’s gonna leave a mark!

The break can come as a result of a long-standing relationship, which abruptly comes to an end; or perhaps from losing a job we thought was stable but turned sour in the end. Maybe a moment of inattention caused an accident resulting in a broken bone; or it might be that we are in wrong place at the wrong time, for someone else’s imprudent acts. Social or political situations can cause us to emigrate to other parts of the world; and other situations can cause us to feel like foreigners right where we are.

Time and time again, history tells us that most important isn’t what happens to us, rather how we react to it. Depending on the severity of the fracture we experience, sometimes a little rest is all we need to recover. At other times, more time and energy are required to get back on track again. Ultimately how we heal depends on many different factors, some internal and others external.

External factors are difficult to control, and in many cases, there is little to no chance of changing them. Internal factors are an entirely different situation. How we perceive what is happening is paramount to its resolution. We can play the role of the victim, blaming everyone and everything for out troubles; or we can play the role of the hero, taking responsibility for our thoughts and actions.

I wanna be a hero for my Grand Guys

Which role do you choose to play?

∞ Rob McBride ∞
3 July 2023

What’s in a Title?

Recently, I was asked to share my thoughts and ideas with a Rotary Club. As part of the request, they asked for me to provide them with a recent photo, my title, and a brief biography. While the photo and the biography are a piece of cake to put together, the question about my current “Title” threw me off guard and got me to thinking about the question:

What’s in a title?

From the time we are born, we are assigned different roles and titles. Here are some I have held over the years, roughly in chronological order:

Son
Grandson
Nephew
Cousin
Schoolmate
Friend
Lawn Boy
Boyfriend
Janitor
Pizza Maker
House Sweeper
Sand Pro
Liquor Delivery Guy
Pizza Guy
Furniture Maker
Beer Guy
Public Research Guy
Marketing Research Guy
Graduate in Business Administration
Inventory Taker
President of Toastmasters

Waiter
Master of International Business
Husband
Cook
Registered Representative
Investment Executive
Senior Investment Executive
Father
Investment Manager
Senior Investment Manager
Financial Consultant
Vice President / Marketing Director / Latin America
President / Director of Inspire
Motivational Guy
Mentor
Speaker
Writer
Grandfather
Musician
Composer

While most, if not all, of these titles and roles explain what I have done or my relationship to others, I don’t believe any of them describe me as a person or who I really am. It occurs to me that titles can be thrown around fairly easily. Sometimes they are given with a raise, while at others they are given instead of one. Many titles are designed to impress others, despite those who have them not actually having done anything to earn or deserve them. Other titles are given at birth without any particular merit or work to achieve them.

One title which is in vogue is that of Coach, and many have referred to me as such over the years. Though I don’t typically correct people when they call me a Coach, since I do like to help people reach their objectives, I’ve never really considered myself as one. Many people have studied long and hard to become certified coaches, something I have not done nor am I particularly interested in doing at this time. With so many excellent “Life Coaches” running around, it doesn’t seem to me like the world needs another one.

For the last several years I have referred to myself as a Writer, since lately I haven’t actively pursued my speaking career. Nevertheless, this title doesn’t really seem to accurately reflect who I currently am, my interests, or what I do. As to the request I received about my current title, I decided to resist the temptation of simply giving my standard response of being a Writer, and instead decided to dig a little further to see if I could come up with something which defines who I really am as a person, and not just what I do, or my relationship to others.

I am a big fan of the questions beginning with the words: who, what, where, when, why, and how. When framed properly, these questions can help us to get to the bottom of most things we need to figure out, if we really take the time to answer them honestly, and not just go through the motions of doing so to try and impress others. So, I started with the question:

Who am I?

In my quest, my cousin Stuart, told me of an exercise he used to give his new recruits when he worked as a Navy Recruiter. He would ask them to come up with one word which best described themselves. Much can be discovered about a person, he explained, not only with the word they choose, but more importantly with the explanation of why they chose it. As I pondered and considered the question, this is the one word I came up to describe myself:

Light

I even composed a very simple song with the same title. I am convinced that my mission here on Earth and in life has to do with providing light and guidance to those who need or seek it. After believing for several years that everyone could benefit from what I have to say, I am now convinced that not everyone needs or wants to hear what I have to say; but fortunately for me, some do. When there is already light present and things are clear, no additional illumination is generally needed, but when things are dark and it’s difficult to see anything, a little light can go a long way.

