When I was in the seventh grade, our high school band allowed the seventh graders to join with them and march at the football half-time show. I played drums and the drum assigned to me the first two years was the tenor drum.
When I went into my freshman year I graduated to the snare drum and was given an old Slingerland snare drum. I played it and loved it.
During my first half-time show, as a new snare drummer, we lined up on the end zone line and the majorette blew the whistle for us to begin.
Between the end-zone line and the goal-line I dropped one drum stick. I had to throw off the snares and help keep the beat with one stick, like I used to do with the tenor drum.
Between the goal-line and the ten-yard line I dropped the other stick. UNBELIEVABLE! I had to march 90 more yards and not play one single beat on my snare drum during this, my first half-time show in my career as a snare drummer. You see, I dropped my essentials.
When I reflect back on this, here is what I take away from it.
Hold Onto Your Essentials!
What am I talking about?
There are certain essential skills, character traits, morals and guiding principles that everyone aligns with at some point in life, and these markers become essentials by which one uses to govern his or her life.
During my first half-time show, as a new snare drummer, we lined up on the end zone line and the majorette blew the whistle for us to begin.
Between the end-zone line and the goal-line I dropped one drum stick. I had to throw off the snares and help keep the beat with one stick, like I used to do with the tenor drum.
Between the goal-line and the ten-yard line I dropped the other stick. UNBELIEVABLE! I had to march 90 more yards and not play one single beat on my snare drum during this, my first half-time show in my career as a snare drummer. You see, I dropped my essentials.
When I reflect back on this, here is what I take away from it.
Hold Onto Your Essentials!
There are certain essential skills, character traits, morals and guiding principles that everyone aligns with at some point in life, and these markers become essentials by which one uses to govern his or her life.
Allow me to suggest a few for consideration.
The Power of Choice
The greatest power you and I possess is the power of choice. We exercise it every day of our lives, from the time we awaken until we turn the light out at bedtime. We choose the clothes we wear, the foods we eat and how much, the kind of entertainment we enjoy, the books we read, the TV shows we watch and the beat goes one. We even get to choose whether to text and drive or not.
We in America will be voting on a new president in 18 short months. We get to vote for the candidates of our choosing. Will they be the best one to guide us for the next few years?
This one important essential has such ramifications for us both now and in our future. I would say that our power of choice is one of our essentials in life. May you and I CHOOSE WISELY!
Truth and Integrity
This is a BIG one. What is truth? What is integrity? And do you and I possess these traits? Do we even know what they look like?
Integrity speaks of … honesty, truthfulness, honor, reliability, uprightness. All are great words. All are commendable character traits. And do we hold onto these essentials? I hope so.
Honor
Honor speaks of … respect, admiration, credit, reputation.
Is this an essential you seek? Do you desire to be a respected, esteemed man or woman in your sphere of influence? What is your reputation at this moment and how do you improve it?
Love
You knew this one was coming. The broader picture of love is, of course, love for mankind. Just how tolerant are we? How accepting are we? Can we agree to disagree? Can we allow each other space to hold our own thoughts? Can we tolerate a view that is different from the one we hold? We truly are a melting pot of cultures in most American cities. Are we choosing to get along?
I think a lot about the great John F. Kennedy quote.
What was our topic in this section again? Something about “love”? Would you consider “love” to be an essential?
Spirituality
My goodness. I just opened up a can of worms. What is spirituality? I met a young man last week and in the course of our conversation we somehow got onto the subject of God and religion. He said “I’m not a religious person but I am a spiritual person.”
You and I have the wonderful privilege of working this one out for ourselves. I personally can’t see how this world got to where it is today without some supreme being with boundless powers, insights and instincts. And I can’t see how we will continue to survive as a universe without this same divine guidance.
My power of choice makes room for God the creator and God the present one. You get to choose your own playing field on that one.
The Power of Choice
The greatest power you and I possess is the power of choice. We exercise it every day of our lives, from the time we awaken until we turn the light out at bedtime. We choose the clothes we wear, the foods we eat and how much, the kind of entertainment we enjoy, the books we read, the TV shows we watch and the beat goes one. We even get to choose whether to text and drive or not.
We in America will be voting on a new president in 18 short months. We get to vote for the candidates of our choosing. Will they be the best one to guide us for the next few years?
This one important essential has such ramifications for us both now and in our future. I would say that our power of choice is one of our essentials in life. May you and I CHOOSE WISELY!
Truth and Integrity
This is a BIG one. What is truth? What is integrity? And do you and I possess these traits? Do we even know what they look like?
Integrity speaks of … honesty, truthfulness, honor, reliability, uprightness. All are great words. All are commendable character traits. And do we hold onto these essentials? I hope so.
Honor
Honor speaks of … respect, admiration, credit, reputation.
Is this an essential you seek? Do you desire to be a respected, esteemed man or woman in your sphere of influence? What is your reputation at this moment and how do you improve it?
Love
You knew this one was coming. The broader picture of love is, of course, love for mankind. Just how tolerant are we? How accepting are we? Can we agree to disagree? Can we allow each other space to hold our own thoughts? Can we tolerate a view that is different from the one we hold? We truly are a melting pot of cultures in most American cities. Are we choosing to get along?
I think a lot about the great John F. Kennedy quote.
“Our most basic common link is that
we all inhabit this planet.
We all breathe the same air.
We all cherish our children’s future.
And we are all mortal.”
Spirituality
My goodness. I just opened up a can of worms. What is spirituality? I met a young man last week and in the course of our conversation we somehow got onto the subject of God and religion. He said “I’m not a religious person but I am a spiritual person.”
You and I have the wonderful privilege of working this one out for ourselves. I personally can’t see how this world got to where it is today without some supreme being with boundless powers, insights and instincts. And I can’t see how we will continue to survive as a universe without this same divine guidance.
My power of choice makes room for God the creator and God the present one. You get to choose your own playing field on that one.
Well, if I keep going this will turn into a book, and this is not the time or place for that book yet.
Above all, my prayer is that you discover the essentials for your own life and hold tenaciously to them.
In other words … Don’t drop your sticks
Above all, my prayer is that you discover the essentials for your own life and hold tenaciously to them.
In other words … Don’t drop your sticks
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