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Showing posts from 2012

Every Breath You Take

Every breath you take
  Every move you make
  Every bond you break
  Every step you take
  I'll be watching you.

  Every single day
  Every word you say
  Every game you play
  Every night you stay
  I'll be watching you. Before we had a chance to Google Pompe disease or enzyme replacement therapy, we were introduced to the word Pulmonologist. Now, I consider myself a well-educated man and I admit to a somewhat strange interest in the meaning of words so when these were tossed out I thought for sure I could use some grammar tricks and return with a definition in minutes. However, like many times to come I would discover that I had just entered a world which was not designed for quick answers and simple solutions. We had entered a new world we never knew existed nor expected to discover. While others my age would be focusing on their careers or favorite sports team, I would soon find myself very interested in something I thought was automatic to the rest of us…bre

Let it Be

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When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be Whisper words of wisdom, let it be To some it was just a spreadsheet, but to me it was a thing of beauty. Spreadsheets only have numbers and calculations. This had names, dates, times, events, travel details, all in color. I’m not talking just any color. There was a rainbow of colors to separate one item from the next. After all, for a trip like this, the standard white background would not do. This was the Olympics and if I was going to be the planner, I was going to do it in style. Over the years I’ve met a few people who claimed to be experts in organization. They’ve held seminars, written books, and sold recordings. They’ve inspired millions of the organizationally challenged, but none could hold a candle to my mentor. You see, my fat

Homecoming of The Boys of Fall

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When I feel that chill, smell that fresh cut grass I'm back in my helmet, cleats, and shoulder pads Standin' in the huddle listenin' to the call Fans goin' crazy for the boys of fall They didn't let just anybody in that club Took every ounce of heart and sweat and blood To get to wear those game day jerseys down the hall The kings of the school, man, we're the boys of fall Well it's, turn and face the stars and stripes It's fightin' back them butterflies It's call it in the air alright yes sir we want the ball And it's knockin' heads and talkin' trash It's slingin' mud and dirt and grass It's I got your number, I got your back When your back's against the wall You mess with one man, you got us all The boys of fall A few years ago Carter came to us and said he wanted to play football. I quickly recalled my middle school days at St. Angela's playing flag and pictured a field cov

She's A Rainbow

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She comes in colors everywhere; She combs her hair She's like a rainbow Coming colors in the air Oh, everywhere She comes in colors Have you seen her dressed in blue See the sky in front of you And her face is like a sail Speck of white so fair and pale Have you seen the lady fairer She comes in colors everywhere; She combs her hair She's like a rainbow Coming colors in the air Oh, everywhere She comes in colors Does she always run that way? It seemed like an odd question, but then again everything about that day was odd. There I was, standing in the colorless halls of the Neuromuscular Clinic at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, listening to doctors and wondering how fast I could escape back to our quiet life. My logical side told me there was no doubt this was the right place to be, but somehow it still did not make sense. Somehow our lives took a detour we weren’t expecting and I was confused. I was jarred when it came once again, "Does she always run that

London Calling

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London calling to the faraway towns London calling to the underworld London calling, yes, I was there, too An' you know what they said? Well, some of it was true! London calling at the top of the dial After all this, won't you give me a smile?  London calling When I was a senior in high school I had this outlandish idea.  I wanted to celebrate the upcoming step into adulthood (aka graduating) by gathering a few buddies and driving across the US.  I’d read a few books in English class about young men and adventure and I felt it was our time.   I could picture my friends and me cruising along Route 66 at daybreak, visiting distant cities, staying at strange motels, meeting interesting people, and eventually overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.   For a kid that never left California, it seemed magical. Like many things at that age, excitement can somehow get in the way of reality. Despite immediate promises and energetic planning, realization of college requirements, par

Defying Gravity

Something has changed within me Something is not the same I'm through with playing by the rules Of someone else's game Too late for second-guessing Too late to go back to sleep It's time to trust my instincts Close my eyes: and leap! It's time to try Defying gravity I think I'll try Defying gravity And you can't pull me down! I'm through accepting limits cause someone says they're so Some things I cannot change But till I try, I'll never know! I never committed to having the steadiest hand in the crowd, but was sure I had this one. I thought about getting a tripod, but this was just another school concert. I’d been to many before and would attend many in the future. I expected her to sing just another song, but as soon as the first words came out it was clear I was wrong. What I heard was more than a solo. It was a statement. A statement of courage from a little girl who decided to look life in the eye and say, I will not be held

Across the Universe

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Images of broken light, which  Dance before me like a million eyes, They call me on and on across the universe. Thoughts meander like a Restless wind inside a letter box They tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe. Nothing's gonna change my world Nothing's gonna change my world Nothing's gonna change my world Nothing's gonna change my world Many years ago he told me it took him his whole life to find out what he really wanted to be. At first it sounded a bit sad, but when you saw the joy in his eyes and heard the excitement in his voice, any hint of sadness was washed away and replaced with a broad smile. Years after playing the corporate game with the politics and repetition, he had found peace in a new profession. Who could have guessed it would be at age 70 and as a volunteer fireman? As you may have read in blog posts before, we have become active supporters of the MDA: speaking at events, gathering with friends to raise money, and meeting some w

Do You Believe in Magic?

Do you believe in magic in a young girl's heart How the music can free her, whenever it starts And it's magic, if the music is groovy It makes you feel happy like an old-time movie I'll tell you about the magic, and it'll free your soul I was in 5th grade when I first saw magic happen in Philadelphia and I never thought it would be repeated. Boy was I wrong! As a young boy, living in Southern California, my knowledge about Philadelphia was limited to two things. The first is what we had learned in Social Studies class and the second was what was happening on the basketball court. Like everyone else, we learned all about the Liberty Bell and the Declaration of Independence. While interesting, something that happened 200 years ago seemed like ancient history considering that every LA building he saw was no more than 30 years old. However, the second thing about Philly was very real to a kid who loved basketball: his name was Dr. J. During basketball season, th