Soundtrack of My Life!

 At the very end of the movie Mr. Holland's Opus, the master of ceremonies speak to her former teacher, "Mr. Holland had a profound influence on my life and on a lot of lives I know.  But I have a feeling that he considers a great part of his own life misspent.  Rumor had it he was always working on this symphony of his.  And this was going to make him famous, rich, probably both.  But Mr. Holland isn't rich and he isn't famous, at least not outside of our little town.  So it might be easy for him to think himself a failure.  But he would be wrong, because I think that he's achieved a success far beyond riches and fame.  Look around you.  There is not a life in this room that you have not touched, and each of us is a better person because of you.  We are your symphony, Mr. Holland.  We are the melodies and the notes of your opus.  We are the music of your life."  As I look back in life, there are definite hallmarks along the way, moments of oasis that allow me to take that mental and emotional sigh of relief, or to recognize the people who have postively impacted my life, making me realize the potential I have.  Sometimes I will think of a former teacher or friend who, for a particular season of life, will walk alongside me.  At Yoakum High School, Mrs. Boehm, my social studies (history) teacher, fanned the flames of the love I had for history; or Mrs. Zaruba, who guided my love for literature, particularly the classics.  On another note, I will sometimes here a song playing and remember exactly where I was, who I was with, and what we were doing.  For example: Rock the Casbah by the Clash reminds me of the wonderful times of fellowship I had at Molly's Pub in Houston, Texas.  This particular bar was my Cheers.  Everyone was glad to see me.  There weren't any distinctions between NASA engineer or the retail sales associate at Dillard's.  Bruce Springsteen's Dancing in the Dark reminds me of the time of fellowship with my friend from church, Chris Simons, at Bennigan's.  He was one of a few who I would allow a peak into my soul...a true brother.  Time to Say Goodbye by Sarah Brightman with Andrea Boccelli sends me back into time when I was a regular patron at Buon Giorno coffeehouse.  Whenever the song would play, time seemed to literally stop as I was able to let the song wash over me in complete and total peace and stillness.  I was at that same coffee shop (now at a different location) today, and the song happened to come on the loudspeaker.  Of course I had to smile and was instantly transported to that particular night when I heard that song for the first time.  One Sweet Day by Mariah Carey and the Bodyguard movie soundtrack by Whitney Houston both remind me of the time I worked out at the Glorieta Conference Center in Glorieta, New Mexico.  A friend, Michael Lennox, would pop in the Mariah Carey CD as we simply drove around the backroads enjoying the coolness of the night sky and the beauty of God's creation surrounding us.  Those two summers seemed magical as I was still in my 20s with the rest of my life ahead of me.  I could keep going with examples of these bubbles, or pockets of time, that seem to stand still as I get the opportunity to enjoy the moment.  Don't let life pass you by.  Take the time to recognize these wide spot in the road on this journey called life.  I promise, you'll look back with a smile and desperately yearn to relive those moments.  You can relive those memories as they flutter in and out of your mind on occasion.  Who or what constitutes the soundtrack of your life?  Enjoy the moment as little pockets of joy in the larger context of life.  And the beat goes on...!