When I was in high school, I was introduced to Emerson and Thoreau. I found their philosophies inspiring and life changing. Their attitude toward self-reliance and transcendentalism stressed the importance of alone time. I learned that one can be alone without being lonely. In fact, with the proper prayerful attitude, one is never alone. One of Thoreau’s most famous quotes involves drummers: “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” It is curious to me that Thoreau used the analogy of a drummer to illustrate his point, mainly due to the fact that drummers are time keepers. My son Will became a drummer in high school. I hope he will continue to hone that skill for the rest of his life – on his own schedule obviously. I wouldn’t dare tell anyone else how to keep time. I wrote this during a period of my life when I was working about 80 hours a week.
With time comes lack of money
I earn money sellin’ time;
Seems I’m stuck here in the middle
With one ahead and one behind…
If I spend my time just working
Earning money all my life
Will my money buy more time
For my children or my wife?
As I stop to analyze
That fine balance ‘tween the two;
Money runs away in laughter
Watching time sneak up on you…
I think here lies the difference
In each second, every cent.
Money’s earned, but time is given
We decide how each is spent…
God blesses each of us with gift(s). Unfortunately, most of us (the author included) are not able to identify them properly. Or, if we do identify them, we are either afraid to showcase them or think they are not good enough to make a difference in this world. Here are two music examples – one fiction, and one very much real life – in which men have had their lives altered in such a way that would seem to have taken their “gift” of and for music away. First, from M*A*S*H.
The second is from the rock and roll group Def Leppard. The drummer, Rick Allen, wrecked a Corvette in 1985 and had to have his left arm amputated. He and the group worked tirelessly until they were able to create a setup using only his feet and right arm. Their album “Hysteria” was released in 1987 and is their best selling album ever. The moral of the story? If the talent is there, God will create a way to get it out. We just have to be willing vessels. Human pride is a double edged sword. Unfortunately, we use the wrong side far too often.