I have been told, at times, I live in the past too much. I talk about my days growing up in Jamestown a lot. I share stories of family activities, holiday celebrations, and memories of times with many people who have been so special and important in the longevity of my time on earth. If all this is living in the past, then maybe I do live in the past too much, but I prefer to feel that I am cherishing people, places, things, and events that is/are/was/were immeasurably important pieces in my having the times of my life, discussed in a Green Day narrative discussed a few weeks ago in the VFTB.

Some have told me that I can recall trivia in certain areas that are of interest to me. No. I’m not ready to challenge those champions of Jeopardy, but I seem to be able to recall a large number of players on teams in sports I follow. I seem to be able to remember titles and lyrics of songs from my past, classic lines from movies and television, memories of my days at St. James Parochial School, times meeting new people at sporting events, concerts, and even a nightclub, where I met the love of my life. I like remembering what I can, and am grateful I can still remember a lot, and I get frustrated when I can’t remember certain things, like what I walked from the living room to the kitchen to do, or to get.

I have used much of what I remember(ed) in my roles as a teacher, coach, baseball official, and writer. Many times, I would use an interpretation (often my interpretation,) of a song’s lyrics, or a lesson I learned from my past. I’ve also “borrowed” statements I’ve heard somewhere at a meeting, conference, workshop, etc., or have heard in a speech or address in a recognition ceremony, that might help anyone I have dealt with who might be able to use some motivation, encouragement, confidence, or self-evaluation helping them how to be a better prepared employee in any line of work, a better student, player, and more importantly, a better person.

I enjoy looking back, but I don’t want to go back to those times and live them over again. I’m happy for the roads I’ve traveled, the people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve shared with others, starting with my bride, and the destinations we’ve reached leading me, and us, to where I (we) am/are right now. If I stopped living in my past, there’d have been too many people, places, things, and events that may have been missed, forgotten, or lost, that came along after I stopped reliving my life and visiting its memories, many of them new people who’ve arrived in my life, after my early memories were made.

As I have done many times with my kids, students, players, and even friends here and there, I have certain happenings and experiences that have been blessings for me, that I hope and wish will be experienced for many of those past, present, and future people that have touched, are touching, and/or will touch me in my future, maybe not mirror images of those things in my life, but will result in the same type of outcomes that have been bestowed on me.

In my joy of music and trying to find lyrics that will help me and hopefully others, I found a life story written as the lyrics of a song written and first performed by Alan Jackson, in October 2003, and released on his Greatest Hits Volume II album, which was/is a personal tribute to his wife, Denise. I hope the lyrics create, or bring back, fond memories, too, of those that come/came, in the lives of my wife, my children and their spouses, my grandchildren and their spouses, my great-grandchildren and their future spouses, and all the generations following those. I also wish/hope the sentiments of the following lyrical story will be something that touches my family, my friends, the friends I haven’t met yet, my former students, my former players, my colleagues, fellow volunteers, and everyone, be they about family, celebrations, opportunities, experiences, holidays, etc. Without actually living in the past, my wish is that we’ll all be able to sit back, close our eyes, and:

Remember When

“Remember when I was young, and so were you

And time stood still, and love was all we knew

You were the first, so was I

We shared love, and then you cried

Remember when

Remember when we vowed the vows, and walk the walk

Gave our hearts, made the start, and it was hard

We lived and learned, life threw curves

There was joy, there was hurt

Remember when

Remember when old ones died, and new were born

And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged

We came together, fell apart,

And broke each other′s hearts

Remember when

Remember when the sound of little feet

Was the music we danced to week to week

Brought back the love, we found trust

Vowed we’d never give it up

Remember when

Remember when 30 seemed so old

Now, lookin′ back, it’s just a steppin’ stone

To where we are, where we′ve been

Said we′d do it all again

Remember when

Remember when we said when we turned gray

When the children grow up and move away

We won’t be sad, we′ll be glad

For all the life we’ve had

And we′ll remember when

Remember when ”

Title: Remember When (Released October 2003)

Greatest Hits Volume II Album

Writer: Alan Jackson

This is one scenario where remembering when you touch lives in special ways. I hope you all experience times like this one, and in many, many other scenarios of your lives.