One Step Up...

Two Steps Back

On his excellent and underrated album, Tunnel of Love, Bruce Springsteen has a song called "One Step Up (Two Steps Back). By no means an original concept, Springsteen manages to put his raspy blue collar version of reality on the phrase which by manner of ubiquity has lost much of its impact.

"Woke up this mornin' my house was cold; checked the furnace she wasn't burnin'
Went out hopped in my old Ford; hit the engine but she ain't turnin'
Givin' each other some hard lessons lately; we ain't learnin'
Same sad story that's a fact; one step up, 'n two steps back"

Not only do I feel that way sometimes, I feel that way right now. It is so easy to lose the big picture when you are focusing solely on the benchmarks of today. It is easy to focus on the frustrating job situation, or to fume over the car needing another expensive repair. What is hard is to remember that a marathon is 26 miles; and not every mile will be your best. It is important to keep in your memory that a couple miles ago you felt great and in a few miles you will again.

For the last ten minutes, I tried in vain to work a metaphor about canvas and paint. I couldn't make it work without sounding trite and forced. The song, which is about the breakup of his first marriage, ends with Springsteen singing: "... [W]e danced as the evening stars faded to black; one step up and two steps back."

At least my problems aren't matters of the heart. Just the normal minutiae of life. So in every life a little rain must fall, (a song by Queen, incidentally). Right now, my radar shows a good chance of that for a little while. But somewhere off in the distance, beyond my ability to see, are sunny days.

Let's just hope they aren't too far off. My credit card can't take much more of this!
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And Step Three

After lunch, my dear wonderful wife showed me the back sliding door is rotting away, being the victim of bad flashing, cheap construction and probably bad installation. Oh, Bother!

It never rains but it pours. Another great song said that. "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie.

"Pressure, it burns a building down, splits a family in two, puts people on the streets...
Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor
These are the days it never rains but it pours"

Amen.