Unmanly

I have discovered that the myth of losing your man-card at marriage is just that, a myth. You still have one. However, it is now a punch card, so you need to be much more careful about how often you utilize your manly rights.

I opened with this because my computer has been down for a week. Hence the extended silence on here. Not only is it inconvenient, but it makes me feel deprived of my manly freedoms. Yes, I still have access to a computer, but it is Diane's and it is in the living room.

So, when I use it, I have to compete with four other people that want to be on it at the same time. When I finally tell them that it is my turn, everyone wants to see what I am doing, make noise, etc. etc. No, I do not have it that bad, but it is inconvenient and feels less manly than when my own computer is up and running.

So, to salve my feelings, I am remembering another activity I was involved in that others might consider unmanly:

I was in the High School Choir

(In my defense, I also played football, was in wrestling one year, ran track one year, played baseball and had a bike)

Yes, from the 9th to the 12th grade, I was in the choir. And I liked it. And here are some random references to that class -

- In the 9th and 10th grade, Mr. Philo was our teacher. Mr. Philo used to get very frustrated with us and his face would turn red. Once I remember him yelling "GOD......." and then, not wanting to swear in front of us, adding a ".....BLESS YOU ALL." But, he did a great job of introducing us to different styles of music and challenging us in our singing.

- The band teacher taught the class for one year. I liked him, but I am still not sure how that happened.

- The teacher who started during my senior year used to coach rock vocalists so they could do their thing without ruining their voices. I am not that grand of a singer, but I can still boom out some noise and not hurt my voice.

- For our senior holiday concert thingy, the teacher had some guy names Jeff Sack sing with us. I next saw him in Tucson touring with Rich Mullins, a popular "christian" recording artist at the time. I reminded him that I sang with him in McCook, but he didn't ask me on stage.

- We went to State competitions with our choir. Who even knew there was such a thing.

Diane is out shopping now, so hopefully my using this thing to make this post doesn't result in another hole punched in my man card. I will leave you with the lyrics to one of the songs we did at state (with only the males) when the band guy was the teacher:

Soldiers’ Chorus (from Faust)

Glory and love to the men of old,
Their sons may copy their virtues bold,
Courage in heart and a sword in hand,
Yes, ready to fight or ready to die for Fatherland.

Who needs bidding to dare by a trumpet blown?
Who lacks pity to spare, when the field is won?
Who would fly from a foe, if alone or last?
And boast he was true, as coward might do, when peril is past?
Glory and love to the men of old, their sons may copy their virtues bold.

Courage in heart and sword in hand,
Ready to fight for Fatherland.
Now home again, we come, the long and fiery strife of battle over.
Rest i pleasant after toil, as hard as ours beneath a stranger sun.
Many a maiden fair is waiting here to greet her truant soldier lover,
And many a heart will fail, and brow grow pale to hear the tale of peril he has seen.
We are at home