Nevertheless, it seems a bit odd to respond to the question, “What are you?”, by saying, “I am light.” As such, I have expanded a bit on the definition of who I am and what I do as follows:

I provide peace, love, and hope giving light to those who need or want it. Perhaps on my next business card I can simply state my title as: Light Guy.

What about you?

Does your title accurately reflect who you are, or simply reflect what you do?

If you could describe yourself with one word, what would it be?

How would you describe who you are and what you do?

∞ Rob McBride ∞
9 Oct 2022

The Same but Different

Have you ever noticed that things stay pretty much the same, and yet at the same time can also be so very different?

The Earth continues its trek around the sun, the moon around the Earth, and first light comes just before dawn on the eastern horizon. The daily news is filled with war, hate, dispute, and unfairness. Politicians jockey for position, the middle class looks around in confusion, and the lower class finds making a living increasingly difficult. The song remains the same over the ages of time.

Natural disasters, scientific discoveries, new sources of power and our natural ingenuity all come together to make each day the same, yet also very different from any other. Wars are often waged in words and are won or lost based on who you ask, and whats more, in many cases it’s unclear if there is ever a winner.

Depending on the season, various groups are targeted for hate, be it because they are Jewish, gay, or simply have a different opinion or lifestyle from others. Those in power politically pretty much stay the same, though they trade positions now and then as those who do cross into their world come up the ranks seeking to find their own place in the vast machine of power and control. Those who depend on someone else for a paycheck are constantly looking over their shoulder to make sure their golden egg isn’t taken away from them when they’re not looking, and those who have little or none seem to have even less as time goes on.

While all of these things are a sign of our times, we find them also in virtually any society in recorded history, and they will likely exist for the foreseeable future.

We are a result of our thoughts, and depending on what we put into our mind, we will get different results. If we are constantly talking about how bad the weather is, how terrible politicians are, and focusing on each and every negative aspect we come across, we will be lucky if we can make it out of bed in the morning to face another day.

If, on the other hand, we can realize that all kinds of weather serve an important function in our ecosystem, and as such, any weather is good weather, regardless of how bad it may seem to us mere mortals. Rain gives much needed moisture, wind helps to remove dead branches from trees which no longer need them and to pollinate flowers. The sun warms us, nourishing us with her presence even when its cloudy.

Politicians are neither good or bad as group, though individually some leave much to be desired. They simply are a distinct breed who operate in a world difficult for most of us fully understand. The majority start with good intentions and some are able to make outstanding contributions to their communities. Most end up positioning themselves for power in a game of favors which has been around since the beginning of time.

We can focus on the good or the bad we see in the world and in people. No doubt we can find both if we look hard enough. Instead of imagining the world as we would like it to be, we can be more realistic in our expectations. Rather than wishing things would stay the same and being disappointed when they are not, we can instead accept that some things will change regardless of our wishes, and when they take a turn for the worse, all we can ever possibly do is to continue moving forward one step at a time and day by day.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
12 Aug 2022
LL V 20

Lessons Learned

We all learn many lessons as we travel along the byways of life. Following are some I have learned:

  • I am grateful for this day
  • I empower the past
  • I have hope for the future
  • I live in the moment
  • I take action today
  • I keep busy
  • I do what is important
  • I am useful to others
  • I believe in a higher power
You can see these AFFIRMATIONS behind each of the harmonica photos above on my Instagram account.

https://www.instagram.com/robhmcbride/

As you look through this list, you can see that each comes in the form of an affirmation. This too is another lesson I have learned. While affirmations may sound strange initially, especially if we are not walking the talk; our mind obeys the instructions we give it. Affirmations bring our hopes and dreams into the present.
We can easily present these same lessons as declarations:

  • I will be grateful for this day
  • I will empower the past
  • I will have hope for the future
  • I will live in the moment
  • I will take action today
  • I will keep busy
  • I will do what is important
  • I will be useful to others
  • I will believe in a higher power

Declarations often sound very nice and noble, but can come up short for one simple reason, they depend on our “will” and our “willpower” can flag when we need it most to achieve our goals and objectives. It’s not enough to know what we want. We all want something in life, but to get there, we most often have to do something more than sitting around hoping it may someday happen.

