Earlier this week my wife and I went to see James Taylor and his outstanding band, and it was fantastic. At 68 years old James is still as great a singer/songwriter/performer in his third act as he was in his first. Same silky voice, same “aw shucks” stage demeanour, same gracious engagement with his band and audience, same energy. A great example of what is possible in “the third act”. I have never met James Taylor and yet I owe a lot to him. Here’s why.

Way back in my first act, when I was in my mid-twenties, I was single, driven, and trying to make my way in the world. I had my share of relationships yet somehow had not been able to make any of them work in any “long-term” way. Many of my friends were settling down into committed relationships and I was starting to wonder why I could not seem to find that spark that created longevity with someone.

On a long weekend in May, I was heading out with one of my good friends for a weekend of fun and friendship. He, like myself was a big JT fan and he had just purchased a new JT cassette. (It is exactly with this kind of admission (a cassette!) that we “third actors” demonstrate our age). Anyway, we were travelling down the road, carefree and engaged, when the song, “Walk Down that Lonesome Road” came on over the airwaves.

“Walk down that lonesome road, all by yourself/don’t turn your head back over your shoulder/And only stop to rest your weary head when the silver moon/Is rising high above the sea/If I had stopped to listen once or twice/If I had closed my mouth and opened my heart/If I had cooled my head and warmed my heart/I’d not be on this road tonight.”

The song goes on from there and I remember with acute clarity how these words penetrated deep into my soul. I can still see myself, looking out the passenger window and thinking, “That will be me on that lonesome road if I don’t pay attention to just how self centred I can be.” Those lyrics came at an important time for me and gave me words for how I was feeling.

It wasn’t very long after that that I reconnected with a wonderful person that I had been friends with for a long time. We had even tried to become “a couple” during our friendship but it didn’t seem to stick. For the first time I began to understand why. So, after a few dates and with James’ lyrics ringing in my ears, I asked my friend if she would like to “push the boat back into the water” and become more than just friends. That special lady, Jeannie by name, became my wife and this summer we will celebrate our 34^th anniversary together. And to think it all started, or at least got re-started because of some words that James Taylor wrote for “whatever his reasons were”.

We never really know how our actions (or words in this case) will effect things. I’m sure James doesn’t set out to write songs thinking, “I wonder who will be impacted by these words” and yet I bet there are more people than just me who have had the trajectory of their lives altered because of something he wrote. And who knows, there might even be a few people who have been impacted by something I have said, or you have said. We don’t need to be world famous performers to make a difference. We all know that. Sometimes we just need to be reminded.

So, thanks James. Keep singing, keep writing, keep making a difference. I will too. (make a difference, that is).

Onward…