Sunday Nights

Tonight I watched The Music Man, an old movie-adaption of the broadway musical. For reasons that I won't divulge here, I find it very significant that I finally can watch it again (and actually had a desire to), since it's been years since I've been able to. It's one of those musicals I really enjoyed when I was younger, if for nothing else, the love songs. Most notably: "Good Night my Someone", "Til There was You" and "Will I Ever Tell You". All are poignant, simple and sweet. I feel it necessary to share at least one with you... I think I will share the last one; I think the first one (with some minor changes) will be my nighttime away.

"Dream of now, dream of then.
Dream of a love song that might have been.
Do I love you?
Oh, yes, I love you.
And I'll bravely tell you
But only when we dream again.
Sweet and low, sweet and low,
How sweet that mem'ry how long ago
Forever?
Oh, yes forever.
Will I ever tell you?
Ah-- no."

Simply beautiful. I like to say that I've killed the old romantic that I used to be, but such songs still have a way of affecting me.

One thing I hope that never dies within me is my inner child. I like to think, that after all these years, I still have a childlike wonder and curiosity for everything around me; I'm also still very bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when I am not cynical and brooding. Having a childlike nature as I enter adulthood I've always felt was essential (this is, I stress, much different that being immature; that's one childlike way that should be abandoned in childhood).

Sometimes I wonder if this view of things is correct; during one of my darker moments this past week, I was blessed by a link from my friend Theo. He sent me a link to a talk by Randy Pausch called "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams". The poignant thing about this talk, is that it's Dr. Pausch's last lecture; he is terminally ill with cancer, and doctors say that he has only a couple months left to live. I strongly encourage everyone to watch it; it's very good, and very inspirational. So good, in fact, that that I've asked the ACM chair of our chapter to allow us to show it at one of the meetings. Let's see what happens.