No One Understands Your Dreams But You!

Years ago, I was attending a sales seminar by Les Brown and I he said that to him one of the saddest things in life is when someone dies with their music still inside. Since my “music” is actually music, the message didn’t need any translation as I literally hope when I leave this earth, I don’t leave any songs unsung.

More and more, the fragility and uncertainty of life is evident to me and I’m aware of the possibility that fewer days are ahead of me than behind. Sometimes I feel that people think they have an infinite amount of time to do the things that they told themselves long ago that they would get to someday.

What is it that you have been meaning to do but haven’t made a priority? What are your dreams that you have been putting off?

I am energized by the change of seasons and excited about what the year will bring! I hope that you all are also in good health and finding time to truly live your life!

Talk to you soon!

~Neal

A Poem For My Mom

A Poem for my Mom…

Beth and I started going through closets and bookshelves today as we prepare for a near-future downsizing.  In the back of one of our many closets, I found a box that had some old newspaper clippings and memorabilia from my childhood and It was if I’d opened a time capsule.   Seeing all the photos of the handbell ensemble, “Strikepoint” that I was part of when we toured the US, Hawaii, Hong Kong and Japan in 1986 really brought back some great memories of some wonderful times spent with some amazing people.   As I dug further down in the box, I found lyrics to the first song that I wrote back in 1979…. (so, for those of you who wondered how old I was when I wrote my first song, the answer is 11.)   A few layers down I found a poem that I wrote to my Mom and as near as I could tell from where it was in the box, I was about 10 when I wrote it.  I’d like to share it as it was actually pretty sweet.  Here it is:

I LOOK OUT THE WINDOW THROUGH ICE-GLAZED GLASS TO CAST MY EYES ON FROST BITTEN GRASS.

FALL IS ENDING, WINTER IS NEAR.  THE ICE ON THE WINDOW MAKES THAT QUITE CLEAR.

“BREAKFAST IS READY!” MY MOTHER YELLS. 

 I LOVE THE WAY HER MUFFINS SMELL.

I THINK TO MYSELF AS I LAY BACK ON MY BED, OF ALL THE NICE THINGS SHE HAS DONE AND SAID.

SHE WASHES MY LAUNDRY AND MAKES ME FOOD.  I TAKE IT FOR GRANTED WHEN IN A BAD MOOD. 

I WANT TO THANK HER BUT THE WORDS WON’T COME.  I FEEL QUITE AWKWARD AND KIND OF DUMB. 

“LAST CALL!” I HEAR MY MOM SAY.  

I THINK TO MYSELF, TODAY’S THE DAY.

As I look back on my life at all of the people who have come and gone, the reality of how quickly time passes hits me hard and I freely admit that I get a little teary.    I hope you’ll reach out to a loved one who you haven’t connected with in awhile and let them know how much you appreciate them and don’t wait because as Jim Rohn used to say, “None of us get out of here alive and none of us know how long we have.”

~Neal

Time To Reflect

Time to Reflect….

 Much of our time up north on our annual  family trip is spent reflecting on the past year of our lives.   Every year, the trip seems so far off and it isn’t until the night before when we are scrambling to gather up all of our necessities for the week ahead that the reality of the trip starts to take hold.   Even as we start off on our drive, it doesn’t feel like vacation yet, but the moment we turn down Blue Lake Road, it feels as if we never left.   The roads and woods are familiar to all of us as we’ve been coming here for 17 years.

Our oldest son, Noah, was 4 and our youngest son, Will, wasn’t even 1 yet when we made our first family trip up here at the beginning of September in 2001. I had just released my Pictures CD on August 10th, 2001 and we had moved to our new home in Red Wing, MN.   We shared a cabin with my Brother-In-Law Jeff, his Wife Cathy and our niece, Kate, who had just turned 1.   I was only able to get a couple days off of work so we headed home after a great time at the lake and I returned to my job in Edina, MN on 9-11-2001.    What a surreal first day back it was.  I was digging through emails and trying to get caught up when a co-worker came in to tell me that  a plane had crashed into the world trade center.  I assumed it was a small plane and I didn’t give it much thought.   When he came in a little while later to inform me that another plane had crashed into tower 2, I realized that something indeed was not normal or random about this situation now.   After the 1st tower fell, the owner of the company sent us all home to be with our families.   I was listening to the radio in my car and driving on 494 when the 2nd tower collapsed.  I remember crying and calling Beth.  She turned the TV on and soon joined me in crying.   It was a horrible, devastating feeling that is forever seared into my brain.

Last week, while we were still at the cabin,  we all agreed to attended a poetry reading at a local library and we were happy to discover that they had some books for sale.  I bought a couple of John Grisham novels that I hadn’t read yet and Noah bought a book called, “Falling Man”.  It is a story about 9-11 and the cover has the 11 enlarged to represent the two trade center towers.  In the center of of one of the 1’s is a silhouette of an upside down man jumping from the tower on 9-11 to escape the fire.  As I looked at the cover of Noah’s book and realized what  it was about, I was immediately transported back in my mind to the days we spent at Blue Lake just before 9-11 in 2001.

All of our lives have been forever changed by the events that took place on 9-11, but I am grateful that for at least 1 week out of the year, my little family can get together and create new memories while we reflect on the past  in the northwoods of Wisconsin.   Blue Lake is restorative to my soul and I hope that you have a place where you can take time to reflect and count your own blessings.

Talk to you soon,

~Neal