Cynicallous

A light, airy, effervescent, blog of grave consequence. (NOT!) Dedicated to those of us who must respond to negative stimuli by Chernobyling (entombing in concrete) our innermost thoughts.

Name:
Location: Slaughter, Louisiana, United States

A semi-gruntled corporate reliability engineer trying to make ends meet while keeping my wife happy, and myself out of the asylum.

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Not that anyone really noticed,

But the posting has been lighter than I'd like lately. Lots of stress at work, a few interesting things at home and finally a phenomenal week away to sort it all out and make me realize why I'm doing all this stuff in the first place.

If anyone's been following this since December, You may recall the murder of my best-man, Kent Schnable in a road-rage incident in Fort Worth, Texas. His and his widow's seventh anniversary would have been two Monday's ago. My wife, I and a group of Kent's widow's closest friends went to the resort they were married at and spread his ashes. The resort is in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The Gran Porto Real. It is wonderful. Granted, the trip had an overall melancholy tinge, but catharsis is for the living. Kent finally got me to take a few steps back, look around, take stock, (And any other cliche you'd like to insert,) and realize that a life of just work is not worth living. There has to be a middle ground between paying the bills and enjoying yourself.

I was asked to sing at the memorial. I didn't do an original song, but I found an obscure bluegrass duo out of upstate New York called, "The Gibson Brothers." They recorded a song called, "Old Memory" quite a while back and the sentiment was perfect. (Unfortunately, the album is out of print. If anyone might have a copy I'd like to purchase it.) I rewrote a few lines and it was appreciated all around. I actually played it a few times during an impromptu jam session at the pool bar. From what I was told, (I didn't pay attention,) all of the guests were pretty silent and attentive during all of the songs, but especially that one. That feels pretty good.

Anyhow, After the best week of my marriage, after finally getting to know my wife in a non-stressful setting, I'm more in love with her than ever. Thanks again Kent. I needed that.

Here are the Lyrics to my version of, "Old Memory" by The Gibson Brothers:

If I didn't have laughter, I couldn't have lived.
My best friend he told me when I was a kid.
He'd tell funny stories and some of them true,
Made me feel important 'cause he'd listen too.

While washing the boats, and drinking some beers,
He taught me that girls weren't something to fear.
A good 'ol boy Texan with a smile in his eyes,
These are the memories that money can't buy.

Chorus:
So, Sound the fiddle. Raise up your glass.
"To old woodsmoke memories, shared in the past."
To go back there's little that I wouldn't give.
He helped me to laugh and he helped me to live.

He worked so much, it furrowed his brow.
Don't go into I.T. his Email did sound.
It never seemed worth it, he'd wonder what for.
But than Amanda would smile, and his spirits would soar.

Chorus.

He loved all his friends, and Oh how they cried.
The tears they did burn on the day that he died.
His heart was so strong that the dying went slow.
It hardly seems fair, the way he had to go.

You asked me to sing, but I knew if I tried,
The words wouldn't come, they'd be choked up inside.
It's hard to believe that he ain't still here.
And I hope, If he's listening, he likes what he hears.

Chorus twice.

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks. . . Your sentiments are perfect, in your article and in the song.

6:37 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting about Kent.

I have followed your blog since the funeral because Kent and I were friends in college.

Thanks especially for your raw appreciation of what his passing has meant to your life. I share many of the same sentiments.

Noel Bustamante

11:05 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Where can I to learn abt it in detail?

1:48 PM  

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