1st & 2nd September, 2005
Rod in Concert
Holland, December 2005!
San Sebastian Strings
albums now available on CD! Order
now!
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Photo by Edward McKuen 12 June, 2005.
© 2005 by Stanyan Music Group. All Rights Reserved.
A Thought for Today
Isn’t it sad that we live in a time when
the only safe sex is probably phone sex? Thanks anyway, but my phones
off the hook.
TO BEGIN WITH
Happy September as we go all the way back to August of 1998 for a Flight
from the Past.
A FLIGHT FROM6THE
PAST
20 AUGUST 1998
THE WILL TO WIN
Some are born with it. Some acquire it after years of training, waiting
and discipline. But the will to win is a common thing in most all of us
even those men and women not sure of their drives or unable to put them
into words. With athletes winning is a way of life, and when they lose
they begin at once to prepare for the next win. To quote Muhammad Ali,
"I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was."; or Joe
Frazier, "I win because I want to. I can't imagine losing."
I have always shared a special kinship with athletes, perhaps because
I've never been the kind of athlete I aspired to be. When I went to
school, which wasn't often, I ran track, played basketball, and got
beaten up a few times attempting football. If I had weighed ten pounds
less, I would have been the kid on the beach who got sand kicked in his
face, as the Charles Atlas clone strolled off into the sunset with my
girl.
When I was a little older than a kid and living in New York I got to
know Ingmar Johansson pretty well. We both worked out at the Westside
YMCA three times a week. He once said to me, "Rod you can be a poet and
an athlete." Nope. I'm glad I chose my stronger suit and stuck with it.
On the other hand, Ali proved you could be an athlete and a poet. He
knew his priorities and strengths too.
I number among my friends several athletes, none closer to me over the
years than Jerry Kramer - who has always demonstrated not only the
ability to win on the football field but in life as well. I wrote the
forward to his & Dick Shapps' book "Farewell To Football" and a year
later compiled a book of quotes by athletes and coaches of every sport
entitled "The Will To Win." The Dedication read "To Jerry and to the
sportswriters whose stories begin my day, every day, no matter where I
am in the world.
Great athletes, winning or losing can teach all of us a lot about living
a good life and working hard at what we choose to work at. Think it out.
If you want to swim get in the water. Train, be prepared. Always expect
and assume you will win. If you lose get back in the water right away.
Charles Bothner said, "To say I fence for the fun of it would be a lie.
I fence to win. Everybody who engages in any activity - sport or non
sport – is out to win?" Think about it, all there is to winning in any
profession is a little more preparation and confidence than the other
guy. Hey, I went five rounds with Ingmar before I was flattened. Of
course we were just playing around. Call me King of Denial but I refuse
to believe he pulled his punches.
Here’s Sonja Henie with the last word, "Winning is like taking a
vacation."
- from the introduction to The Will To Win, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1971.
Revised 1998, 2005.
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on the Stanyan House logo to buy Rod McKuen books, CD's and lots more
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Catch Rod McKuen live!
Click on the links below for details of
concerts and appearances.
ROD McKUEN
CONCERTS
ROD
McKUEN APPEARANCES
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Thursday 1 September
Box Car Willie o
Johnny Mack Brown o
Edgar Rice Burroughs o
Yvonne De Carlo o
Wyatt Cooper o
Alan Dershowitz o
Gloria Estefan o
F.X. Feeney o
Vittorio Gassman o
Barry Gibb o
Engelbert Humperdinck o
George Maharis o
Rocky Marciano o
Dr. Phil McGraw o
Marilyn Miller o
Ron O’Neal o
Seiji Ozawa o
Walter Reuther o
Leonard Slatkin o
Lily Tomlin o
Conway Twitty o
Don Wilson
Friday
2 September
Laurindo Almeida o
Cleveland Amory o
Romare Beardon o
Terry Bradshaw o
Mary Jo Catlett o
Marge Champion o
Liam Clancy o
Jimmy Connors o
Allen Drury o
Tom Glazer o
Mark Harmon o
Salma Hayck o
Erin Hershey o
Lennox Lewis o
Christa McAuliffe o
Martha Mitchell o
Hugo Montenegro o
Linda Purl o
Keanu Reeves o
Victor Spinetti o
Peter Ueberroth o
Giovanni Verga |
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In
its comprehensiveness love and compassion embrace both success and
failure.
Much as I dislike good-byes, I hate
indifference more.
The quality of the moment is more important
than the number of our days.
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STILL LIFE WITH RUBBER WASHER |
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Don't know when
I'll be back,
she said;
don't forget to tape
'The
Colby’s'
and any thirties movies
you think I haven't seen.
Cats need their shots
in two
weeks.
It's only a splinter
in Drago's paw,
just coffee stains on the rug,
soap and water will lift them,
merely a crank
who calls the second line
and disconnects.
Kitchen faucet only needs
a washer,
don't call the plumber,
pick one up at Koontz'.
Ticket for the cleaning
is under the sugar bowl
in the
kitchen.
I know you won't worry
about me
but don't anyway -
(this part of the note
was an afterthought).
And I thought
after reading it
that she forgot to say,
Have a nice day,
write if you get work,
hang by your thumbs,
take off five pounds,
don't take any wooden
Susan B. Anthony dollars.
Sure
everybody thinks about
dying.
It's only another progression
each of us is moving to.
She forgot to remind me
about changing the baking soda
in the ice box,
watering the fichus,
turning the porch light on,
an hour earlier.
Vote, she said.
Don't bleach printed T-shirts,
write your congressman,
pray-
Only lately have I thought about
dying alone.
Won't mind it much,
I don't think,
not much choice.
Could have done things
differently or better.
Could have prepared,
taken out different insurance,
put a few bucks in the bank,
treated the kids
a little better;
listened to them more.
I could have
gotten over you,
before you got over me,
or could I.
Sure,
and it's not too late
to rethink life.
Maybe after I've pulled
the thorn
from Drago's paw,
and picked up the cleaning.
-from "Intervals," 1986 |
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