You can see some of my favorite DECLARATIONS behind each of the pictures above on my Instagram account.

https://www.instagram.com/robhmcbride/

Affirmations are much different. They don’t talk about what we might one day do, rather about what we can do, right now.

Why is this important and why should you care?

Our minds are like gardens. The better we take care of them, the more amazing they can become. If we are filling our thoughts with vague notions of what our lives might one day be, our minds can easily overlook the information as no more than another item on our never-ending list of To Do’s.

A lack of willpower can quickly douse the greatest of plans. Rather than conditioning our minds to do something in the future, we can instead prepare the garden of our mind with rich, fertile soil to grow and prosper to its full potential by using affirmations which indicate exactly what we need to do, to get to where we want to be.

Over the years I have made many declarations to myself, and others, with varying degrees of success. Of the most important of my lessons learned in life, I am convinced it makes much more sense to affirm what we want in life right now than declare what may one day be.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
17 Mar 2022
LL V 19

The Wind of Opportunity

Like the wind, opportunity is almost always present, yet rarely evident. Sometimes it sneaks up on us like a gentle breeze, while at others it can knock us over with its force.

Most often we are submerged in our own little worlds, virtually unaware of its presence. Some successfully harness its power to better their lot in life, while others brace themselves against it, preferring to stand fast where they are as it whirls about, rarely considering it as anything more than a nuisance. Many of us complain about our lack of opportunity, yet it is available to all who are willing use its strength to take us to places we never thought possible.

Like a sailboat which uses the wind to get from one place to the next, we too use opportunity to get around. Much of the time, like a boat anchored in port, we rise and fall with the tide, seeking to escape from the wrath of the winds force when it becomes too strong. Yet, if we play our cards right, it can take us to faraway places and amazing new spaces, if only we are willing to unfurl our sails and garner its strength.

Like a sailor who learns to sail the ocean blue by harnessing the wind, we too can also learn to use opportunity to our benefit, rather than simply bracing against it. While we can take advantage of opportunity before we are prepared for it, being ready for it allows us to best utilize its power. The right opportunity without proper preparation can lead us to a seemingly endless sea of nothingness, or perhaps even leave us stranded on some deserted isle.

From the time we are born, to our final days, the winds of change and opportunity take us here and there.

Have you ever thought about this?

The history books are filled with stories of those who go from rags to riches by effectively using opportunity to their best advantage. So too we find accounts of how many who are born in the lap of luxury, and seemingly endless opportunities, yet end up crashing into the rocks of some unknown coast, leading no where.

What makes the difference?

Life plays no favorites. We are all given 24 hours a day and 365 days a year to do as we please, though often we don’t think this is so. The fact is that we can remain as we are, resisting the winds of change and opportunity which threaten to take us to unknown places, or we can fill our sails with its force to take us where we want to go. While many stand firm refusing to budge against its power, others are take hold of opportunity flowing with it, rather than resisting it.

Many say luck is when opportunity meets preparation. So too is the case when the winds of change beckon us to succumb to its ever-present force. If we take an opportunity before we are properly prepared, we can end up someplace else, though we can learn from the experience as it takes us there. Contrarily, being properly prepared for opportunity when it comes our way can take us to new, exciting ports in exotic and interesting places.

Life brings opportunity daily, but on us it depends whether it leads us to frustration and failure, or to outstanding, fabulous success. Rather than resisting the winds of change and opportunity, we can prepare for them and then take them, so they may guide us to achieve our greatest desire.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
18 Dec 2021
LL V 17

Life is Here and Now

A reflection over this present moment as it relates to the past and to the future.

