The one nut I had never been able to crack, though, was the contests they run to win a trip somewhere. It is usually tied to an artist promoting their tours and they make you work your way through a lot of levels for those...I usually never make it past the first level. Then, a couple of weeks ago I heard about a new contest they were doing (my ears perked up, of course)...a song writing contest. OK...Put Your Sweetheart in a Song and 5 folks will get concert tickets. Later, a grand prize winner would win a trip to Nashville to see a preview concert of Keith Urban. They had me at Tennessee. See, B has family out in TN- he had even spent a couple of summers on their farm as a boy. We got to go out and see them a few years ago, but that had been B's first time out there in about 25 years. With his Aunt in her 80s and with D growing up so fast, I really wanted to try to get us back out there for a visit. Now, a trip to TN was being waved in front of me like an oh so tempting treat.
A song writing contest, huh? Hmmm...I have been known to dabble in writing a poem here or there, so I decided to try. I wrote the lyrics to a song for B while driving to work one Friday morning. I sent it in and, lo and behold, was chosen as one of the 5 concert ticket winners- hooray! Except that, YIKES, now it meant I had to sing the song at the station and have it posted on the web for all the world to listen to and vote on!
I should like a leaf through the whole thing and couldn't be in the room when anybody listened to it (I would cringe at every flat note), but I did it! Now, I would love to be able to say that I was the best one out there, but I wasn't. There was a singer with a lovely voice, who could actually play piano and all too. I do, however, have wide circles of really supportive folks in my life (friends, family, work, D's school) who pulled out all the stops to make sure I got all the votes they could get me. More than that, they also were extraordinarily kind with their feedback and encouragement. All their efforts and e-mailing paid off- I won! From what I have gathered, it was VERY close...single digits kind of close.
But I finally did it- I won a trip! So, in June we will be headed out to visit B's family and experience something new in Nashville! I am so very excited, even though that's the extent of the details I know about the trip...because no matter what it is, it will be an adventure!
Oh, and for those who want to know, here is the song I wrote for B (judge kindly- there's a reason I am an engineer and not a singer/songwriter):
There are so many words
I could use to describe you
The man who hung the moon
But the words sit still
They can't move to reach you
'Cause I just can't find the tune.
Strong and wise,
Laughing and loving,
I find words to define what I see.
A friend and a brother,
A son and a father,
But where is the melody?
And I want to tell you
How much that I love you
But I can't find the rhythm to start
So hold me close,
Wrap your arms all around me
And I'll sing to the beat of our hearts.
I'll sing to the beat of our hearts.
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