Friday, November 21, 2003

WE MUST ACCEPT AND IMPROVE BY CRITICISM AND PRIDE.

By Olivene Godfrey

It has been said that when a writer believes he has written a masterpiece he should tear up his manuscript and start all over. And if he can't accept constructive criticism he is in trouble.

This philosophy can be applied to every profession. It is vital that we try to improve ourselves if we are to continue to grow. This is not to imply that we shouldn't have a sense of pride in our accomplishments. Too many people these days do not have enough pride in their crafts.

We should strive for perfection It can become fatal to the most successful person to become sloppy in his work. No one ever has it made. There is always someone waiting in the wings. Often a newcomer who is not afraid of hard work is eager to topple you from your throne.

Yes, life is a rat race for the successful person or for those who strive for success. But this way of life is largely responsible for our country's greatness.

Ours is a land where an individual is free to pursue his goals. And while success can never be assured, the person who has determination has a good chance of achieving his goals.

While there are many ambitious, hard-working young persons today, there are too many who seem to believe that the world owes them everything. They have not yet learned that you can't get something for nothing.

No skilled craftsman becomes good at his job without effort. God did give us brains and bodies and they cost us nothing. But their proper use doesn't come easily. A famous comedian was once asked what made him funny. His answer was, " Work, work, work. Making people laugh is work if you do it for your livelihood."

If you read our American history, you will find that every advance in government, science and religion, has been made because somebody worked and paid the price.

"If a man loves the labor of his trade, apart from any question of success or fame, the gods have called upon him." (Robert Louis Stevenson.)

Thursday, November 13, 2003

MUSIC ESSAY AND ELVIS, TOO....

By Olivene Godfrey

Music is truly a universal language. The marvelous thing about music is that it belongs to everyone regardless of race, age, rich or poor. All surface differences vanish before the fact that we are people enjoying music. A beautiful piece of music speaks to us and we respond--often aching from the beauty of the sound.

During the 1970s, my late husband, Ralph, and I and our son who was a youngster attended a wide variety of live performances of some of our favorite musical stars from guitarist, Chet Atkins, to Sonny and Cher. We also saw a young Larry Gatlin perform at Gatlinburg, TN before he hit it big. and earlier, before our son was born, Ralph and I saw the young Every Brothers perform as the opening act of a Bob Hope show at Tampa, FL before they became musical legends.

But the ultimate in excitement of a performance of an artist was a live Elvis concert we saw in Atlanta in the 1970s. Elvis was vibrant and in good form and the air was truly filled with an electricity that I had never experienced at a show or ever expect to again. We have never forgotten that night that we knew we were in the presence of a legend who was King of Rock and Roll.

According to experts who publish popular music, teen-age music in particular is said to mirror the moods of youth. The music of our youth becomes intensely personal and meaningful to us. Perhaps it is because at that time of our lives we simply don't know how to say what we want to say. And so we let our singing idols do it for us.

And years later we cannot hear the name of a favorite singer or the words of an old song without evoking instant recall of our most cherished memories of yesterday. Some songs cry out about our suffering, our hurts, and aches, and our bewilderment. Others tell of our unfulfilled hopes, dreams, love, or our search for the meaning of life itself.

Music can be magical- comforting us, exciting us, or lulling us. For most people music is a significant mood provoker.
I am grateful that I grew up in an atmosphere of music. What greater legacy can we give our children than training in music appreciation?