Why are we all here?

What is this all for?

As for me, I’m not really sure, but I do know that there seems to be some grand plan behind all we have before us, and take granted for, on a daily basis. Could it be simple chance that everything works so perfectly? The sun and the clouds, the mountains and the streams, the birds and the bees, as well as you and me?

Doesn’t it all seem eerily perfect, as if the ideal picture of what Heaven can truly be?

And it is indeed Heaven, when we see it that way. Every breath of air we take is a blessing from some place which many seek to explain and understand, yet few know for sure the truth of it all; and of those who claim they do, I doubt much of what they say as well.

Can any of us truly know what all this craziness about us has to do with time, in the grand scheme of things? Can what we do today or tomorrow really make any difference in the grand scheme of it all?

I think so…

After all, we only ever have this moment right now and magic can happen when we least expect it. If you think about it, anything can happen in the next 24 hours, but much more than that, the future will be influenced by what we do in this exact instant of time, because it is all we ever really have.

Is this all nonsense?

This may be, but yet for some reason I come here to try and make sense of all of this with you; and too with myself in attempt to gain a better understanding of our existence.

Does it really matter?

Is it important?

Again, I think so. How many of us get up each day and go about our way without every really thinking about what is important in life?

Most of us, I would say. So it can pay great dividends to take a moment and reflect about our place in the whole scheme of things, as you too are now doing, since you are still with me. Are we only here on Earth to go through the motions without ever considering how what we do influences our surroundings.

Think for a moment about possibility. It is always present and in this exact instant, we can set into motion our greatest dreams and desires. But, we need to take action to do so, otherwise the song remains the same. Consider the following:

If you have a deep desire to get in touch with someone who was an important part of your life, you can do so. You may or may not meet with success, or you may even create a problem where there is none. But right now, without over-thinking it, you can initiate the process. That one call, e-mail, SMS, or Whatsapp could change your life forever.
That friend could be someone you always wanted to start a business with, or perhaps an old flame which never extinguished. Or it could be nothing at all. Maybe all that happens as a result is the exchange which goes something like this: “Hey how are you?” Being responded with a, “Fine, thanks,” with a little emoji and a thumbs up sign to to confirm this to be true. My point is that something is set in motion by virtually all we do.

Maybe you always wanted to live in a certain neighborhood, or in a particular house. Recently you saw a “For Sale” sign in the front yard, and you are wondering if you should call or not. You know it would cause major disruption in your life and is an expense you can ill afford, but, it’s your dream house!

You could pick up the phone right now, call the Realtor and ask to go see the home. So many possibilities open up from there, one of which could be a curt response saying it has already been sold. But so too, it could lead to you actually living in that home you always dreamed of. It could happen, but it only if you do something. There is no other option. No tomorrow, only now. Tomorrow may be to late and yesterday already happened.

Life doesn’t happen then and there, rather here and now. It is not about what once was, or what one day will be. There is magic in this moment, and this special quality has to be with the seed of possibility. You can plant a seed right now, right here today, which can change your life forever.

We can begin to pursue our passions, instead of punching the clock for some crass, ungrateful asshole. We can begin to march to the beat of our own drum, rather than getting beat over the head by some stupid idiot. We can begin to do as we please, rather than doing as we are told.

In 24 hours, our lives can be completely different than they are right now, depending on what we do right now, in this moment. If we are content with what we are doing, how we are doing it, and who we are doing it with; by all means let’s just keep doing that, thank you very much! But if not, why not do something to change it.

If we are in an impossible work situation, we can do something right now to change it. We can ask for a transfer to a different department, or update our resume to look for another position. We can learn more about what really interests us, and consider how we can do what we love, and get paid for it.

Life is an open playing field for all. There is absolutely no one who can limit what we can achieve, except for ourselves. We can look to any type of job or business and find people who have come all different areas of life to become one of the best in their business.
Without a doubt, some are given many more opportunities to succeed, and this helps many, though hinders others who are given the exact same set of circumstances, but screw it up despite the most favorable of conditions.

So too there are those who are born under the worst of circumstance, and with the most undesirable upbringings, who become super stars in what they do.

