That's
a big gift when people say to you that a song helped them or brought them to
some place in their life where they needed to be. ~ Lenny Kavitz
The
National Quartet Convention is in Louisville this week. The Patriot Quartet, the group my husband
sings bass with, will be singing on a showcase Monday afternoon, so I have worked it
out to go listen. At least I hope I’ve worked it out. My mother is not doing
very well right now. We had a really odd night, but then oddness is part of
dementia. Oddness and sadness and all the patience one can gather. So perhaps
tomorrow if I get to go hear some of the songs the gospel groups will be
sharing, I’ll get that gift of a song that will bring me to a place I need to
be. A place of continuing patience and a little touch of wisdom. When you’re
dealing with someone with confused thinking, you feel like if you could just
find the right answer, then maybe things would be easier. But I’m not sure
there is a right answer.
The
Patriots are going to be singing their new radio release “On the Right Road Now”
and a patriotic song “One Nation Under God.” At least I think that’s the plan.
Then they will be meeting and greeting people in the Exhibition Hall. I enjoy
meeting people at their booth and will have my books for anybody who might want
to get an autographed copy. Last year I met a couple from Scotland and they
went home with a heavier suitcase because they packed some of my books into it.
It was fun talking to them. It’s fun talking to everyone who comes by, and
especially fun when they are like me and love books. Of course they wouldn’t be
at the Quartet Convention if they didn’t love Gospel music.
We’ve
been going to the Quartet Convention for years now. For years, we went as fans.
Well, Darrell was the big fan. I went along for the ride and usually ended up
liking some of the songs. The songs that speak to me are generally ones with
words that I relate to. If they also have a great melody, that’s a plus, but it’s
the words that mean the most to me. Sometimes just a phrase in a song will
touch my heart. The Patriots sing one “I Can Feel the Touch of His Hand” that
borrows a lot of the beautiful ideas of the 23rd Psalm and I love
the line “surely goodness and mercy will follow me.” It’s a line that other
people respond to also, because sometimes they will come to the product table
and ask for that “goodness and mercy” song. That’s one song I never get tired
of hearing.
It’s
interesting how people are touched by different songs. Songs that I don’t like
all that much are often favorites of other people. I suppose that's true with
books too. Actually, there’s no supposing to it. You can tell that's so by reading
the reviews on Amazon or other sites where readers leave their thoughts on
books. One person might love a story and give it many stars and great words while
another person will totally pan the same story and think it’s awful. That’s
what makes the world go around and opens the publishing door for many different
types of writers. Thank goodness. Who would want to have only one kind of book
or one type of song? That’s why we say “different strokes for different folks”
or “to each his own.”
I’m just glad some
of you like the words I come up with. So thanks for reading, and if you happen to be at the Quartet Convention this week,
come by the Patriots booth in the Exhibition Hall this week and say hello to me or Darrell. One of us will probably be there.
