Lyrics- Do we really understand them???

So today I was out in the car listening to my favorite radio station WODS 103.3. They had finally stopped playing Christmas music (which I was happy about...you can only listen to "Carol of the bells" by Mannheim Steamroller so many times.)

As I was listening they played "Philadelphia Freedom" by Elton John. As I was singing along (which is what I do when I am alone in the car) I realized that I didn't really know all the words to the song and in actuality had been making up what I thought could POSSIBLY be them. So when I got home I looked up the words to this well known (not lyrically known) song.

Ladies and Gentleman: The REAL words to "Philadelphia Freedom" along with what I used to think they were (in italics.)

I used to be a rolling stone
You know, if the cause was right
I'd leave to find the answer on the road
(ok no issues at the beginning....)

I used to be a heart beating for someone
(I used to be hard beaten cole-so son- I know... makes no sense)

But the times have changed
The less I say the more my work gets done

Cause I live and breathe this Philadelphia freedom
(Caused I never dreamed that Philadelphia Freedom)
From the day that I was born I've waved the flag
(From the day that I was more to wait in line...I thought this was a political statement.)
Philadelphia freedom took me knee-high to a man
(................................... took me knee-high to the mat)
Yeah gave me peace of mind my daddy never had

(And the peace of mama, daddy never gave)

Oh Philadelphia freedom shine on me, I love you
Shine a light through the eyes of the ones left behind
(.................Hoodie, I wouldn't walk far behind...not sure who Hoodie was.)
Shine a light shine a light
Shine a light won't you shine a light
Philadelphia freedom I love you, yes I do

(no issues here. Thanks for speaking English Elton.)

If you choose to you can live your life alone
(If you choose it you can live a life at home...ok I was close)
Some people choose the city
Some others choose the good old family home
(I like the good old family tone...I had no idea what Elton meant by this)
I like living easy without family ties
(I like living easy with my family types..again, close.)
Till the whippoorwill of freedom zapped me
Till the whipping willow tree is shining)
(If Elton knew how to speak English this would've been easier)
Right between the eyes

So there you go...remember I was 10 when this song came out. Next time I will really challenge ourselves and try "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by the Stones!

Christmas is over....really????

So...Christmas is over and it seems that the older that I get the faster the holiday season seems to go by. This season however I had the time to ponder on just exactly this season means to me. As you may know, the last 18 months has been one of many changes.

Christmas and the meaning of it was a topic of discussion on facebook and it took on an ugly side. There are those who follow the Christian belief that Christmas is the birth of our Lord and Savior, the beginning a life that would lead to an amazing ministry in which He would perform many miracles. Then there are those who follow the more "modern" version that Christmas is about giving and receiving. That is fine, but it seems today that giving means to go to the mall, max out their credit cards and spend the next five months paying them off.

Sorry, but this is NOT how I envision Christmas. I envision Christmas to be a time with family...to BE with them and to share laughs with them. That first night when Jesus was born gifts were brought to honor who he was... "Emmanuel, God with us." This for me is "the reason for the season."

Celebrating at church is always the highlight
for me. Singing songs about not only the baby Christ, but also about WHAT that little baby did for all of us who understand that FAITH is to follow him the best we can. This year He has been who I listened to and who I followed whenever any major decision in my life was brought forth. And the wonderful thing is that whenever I followed what he had in store for me...I was blessed. I have my own apartment now, I have my son full time AND I new job on the horizon.

That is what I find to be a true blessing of the season!

Yule time greetings and all that stuff....

I can't believe that Christmas is just a week away. It seems that this year, as difficult as it has been, has flown by. It seems that it was just January and I was working in Dover and trying to find an apartment. It crossed my mind that February will make it a year that I have been in this apartment. The job situation is looking much better. If you don't know it been a year of doing odd jobs just to get by. I thank God everyday for every job that he has given me. I have learned to do without in such a way that when I see something I want to purchase....I THINK about whether or not I really need it. No more impulse buying anymore. So, after a year of doing this and becoming frugal, patient and waiting for God to show me where he wants me... I have a great opportunity to get a job that will allow me to provide for my son AND start getting my debts cleaned up.

Looking towards 2011, I am excited about what is to come. I want to be the best dad I can be (and this years training was good for me.) I look forward to working hard, being tired (yes I said tired because if you are doing a good job, you WILL come home tired. I learned that from someone that I watched work hard his whole life...my dad.) I want my son to look at me and be as proud as me as I am when I looked at all my dad did in his life.

Who knows what other surprises that God has in store for me. I am at a point in my life that even if there are hard times, I will look at them as growing experiences (I will be totally honest and say that I might not be happy about it, but once I get over it....I will realize why it happened.)

So....to all my friends, relatives and the rest who don't fit into those categorizes, have a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah (insert your holiday here) and a most joyous New Years.

Two years is a long time

So the other day I was looking at my emails and received a post that linked me back to this site. I was quite amazed that someone still found this site after it was dormant for 2 years. Thank you whoever you are.

It has been quite a while since I have been on here....I know I've said that a lot, but this time it really true!

Well, where do I start? 2009/2010 was what I will call a "transition/trying" year. Let me give you the readers digest condensed version.

In November of 2009 my almost 14 year marriage was in big trouble. My wife asked that I move out. Thinking that I would do this and let her see that we could work it out, I honored her request. What I didn't know was that she already had her mind made up that our marriage was over. I moved in with a friend (who really didn't want me there) and soon found out that I was going to soon become a divorced statistic. This did not make me happy. I was removed from my son who was a HUGE part of my life. I saw him on the weekends and missed him when he wasn't with me.

As time went on I found that I needed to find a place to live. Hope came when a co-worker asked if I wanted to find a place with him (he was living with his sister at the time.) We found a really nice house (all utilities included with free laundry in the basement.) What an awesome deal. So I moved in in February and everything went well until I found out my roommate was a bit or a....oh how do I saw this nicely? He was a bit psychotic.

March came around and so did the end of my job. I was laid off. So I called my brother and went to work for him helping him with his window cleaning and pressure washing business. It was a ton of fun working for him and things seems to get better.

In May, my divorce was finalized and I found out that just as quickly as my now ex-wife dismissed our 14 years of marriage, she now had a new boyfriend. At this point I came to the conclusion that she never really loved me (I mean how could she find someone that fast? I was still single and planned on remaining that way....my goal was to be there for my son....he was still the most important thing in my life.)

I started working odd jobs to keep the money coming in and towards the end of June my roommate told me he was moving out (another good thing to happen.) My son started spending more time with me and soon the house was started to get more and more people looking at it. My ex started spending more and more time at her boyfriends house and my son eventually moved in full time with me (another great thing to happen.)

All during this time my dad had been battling with pancreatic cancer and despite what we thought was a successful surgery to remove this mass and many trips to the hospital, chemotherapy and tons of drugs.....my dad lost his battle in August. This was the final blow to what had been a trying, gut wrenching year for not just me, but my entire family.

So now, after all this, things surprisingly are better....I am blessed. You think this might sound odd, but it has EVERYTHING to do with my faith. Without it, these two years would've been unbearable.

I have had lows that I never knew existed and got though it. I had panic attacks and many sleepless nights, but through it all I knew that God was there and carrying me. My family knows that all of this was Gods will and that my dad is in a better place.....he was suffering on this earth and is in a much better place and, the best part....we will see him again some day.

Thank for reading....more to come.

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