Why do some rise to the top of the heap in their chosen field of endeavor; while others sink to the bottom, regardless of what they choose to do?

While many factors are certainly attributable to our ultimate success and failure in life, one key ingredient seems to be to remain in the magic of this moment, rather than being allured away to the past or the future. While the past creates our present state, only what we do (or do not do) right now ultimately influences our future.

It’s really quite simple. What we do in this instant creates our future, for better or worse.
If we are happy with the direction we are going, let’s keep headed there, if not, and if we feel have not yet achieved our full potential, or if there is some aspect in our lives which is not ideal; then it’s time to do something about it.

Isn’t this what sets winners apart from losers?

Though, in reality, what is “winning” or “losing” but a perception of a situation?
Some of those who have had the biggest failures in life sometimes end up with outstanding success. While those who have been on top of the world can too fall to the depths of depression. Once again, I propose that life is not about what happened there and then, or about what one day might be, but only about this moment, right here, right now.
Everything happens right now, in this moment.

If we content with how things, let’s party on Wayne: if not, why not use this moment to do something about it?

Is all just as you want it to be, or is there something you would like to do to change about your current circumstance?

∞ Rob McBride ∞
13 Dec 2021
LL V 16

In Harmony

“Blue Blaze”

Me and My Harp

June 8, 2021 marked an important milestone in my life. It was on this day that my family gave me my first harmonica for my 59th birthday. While I thought having one of these tiny instruments might be fun, I never realized the effect it has had on me since that time.

I have literally had my harmonica by my side since then. The infrequent moments when I have misplaced it have caused me no small amount of duress. Over the last several months, and in the process, I’ve lost a screw, popped another one two. and popped screws and blown a reed, but my Blue Blazer still serves me despite her battle scars.

I have learned much, in particular with Luke, an excellent teacher at www.harmonica.com; and watched countless videos of pros and wannabes, all with something to say about this magical instrument. Before going to bed at night and as I wake up in the morning, I have melodies playing in my head. I imagine how the harp will sound when I finally figure out some of its more subtle capabilities. I realize now that the harmonica is perhaps one of the easiest instruments to play, but which can take a lifetime to master.

I’m just getting started as I approach six months with my harp. During that time, I haven’t read quite as much as I typically do and my writing has been limited to a few blurbs here and there. But on the upside, practicing with it every day has helped me to understand this magical little instrument and slowly but surely, I’m starting to get the hang of it. At least to me my playing sounds a bit better, though to others it may still sound a bit like a shrieking cat.

I’ve learned that even with a blown 4 draw, I still have 19 holes left, with a whole lot of sounds I can make, even without that D note and all its permutations, on my C key harmonica. I’ve learned that if you have the right key harmonica and have a decent sense of timing, you can probably play along pretty well with most songs in the same key by playing chords. Things get a bit more tricky with single notes and melodies, but this also is where the real fun starts.

Now, when I hear music, I stop and listen to each sound and imagine the instrument creating it. I think of how much practice each musician has endured to be able to play at that level, and how far I’ve yet to go on my own journey to be able to do the same.

I hear scales in my head as I go to bed and wake with them still rising and falling as I start my day again. When I lost my D note (I later learned this is a natural phenomenon caused by a lot of playing or doing so too hard), I started playing the Blues scale on the piano because I could no longer play it on my harp. Now I am able to go up and down that scale pretty well in the keys of D and E. I hear people talk of other types of scales, of their steps, and so many other things which simply heighten my interest and make me want to learn more about the music which has always been around me, but never quite taken hold of me as it now has.

My greatest interest with the harmonica, as it is with many who play an instrument, is to be able to play by ear. I am beginning to understand that some theory is helpful on our way. Knowing how scales are formed, the differences between those that are Major and those that are Minor, as well as other nuances helps me to put together what once seemed like Greek.

Over the last several months, I have sat down on several occasions to put in writing my thoughts about how music I now hear in my mind has invaded my life. Sometimes I’ve gotten down only a few lines, and at others I’ve written a bit more. Each is very similar, and yet at the same time different.

