I listened to an article on NPR today saying that this weekend was the Kentucky Derby..... the "Run For The Roses".... as it is also known. The piece sent my mind flying back to the time I was fortunate enough to go to the Derby myself. I was still in college, probably junior year. My best friend then and one of two still, was a wild and crazy guy who was always dragging me.....amid many a protest and complaint.... off to one bizarre adventure after another. In this instance his father was a manager for a company that owned box seats at the derby. The plan was for buddy and I to get ourselves to the derby, buy tickets for the infield and then dad would smuggle ticket stubs out to get us into the boxes. It worked like it was charmed!! What a great time we had drinking and making small bets. Some races we would come out ahead on and on others we would lose our tails. What made it the most memorable, though was an encounter we had with an older (to us at least) man that every one called "the swede". He spoke with a thick accent, was very drunk and was having the time of his life. At one point he came up to buddy and I, put an arm around each of us, looked us each in the eye and said in his thick accent "Ya know, boys, it's a good life if you look at it right!" He then disappeared off into the stands to place another bet. I will always remember his words. They have had a profound impact on me through the years. I took them into my heart and made them my life motto. Through the years as my career failed and failed again, my children struggle and my marriage disintegrated I kept those words foremost in my mind..... almost as a mantra at times. They kept my chin up, gave me strength to make and hold to the hard decisions and at one point caused my wife to complain "you think nothing bad will ever happen to you!!" so matter of factly that it simply had to be true. Do I believe that? No.....what I believe is that through great adversity the human spirit can still see the beauty of a sunset, can still smell the wonderful aroma of coffee in the air and can still wake up and say "ya know, it is a good life!". I believe that it is a choice that we make. The choice of how to face each day and how to face ourselves at any moment is ours to make. We can choose to let life drag us down to it's level, and soundly thrash us with experience or we can choose to mentally rise above the adversity that we all face, in some form, each day and choose to see joy and wonder in even the smallest things.  We choose who we are within ourselves.

This song was a response to the joy that I am able to find each day.

GOOD LIFE  (copyright 2001 all rights reserved)

I first met the Commodore in Coral Bay, on Saint Johns shore.

He was sound asleep on a city bench he called home.

He was missin' one of his shoes and by his head was a bottle of booze.

I wondered what could bring a man this low.

But I was young and full of myself, invincible in my ways

I never listened to anyone else. It didn't matter what they had to say.

He awoke and looked at me. He said "Son let me tell you what you think you see.

Just a drunken fool with nothin' much to live for.

But what I got comes from inside. It's a whole lotta love and a little bit of pride.

And these few words that are my gift;

It's a good life if you look at it right,

I got no reason now to fuss and fight.

I got everything a man could possibly need.

I get to see the mornin' sun, I got a few good friends and a bottle of rum

Yeah, it's a good life, if you look at it right".

//

At twenty five I was on my way, it was a bluegrass mornin' on a Derby day

I was rubbin' shoulders with a man they called "the Swede"

I watched him lay his money down on losin' bets and mint julep rounds

I wondered what could give a man such need.

But I was young and full of myself, invincible in my ways.

I never listened to anyone else, it didn't matter what they had to say!

He put his arm across my shoulder,

tipped his glass and said "As I get older,

I find that life is such a mystery.

But it's the little things that will make you wise

And though it's taken some time I've come to realize that

What you get is what you say!

It's a good life if you look at it right.

I've got no reasons now to fuss and fight, I've got

Everything a man could possibly need.

I get to see those horses run

I've got a few good stories when the day is doen.

yeah, it's a good life if you look at it right."

//

Now at forty five I'm settle'n in.

It's been a long road and I'm still travelin'.

Sometimes I'm amazed I'm still alive!

I placed my bets and won a few,

Been ahead of the curve and without a clue.

But through it all I've managed to survive.

And I'm still young and still full of myself

Just not as head strong in my ways.

I listen more to everyone else.

It's amazing what they have to say!

And when I'm all alone at night

And I look in the mirror at these middle aged eyes.

I have to laugh more often than I cry.

I've found some wisdom in the little things

And I've come to see it's just a mental game

It's a good life IF you look at it right!

Yeah, it's a good life if you look at it right.

I've got no reasons to fuss and fight.

I've got everything a man could possibly need.

I get to see the mornin' sun

Ya know I even got to see those horses run!

It's a good life , if you look at it right.

//

Yeah, it's a good life if you look at it right.

I've got no reasons, now to fuss and fight.

I've got everything a man could possibly need.

I get to hear my children laugh....

My friend, it don't get no better than that!!

Oh, it's a good life

If you look at it......right!