And just like that, we are on the other side of February with ten days remaining in this month. “It just keeps rolling along.”

“But ol’ man river, He jes‘ keeps rolling’ along.”

I first heard the lyrics to “Old Man River” when I was a very young boy attending the high school’s Variety Show. Now, most of the time, we think of a variety show as something thrown together but Wendell L. Willkie High School, later to become Elwood Community High School, always presented a top-notch, concert format Variety Show featuring the concert band, jazz band, choirs, show choir, majorettes/guard, and soloists. Sometimes, the directors were a part of the show. Mr. Clifford Brugger, one of the three originators of The Variety Show, often performed and the one song I clearly remember was “Old Man River.”

The lyrics to “Old Man River” were written by the iconic theatrical genius, Oscar Hammerstein II, along with Jerome Kern for the 1927 musical, SHOW BOAT.

“Don’t wish your life away,” was a common phrase used by my grandmother, Donna Barmes, whenever anyone within earshot remarked how they would like to skip ahead in time. Grandma Donna always cautioned us about wanting life to move too fast.

I remember commenting once, as a six-year-old in kindergarten, that “I’ve got twelve more years of school.” Mother said, “The years will go by fast. Trust me!”

And those twelve years did move quickly. This year marks the fortieth anniversary of my high school graduation.

I always try to live in the present, taking each day as a page in each month’s chapter. Sometimes, I refer back to a page or chapter, but most often I keep to the day at hand, only looking ahead to see what’s coming on my calendar. But the days do keep rolling along. Now, nearing the halfway mark of my fifty-eighth year, the current days become more precious.

So, I remind myself that I must make each day great, filling them with all the ingredients I desire.

“Ah gits weary
An’ sick of tryin’
Ah’m tired of livin’
An’ scared of dyin’
But ol’ man river
He jes‘ keeps rolling’ along.”

Make it a great day!