Following are a collection of ideas that all have to do with being in harmony with life.

Bobby McB

The Scale of Life

We are each like a musical note on the scale of life. By ourselves we lack diversity and our existence can certainly be monotonous. With others we are multifaceted and can create sweet symphony.

We might even say that when we get along with others we are playing in the same key; while with others, try as we might, we never quite jibe and most certainly are off key. This doesn’t mean we are any better or worse than they, simply different.
Being in harmony isn’t always easy.

If we play in D, we just may not fit into a world of those in the key of C’s. Our best efforts may just be thwarted until we find some with whom we are more in tune.

Life is a Symphony

Life is a symphony from beginning to end,
Each day we live forms part of our song.

We are a note in each melody that plays,
And ours is often to simply play along.

The Melody of our Tune

Have you ever thought that life is much like a symphony?

Each day is a song making up the great whole. We are the notes which make the melody of our tune.

Sometimes we strike a chord with others we meet making a sweet sumptuous sound, while at others no matter how we try, the sound comes out squeaky or flat.

The Language of Music

Life is a symphony with a myriad of songs brought forth by a wide variety of thoughts and emotions.

We are each a note within the great whole. Sometimes we play together in harmony with those around us. At other times it doesn’t matter what we do, we are just a little off key.
Though we are all similar, we are all so very different as well. As we each have a unique thumbprint, so too is our note not just exactly like any other. With certain people we just seem to click and strike a chord. With others try as we might, we get nothing more than discord.

Luke says that playing music is a lot like language. Though we all use the same words and a similar grammatical structure, we each have much different ways of expressing ourselves. The harmonica brings out the best, and at times the worst, of this expression.

Some of our symphonies are spectacular masterpieces which hold beg for attention with each successive note; others are no more than karaoke in the shower, in a never ending chorus of different songs which while similar to those of others, lack the depth and expression which are the makings of sweet symphony.

Through the first part of our lives we set the tone for how our symphony of life will be played. If we learn, are open to criticism, and follow our heart, we are likely to get all we need to create a wonderful vibe in our own symphony of life.

Each day is like another song, full of crescendos,
Led often by circumstance and innuendo.

My Blown 4 Draw Reed

The Sound of Music

Life is like a symphony which begins when we are born.
Some start loudly with a flurry of sound and emotion,
Others quietly, waiting for something to happen.

Our emotions play the notes of each song that plays.
Some days play an allegro reaches crescendo,
Others are melancholic in diminuendo.

Our feelings ebb and flow with the sound of the music.
Sometimes events can cause massive confusion,
Others with a beat which brings resolution.

The melody takes us methodically from day to day.
At times we are guided by a big bass back-beat.
Others, hearing anything at all is a great feat.

The melody we play depends on the notes we feel.
There are times when they ring sharp and clear,
Others when they are dull and difficult to hear.

Yet each day as we begin the day a new tune begins.
On us it depends what kind of music we will make,
We have the power to make it magic or fake.

Strike a Chord

Life is like a symphony where we each have our roles.
Some vibrate in the key of “C”, while those around us
May be “D’s”, “E’s”, or perhaps “A’s”, “B’s”, “F’s” or “G’s”.

With some we strike a chord,
With others only discord.

We each play a melody
As our part of the symphony.

Sometimes we are slow and flat,
Others we are sharp and fast.

At times we are a sweet lullaby,
At others, mass cacophony.

In moments we play out loud,
In others, blend into the crowd.

We can stand up and be heard,
Or disappear into our own little world.

Each day we are given a stage on which to play.
On each it depends which tune we carry every day.

Tic – Toc

Have you ever noticed that life is very similar to a symphony?

Each of us are like notes in a grand melody which takes us through life. Those around us accompany our tune and form part of rhythm. Like a radio station playing different sounds at different times, so too goes the melody we play as we go through time.

The tic-toc of the never ending clock is like a metronome clicking silently in the background, marking time for our song. Sometimes the tempo is kicked up several notches, while at others becomes little more than a deep, steady beat, as is the case when we sleep.

