I can't image a life without music and song. A good song can heat up your emotions. It can promise greatness. It can fill your mind with creative thoughts. It can inspire you to greater achievement and success. When a good song is matched with good lyrics, it can talk to your soul.

"Every man has his daydreams Every man has his goal People like the way dreams have Of sticking to the soul."
-- Corner of the Sky by Stephen Schwartz

In the fall of 1973 I found myself in Philadelphia with a little time to kill. I was there for corporate training, but had finished. Everyone flew home except Ed and I. He had been to New York once. I had never been there. We decided to travel the short distance to New York City and enjoy ourselves.

We visited Macy's department store where I bought my wife perfume. We stayed at the Waldorf-Astoria. We ate at a fancy fondue restaurant, which was the current rage. We attended a Broadway show and finished off the evening at The Playboy Club. That one day in New York cost me more than I could afford, but as the saying goes, the memories are priceless.

The Broadway show was Pippin starring John Rubenstein, Jill Clayburg, and Ben Verine. Pippin was a Bob Fosse musical. At the time I didn't know who Bob Fosse was, but I found out. I've grown to admire his dancing and direction. I had seen John Rubenstein and some of the dancers perform a number from the show on Johnny Carson, but that was all I really knew about the play.

The music was inspiring. I've always had self-confidence, but the music pumped me up, so I was like self-confidence on steroids. One of my songs was Corner of the Sky.

""Rivers belong where they can ramble Eagles belong where they can fly I've got to be where my spirit can run free Got to find my corner of the sky."
-- Corner of the Sky by Stephen Schwartz

I had completed a course in goal setting and at the time was president of the Tacoma Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees). I wanted to help humanity and accomplish great things. That song combined with the message of another song stuck with me. The other song was Extraordinary.

""When you're extraordinary You gotta do extraordinary things"
-- Extraordinary by Stephen Schwartz

I didn't return home and set the world on fire, but I did return home filled with fire. I'm not the king of the universe, but I have accomplished many things at home, in business and in the community.

Many times while I'm working I'll sing to myself the phrase "Rivers belong where they can ramble, eagles belong where they can fly" and then slip into "When you're extraordinary, You gotta do extraordinary things." I stop what I'm doing, and think back to my one day in New York City. Then I get back to the task at hand . . . and work and dream . . . a little harder.