I Almost Forgot...Two More Things About My Magical Musical Weekend!

I almost forgot two very important things from Sunday. While I was rushing around getting ready for church on Sunday, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcast came on and I was catching bits and pieces of it. The guy that does that commentary each week started quoting a poem that I quite vividly remembered having to memorize at some point in my younger life! This one, along with the famous Daffodil poem, are probably the only ones I ever memorized. But it all came back as he was quoting it...

MYSELF

by Edgar A. Guest

I have to live with myself, and so,

I want to be fit for myself to know;

I want to be able as days go by,

Always to look myself straight in the eye;

I don't want to stand with the setting sun

And hate myself for the things I've done.

I don't want to keep on a closet shelf

A lot of secrets about myself,

And fool myself as I come and go

Into thinking that nobody else will know

The kind of man I really am;

I don't want to dress myself up in sham.

I want to go out with my head erect,

I want to deserve all men's respect;

But here in this struggle for fame and pelf,

I want to be able to like myself.

I don't want to think as I come and go

That I'm bluster and bluff and empty show.

I never can hide myself from me,

I see what others may never see,

I know what others may never know,

I never can fool myself- and so,

Whatever happens, I want to be

Self-respecting and conscience free.

And then, there's another song sung, and then the narrator says, "We close today's broadcast with a rousing nineteenth century hymn by Ebenezer Beesley, 'High On The Mountain Top'." How great is that to have Ebenezer be part of my magical musical weekend! For those that don't know, he's a great-great grandfather and was the composer for lots of hymns in our hymnbook. I often wonder what he thinks of these new renditions of his works. I bet he's thrilled! I'm really looking forward to when the Choir visits St. Louis this summer...it's gonna be good!