Like the notes belonging to certain keys in music, we too are like those notes. C’s get along swimmingly with E’s and G’s, not always as much with A’s and F’s. And, of course, there are those who are sharp and/or flat, what’s up with that?

Sometimes we seem to go along in harmony with our surroundings, feeling comfortable with those around us and our environment. Then at others we are ill at ease and uncomfortable for some inexplicable reason.

Others around us march on in time to their own beat, rhythm and rhyme; sometimes forming part of our melody, and at others simply lost in their own tune. We have moments when everything seems to click just so, and others when nothing seems to come out right.

Yet the more that we practice, the better we seem to get in the never-ending path to figure out how to make harmony with the world around us. Perhaps this is one of the most amazing things about the harmonica is that your blow holes are always in harmony with the key of C, while your draw holes are so with the key of G. That is precisely why you do not need to know about music theory to play the harp!

Similar to those who can whistle or sing in tune, the instrument becomes nothing more than a means to an end. As you go up the harmonica, the tones become sharper and as you come down they become flatter. Of course, you have to be aware of the double draw on the 6 and 7 to keep the scale going in the right direction, but other than that, with a little bit of practice you can be playing a pretty mean Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Now without my beloved 4 draw, which a bent to the point of eventually breaking, I learn many things. First and foremost is that the harder you play the harmonica, the shorter it will last. The second is that even without that one note, I can learn to play around it, or go up or down an octave to get the same melody. The third is that now I am beginning to hear the notes as if for the very first time as I practice nice, long, slow tones, just as Luke suggests.

Have you ever wanted to learn to play an instrument, or if you do play one like to have the ability to carry it around with no hassle, buy a harmonica! It could be the beginning of something great!

Ode to my Organ

What is this?

Some may laugh and others may snicker,
But my organ is incredible, of that none can bicker.

I walk around with it in my mouth all day,
To the delight of some and to others dismay.

Some may think it rather small,
But with it, I truly have a ball!

I take it with me wherever I go,
And seek to play it like a pro.

I keep it at always at hand,
Ready to join the band.

Then when I put it in its case,
I hold it firmly by the base.

Others may play with it now and then,
But it is my very own special friend.

∞ Bobby McB ∞
20 Nov 2021
LL V 15

The Hourglass of Eternity

Life is much like an enormous hourglass which represents time. Within it, we can see all the time passing before us on the bottom, and all the time yet to come on the top.

We are like a single grain of sand in this hourglass of eternity and it could be said our life starts as we pass through the narrow neck in the apparatus. As we are born, we are led first on a wild fall, as gravity takes us down. When we reach the bottom part, we slip and slide for awhile, before eventually coming to rest; where unless someone turns over the hourglass, we will remain until the end of time.

Consider also that everything, animate or not, also is an hourglass of time. The computer I now type on, the pens and paper by my side, along with everyone I have ever known or now know, is also subject to a beginning an an end.

Have you ever considered that every single thing in turn is also like its own individual hourglass?

Might it be that when we have kids that we create another hourglass which somehow also contains part of us?

What about a teacher who has particularly influential over his/her students, or a neighbor who has been helpful to others?

What about a loved one who is gone but who still comes to mind frequently to with words of wisdom and advice, despite having passed away?

Could it be this is somehow what is meant by eternity?

Might it be that as long as people think about us that our own hourglass of time is somehow turned over again and again?

Certainly, I do not know the absolute answers to these questions, yet I can ponder upon our own existence just as well as any other. As I consider this great question, if there is one universal truth remaining true between most religions and politics, it is that good deeds should be done to reap positive rewards.

Perhaps each time we do a good deed, we are rewarded with a bit more sand in our own hourglass of time and for each bad deed some is taken away. Though somehow this doesn’t seem to me to be so likely.

So too from where we once came, so too surely we will one day go. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust is what they say. It seems to me we may all simply be a small grain of sand in the great hourglass of eternity.

Though we may be ever so small in the great scheme of things, we too can make the most of our own hourglass of time by making the most of each and every moment.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
20 Sep 2021
LL V 15