Margaret’s Song

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  There was a king in Thule,  True even to the grave;  To whom his dying mistress  A golden beaker gave.  At every feast he drained it,  Naught was to him so dear,  And often as he drained it,  Gush’d from his eyes the tear.  When death came, unrepining  His cities o’er he told;  All to his heir resigning,  Except his cup of gold.  With many a knightly vassal  At a royal feast sat he,  In yon proud hall ancestral,  In his castle o’er the sea.  Up stood the jovial monarch,  And quaff’d his last life’s glow,  Then hurled the hallow’d goblet  Into the flood below.  He saw it splashing, drinking,  And plunging in the sea;  His eyes meanwhile were sinking,  And never again drank he. “Margaret’s Song” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) in “Faust. Part I.”

10 People Who Influenced My Life

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  1. My Father, who formed in me the discipline of organization. 
  2. One former boss (who shall remain unnamed), who was the text-book anti-model of leadership.
  3. John Maxwell, positive leadership influencer.
  4. John Michael Talbot. Monk, musician. Shepherd. His music calmed my soul.
  5. Dr. and Mrs. Wilson, ( my Grandparents) who showed me there’s a bigger world out there with people who need love, help. They modeled consistency.
  6. Mrs. Llewelyn, who nurtured my love for music by making me mixed tapes of music to study over summer breaks. Those pieces have become my favorites.
  7. My Step-mother. She got me to all my private lessons and rooted for my success—even when I didn’t know it.
  8. Rick, who introduced me to CrossFit. I bless him and curse him.
  9. Edgar Allan Poe. Rewarding the hours and hours of reading with questions and goosebumps. 
  10. Marcus Aurelius, by leaving himself notes and reminders to be wise, strong, just, and courageous.

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