Pen and Ink

I'll take the moon.

These are lyrics to "Stars and the Moon" by Jason Robert Brown. I've been thinking about materialism and this song came to mind.

I met a man without a dollar to his name
Who had no traits of any value but his smile
I met a man who had no yearn or claim to fame
Who was content to let life pass him for a while
And I was sure that all I ever wanted
Was a life like the movie stars led
And he kissed me right here, and he said,

"I'll give you stars and the moon and a soul to guide you
And a promise I'll never go
I'll give you hope to bring out all the life inside you
And the strength that will help you grow.
I'll give you truth and a future that's twenty times better
Than any Hollywood plot."
And I thought, "You know, I'd rather have a yacht."

I met a man who lived his life out on the road
Who left a wife and kids in Portland on a whim
I met a man whose fire and passion always showed
Who asked if I could spare a week to ride with him
But I was sure that all I ever wanted
Was a life that was scripted and planned
And he said, "But you don't understand —

"I'll give you stars and the moon and the open highway
And a river beneath your feet
I'll give you day full of dreams if you travel my way
And a summer you can't repeat.
I'll give you nights full of passion and days of adventure,
No strings, just warm summer rain."
And I thought, "You know, I'd rather have champagne."

I met a man who had a fortune in the bank
Who had retired at age thirty, set for life.
I met a man and didn't know which stars to thank,
And then he asked one day if I would be his wife.
And I looked up, and all I could think of
Was the life I had dreamt I would live
And I said to him, "What will you give?"

"I'll give you cars and a townhouse in Turtle Bay
And a fur and a diamond ring
And we'll be married in Spain on my yacht today
And we'll honeymoon in Beijing.
And you'll meet stars at the parties I throw at my villas
In Nice and Paris in June."

And I thought, "Okay."
And I took a breath
And I got my yacht
And the years went by
And it never changed
And it never grew
And I never dreamed
And I woke one day
And I looked around
And I thought, "My God...
I'll never have the moon."

Good Karma.

I don't remember where I found this. Someone's blog led me to it. Anyway, it's a nice, short reading. It's what the Dalai Lama had to say for 2006. I'm not big on touchy-feely sayings or schmaltzy pearls of wisdom, but this struck a chord with me.

Instructions for Life

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others, and Respect for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so that you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

* * * * *

(Did the Dalai Lama really say to approach "cooking" with reckless abandon? One hears, though, that he's a hell of a great cook. He makes a mean yak stew. Watch for his new series on the Food Network later this year. Rachel Ray had better watch out!)

Quote/Unquote

Bumper sticker seen on a car that, considering other rather colorful stickers, is owned by a gay man or a lesbian:

Focus on your own damn family.

Quote/Unquote

This is a song lyric by Stephen Schwarz from the musical Pippin. Its message is simple and clear.

Time is living's prize.

Quote/Unquote

This is attribued to the Rev. Gregory A. Boyd, minister of the Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minn. It comes from today's New York Times in an article about disowning conservative politics. Look for more from me on this topic in the next day or two.

When the church wins the culture wars, it inevitably loses. When it conquers the world, it becomes the world. When you put your trust in the sword, you lose the cross.

Quote/Unquote

Mark sent me these lyrics from Wicked. They're in keeping with my recurring theme of "people come into our lives for a reason." Thank you for sharing them, my friend.

I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason
With something we must learn and we are drawn to those
Who help us most to grow if we let them and we help them in return.
Now I don't know if I believe that's true, but I know I'm who I am 
today because I knew you.

Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes the sun.
LIke a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood.
Who can say if I've been changed for the better,
But because I knew you, I have been changed for good.