I know the Mufffin Man

The 2nd act starts out saying

"We had the experience

but missed the meaning"

Below are two pictures. One is "before" and the other "after". One was me taken in about 1964 and then other is me taken today, 2006.

Before

A lot has happened between these two pictures. Family, education, experience, and career fill the years. Lot's of things add to the meaning as we try to recall the all that has happened.

One of my favorite songs from the play "Cats" was "Memory". I like these two lines.

Memory All alone in the moonlight

I can smile at the old days


In many ways as I look back I feel like "Ben". I might just pause here and tell you "my name is Ben. My older son when he was about 5 delighted in telling people his name was Bob, or Brent, or anything other than what it really was.

After

Then too my younger son doesn't mind just not shaking hands with some who try. Again maybe his reason is just to divert those approaching him. Even so maybe I am "Ben". If you have read my blog you will recall a story of "Ben". He told his life story. No before and later pictures, just a story. Family and many experiences but he seemed to forget his career. He had been a President of a large firm. He was in his late 80's but had forgot. In this blog I have left out most experiences tied to a career and tried to just think back about all that has happened while thinking a lot about many things I have read.

Recently I wrote a ring ceremony for a special marriage.

I was impressed as I thought about the ring to see that it surrounds the body where it is worn. The world is outside and the body is inside. Sometimes the best of our experiences are inside. What we love, what we share, what we know, and what we do, that matters, all come from the inside.

Drury Lane

Drury Lane is in London. At one end is a theater and in that theater I first saw the play "Cats". My daughter and I walked down Drury Lane more or less singing as to whether either of us "knew the muffin man" who of course lived on Drury Lane. We laughed. The play was great. The second act began. The song began and the question came.

Do we have the experience and miss the meaning?

I like the two pictures of myself by my car. I am not dressed for the pictures. I have some sweat on my face in both. Today I had just finished 4 miles. As said in a prior blog I had found

"With sixty seconds worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it."

I labeled these two pictures, before and after. The question is some way is before what and after what. Before my hair went away. After it was gone. Before I didn't care about cars. After I don't give my car much thought. Before I knew that running and reading was a way to gain a look at the experiences that I have had. After I had spent a lot of years finding that out. Before a marraige that has been the best thing in my life. After 40 years of that special time together.

Quote for the day.........

Rather than finding the author I will claim credit.

The most important thing you can do for your children is to love their mother.