Hey Tomorrow

September 8, 2024

This blog is long overdue according to the four folks keeping track. Lots going on, both good and bad. Suffice it to say, my meaningless little attempt at wordsmithing has taken a back seat the last several months. That’s all changed because today I promised myself and my four fans that I would bang one out in a few hours without fail. So, here goes. Most people in my age group remember prolific and talented American folk and rock singer/songwriter, Jim Croce. I was a huge fan and bought all his albums. There weren’t many, because tragically he died in a plane crash in 1973. He was just 30 years old. His future was bright, and his fans had been given just a glimmer of his brilliance. In his all too brief career he gifted us with numerous critically acclaimed hits we thankfully still hear today: “Time in a Bottle,” “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,” “Operator,” “I Got a Name,” “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” and “I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song.” His songs covered the gamut from lighthearted to pensive. He was incredibly cerebral for a man so young and seemed to possess a calming and reflective view of what life had in store for him. The irony doesn’t escape me, especially when I talk about MY favorite Jim Croce song. It’s called “Hey Tomorrow” and I invite you to listen to it here assuming I posted the link correctly. To my knowledge it was not a big hit. It should have been, because I consider it one of his best works. Have a read below and I urge you to have a listen too. His singing sounds a bit melancholy, and yet his message is one of hope and optimism, despite the slightly plaintive tune. Every time I listen, I am haunted by his voice and by what could have been for this 30-year-old man who died too soon.

Hey tomorrow, where are you goin’?
Do you have some room for me?
’Cause night is fallin’ and the dawn is callin’
I’ll have a new day if she’ll have me

Hey tomorrow, I can’t show you nothin’
You’ve seen it all pass by your door
So many times I said I’ve been changin’
Then slip into patterns of what’s happened before

’Cause I’ve been wasted and I’ve over-tasted
All the things that life gave to me
And I’ve been trusted, abused and busted
And I’ve been taken by those close to me

Hey tomorrow, you’ve gotta believe that
I’m through wastin’ what’s left of me
’Cause the night is fallin’ and the dawn is callin’
I’ll have a new day if she’ll have me

’Cause I’ve been wasted and I’ve over-tasted
All the things that life gave to me
And I’ve been trusted, abused and busted
And I’ve been taken by those close to me

Hey tomorrow, where are you goin’?
Do you have some room for me?
’Cause the night is fallin’ and the dawn is callin’
I’ll have a new day if she’ll have me

I’ll have a new day if she’ll have me

“I’ll have a new day if she’ll have me.” To me this is a lament for the past but also the realization that looking toward a future without regrets is the healthiest way to live. God knows (as well as a lot of people who know me are well aware and some are happy to remind me) that I have screwed up royally on several occasions. I can’t change it. I can only learn to do better. And so do the people I care about.

The adage, “life happens” really “holds water.” And that water either drips at a constant agonizingly monotonous pace, or it pours out in a gush when least expected. “Hey tomorrow.” What do I say to my dear friend who lost her 48-year-old son in a tragic accident? Parents are not supposed to outlive their children. It upsets the natural order of things and all the platitudes in the world won’t ease her unimaginable pain. But she knows she has support from so many. That will never change. “Hey tomorrow.”

What do I say to my friend who is twenty years younger than I, battling terminal cancer? It’s just not fair. But she never despairs; she keeps living her life with a huge smile. It’s contagious. I want to be like her when I grow up. “Hey tomorrow.”

What do I say to someone very close to me, for whom I would give my life, who is going through a painful, personal challenge? This person says, “Hey tomorrow” and rises to the challenge every single day and makes me proud. You’ve got this and tomorrow looks bright!!! “Hey tomorrow.”

What do I say to my 48-year-old dentist who almost decided not to have that highly recommended medical test, because “I’m busy, hate the prep, and have no family history?” Guess what? Cancer!!! Thankfully, he will be fine, thanks to his persistent wife. My guess is he will be humming the lyrics to that song and many others for years to come as he watches his two young boys grow up. “Hey tomorrow.”

When one gets to “a certain age” the reality of their mortality slaps them in the face, and it can be a bit of a shock. You can choose to whine about not having a lot of time left on the calendar or you can embrace the fact that you have this wonderful thing called time and make the most of it. Don’t sit on the sofa and watch television. Get up and go! Because life is indeed moving along and girlfriend it is NOT at a snail’s pace whether you are 24 or 74. I am blessed with so much. I am choosing to approach what’s left of my life with a smile and gratefulness. And you might hear me humming a certain Jim Croce song from time to time—with no regrets.

’Cause the night is fallin’ and the dawn is callin’
I’ll have a new day if she’ll have me

NOTE to my four fans: I promise you I am NOT getting all soft and mushy. I KNOW that I have not produced a seriously snarky, humorous, and borderline offensive blog in some time. Please bear with me. The widow and all her demented wordsmithing is still in here. Thanks for your patience.