The Perpetual Click

If music is perpetual, then so are life's enduring friendships. Some friendships are like a trusty metronome, the one that went click, click, click, all those years ago in the solitude of a late-night practice room. Just me, my instrument and that metronome. Turn the dial to 112 beats per minute, and off it goes. Go home for spring break, come back, plug it back in and off it goes, 112 beats per minute. Throw it in the closet for the summer and pull it out in September. Plug it back in and off it goes. Never misses. Always there to keep you on track.

I've discovered that some friendships are like that. It's been almost 24 years since I graduated from Furman University. I made some dear friends during my tenure on campus there. Most of these folks I rarely see, but when I do, the strangest thing happens. We can go 5 or 6 years without seeing each other and then when we meet, it's as if we never parted ways. We see each other and there goes the metronome, click, click, click.

Last week a few of us met in an informal reunion at Furman. The occasion was the Furman University Wind Ensemble concert for the South Carolina Band Directors Association All-State Band clinic. The concert was billed as a tribute to the late Dan A. Ellis, director emeritus of the Furman University Bands. My old roommate, Michael Brown (now of US Army Band fame), composed a piece in memory of Mr. Ellis. In "Symphonic Portrait", Michael took several themes familiar to the Furman family and wove them together in a very moving selection for wind band.

Several of the old gang met for a pre-concert dinner at the Thaicoon in the old University Square. We had a wonderful time at the concert and then closed out the evening with coffee and dessert at Ruby Tuesday's in Cherrydale.

Funny thing about that metronome. As soon as I saw those faces, the clicking began. There was plenty of laughter, smiles, hugs and tears as we shared and created memories late into the night. The Rainbow drive-in is still there, along with Capri's and Pete's (I'll have a jumbo cheese, all onion rings with a chocolate peanut butter banana shake). The aroma of Dan Ellis' pipe has faded from the halls of the Daniel Music Building, but, for a few hours at least, it was 1984 again.

"The years are rolling by me, they are rocking evenly. I am older than I once was, and younger than I'll be but that's not unusual. No, it isn't strange. After changes upon changes, we are more or less the same." -- Paul Simon.

I love you all, and miss you very much. I truly do.

(L-R: Jeff Kuntz, Janet Kuntz, Evans Newell, Cindy Newell, Keith Dover, Michael Brown, Ken Cothran, Johnny Tucker)

Rules To Live By

I'm definitely getting older. My baby's birthday is today. Jessica Ellen Newell is 13 years old!! Happy Birthday, Jessi!! You will always be my favorite red-headed child (inside joke).

A co-worker sent me the following list of rules to live by. I thought they were cute, so I decided to put them here instead of filling the universal in basket with junk mail.

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
2. Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often.
3. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.
4. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
5. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.
6. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
7. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
8. A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.
9. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
10. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
11. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
12. A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good.
13. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
14. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
15. No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.
16. A balanced diet is a muffin in each hand.
17. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
18. Opportunities always look bigger 'going' than 'coming'.
19. Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
20. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
21. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
22. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
23. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.
24. Someone who thinks logically provides nice contrast to the real world.
25. It ain't the jeans that make your butt look fat.
26. If you had to identify in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved its full potential, that word would be 'meetings'
27. There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'.
28. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
29. You should not confuse your career with your life.
30. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance!
31. Never lick a steak knife.
32. The most destructive force in the universe is 'gossip'.
33. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.
34. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
35. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that deep down inside, we ALL believe we are good drivers.
36. Your friends love you anyway
37. Remember to pillage *BEFORE* you burn.

And finally, with apologies to Jimmy Buffett, I note the following: "I'm growing older but not up. My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck."

Working Man

Cindy and I have been involved for several years with the youth ministry at our church. One of the big things we try to emphasize as a ministry is putting others first and being servants. Early this morning (after running, of course) we took a group of students to a local middle school to spread mulch around the trees and flower beds. The really exciting part is that now have proof that Evans can actually do manual labor.

Here's the evidence. This is Evans and John offloading a pile of mulch. Jessica is in the yellow shirt way in the background. In the picture at the top of the page, she is in the lower right corner (same yellow shirt).

Evans was allowed to drive the truck. Scary.

We had a great time. The students worked really hard, I'm sure the school appreciates the effort. After we finished (there were several groups in multiple locations), we all gathered at a local park for burgers, hot dogs and Johnny's (our youth minister) freshly-baked cookies!! Yay!!