Randy Travis's debut album was titled Storms of Life. It was released back in 1986. Sometimes that seems like a long time ago and others like yesterday. There were many great songs on that album. The title track, storms of life, is one of my favorites. I didn't know much about Randy Travis when I first heard that song but learned how close to the truth that song was to his life. He did weather a lot of storms. A little reminiscent of Hank Williams Sr. A great singer/songwriter drawing from his own life and being brutally honest about it. That honesty may have destroyed them both. I know Randy Travis died as a result of a stroke but I suspect his lifestyle and the tribulations he faced contributed significantly. I believe there are those that just die from living too much. Too many times they sail into the storm, until nature wins. I don't mean mother nature, I mean human nature. That is the storm of life that Randy Travis was signing about.
In the refrain to that song he says, I've left my soul out in the rain, and I understand exactly what he means. Randy Travis didn't write those words but he sure made me believe them. He was imparting some wisdom, some knowledge, that he had learned, even if it was a repeat of what others had to say. Life is a collaboration between our thoughts and our actions. They don't always agree. How we learn the lessons in life is not as important as the learning. We all learn in different ways. Some learn by acceptance of truth, and others by testing that truth. Randy and Hank both tested the truth, over and over again. Each test is a storm of emotion. There are times when that test is a validation and others a disappointment. The greatest disappointment comes when you realize your safe harbor isn't as safe as you believed it to be. What I mean is, when the storm originates from that place.
Now all of what I've written is a bit cryptic and intentionally so. I write to express my thoughts and feelings, not to disparage another or cause hurt feelings. That has happened to me recently, inadvertently I created a storm. The fury of that storm emanated from a source I really didn't expect, a place I thought a safe harbor. This has left me a bit shaken, a little unsure. My soul was left out in the rain and to continue that lyric, lord what a price I've had to pay. The payment is personal anguish and that is what I believe the songwriters were trying to teach. They finish the refrain by saying, the storms of life are washing me away. You can get washed away by your own thoughts and emotions.
But being somewhat a mariner I know the best course of action is to put your bow into the wind and ride out the storm. It does little good to fight against it. All we can do is hold on. Hold on to our thoughts and dreams, not allowing them to be washed away. It can be far easier to just run with the tide but that is exactly what it is, running. You can't get where you want to go by running. It's a struggle against time and tide. That's life. In the end the tide will win, it's relentless, but what counts is how you weather the storms along the way. My sails have taken some damage, a few tears in the fabric, but nothing that can't be stitched up.
In my study of history and those that have weathered the storms before me I stumbled across this quote, " never mind, we had a damn fine sail. " I do have ancestors that were whalers back in the day. That quote was a father talking to a son. They had returned from a two year sail that proved to be unprofitable. The whales just hadn't been found and hardship was upon them both. The son upset and discouraged unburdening his troubles on his father. The father's response was, " never mind, we had a damn fine sail " and I'd say that was about all one could say. It's good advice though, although quite simple in it's approach. In the end all that really matters is, a damn fine sail.
In the refrain to that song he says, I've left my soul out in the rain, and I understand exactly what he means. Randy Travis didn't write those words but he sure made me believe them. He was imparting some wisdom, some knowledge, that he had learned, even if it was a repeat of what others had to say. Life is a collaboration between our thoughts and our actions. They don't always agree. How we learn the lessons in life is not as important as the learning. We all learn in different ways. Some learn by acceptance of truth, and others by testing that truth. Randy and Hank both tested the truth, over and over again. Each test is a storm of emotion. There are times when that test is a validation and others a disappointment. The greatest disappointment comes when you realize your safe harbor isn't as safe as you believed it to be. What I mean is, when the storm originates from that place.
Now all of what I've written is a bit cryptic and intentionally so. I write to express my thoughts and feelings, not to disparage another or cause hurt feelings. That has happened to me recently, inadvertently I created a storm. The fury of that storm emanated from a source I really didn't expect, a place I thought a safe harbor. This has left me a bit shaken, a little unsure. My soul was left out in the rain and to continue that lyric, lord what a price I've had to pay. The payment is personal anguish and that is what I believe the songwriters were trying to teach. They finish the refrain by saying, the storms of life are washing me away. You can get washed away by your own thoughts and emotions.
But being somewhat a mariner I know the best course of action is to put your bow into the wind and ride out the storm. It does little good to fight against it. All we can do is hold on. Hold on to our thoughts and dreams, not allowing them to be washed away. It can be far easier to just run with the tide but that is exactly what it is, running. You can't get where you want to go by running. It's a struggle against time and tide. That's life. In the end the tide will win, it's relentless, but what counts is how you weather the storms along the way. My sails have taken some damage, a few tears in the fabric, but nothing that can't be stitched up.
In my study of history and those that have weathered the storms before me I stumbled across this quote, " never mind, we had a damn fine sail. " I do have ancestors that were whalers back in the day. That quote was a father talking to a son. They had returned from a two year sail that proved to be unprofitable. The whales just hadn't been found and hardship was upon them both. The son upset and discouraged unburdening his troubles on his father. The father's response was, " never mind, we had a damn fine sail " and I'd say that was about all one could say. It's good advice though, although quite simple in it's approach. In the end all that really matters is, a damn fine sail.
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