My Life Through Music

https://youtu.be/xqF1P8Khnmw?si=qZju6rWPg9gwu6hs. - Howard Jones - "Like To Get To Know You Well."There are conversations... and then there are conversations that change the way you see people forever.In this episode of My Life Through Music, a Howard Jones song takes me back to a night in Germany when my friend "Sam" introduced me to a young woman named "Marianna."At first, it seemed like just another night out.But looking back, it became one of the greatest lessons I ever learned about meeting people, dating, listening, and building genuine human connection.We live in a world filled with texts, dating apps, social media, and endless small talk...but what if the real goal isn't simply getting someone's attention?What if it's truly getting to know them?Join me as I revisit that unforgettable night, reflect on the wisdom of great friends and mentors, and explore why Howard Jones' I'd Like To Get To Know You Well became the perfect soundtrack for one of the most meaningful conversations of my life.If you've ever wondered what it really means to connect with another human being...I hope this episode makes you think.Thanks for watching, and as always...Welcome to My Life Through Music.

There are certain people who walk into your life quietly… and somehow end up changing it completely. When we got stationed in Germany, our room was supposed to be temporary. Just three guys trying to figure things out far away from home. New country. New routines. New reality.Then one day, THIS guy shows up... Our fourth roommate. Now at first, he was just another soldier carrying a duffel bag through the door. But before getting him squared away, helping him unpack his gear… I asked him a simple question, “Did you bring any music from the States?”And I’ll never forget what happened next. He pours his duffel bag onto a bunk, and it was like somebody dumped out my entire personality out on it. Albums I loved. Bands I thought nobody else knew or liked. Songs that had already become part of my life. At that moment, something clicked.After we got all his uniforms, boots, and gear handled, we went out for a drink… and ended up talking the entire night. Music. Life. Home... Everything. And from that night forward, we were pretty much inseparable. What ever we ended up doing, good or bad... It was, "Never Enough!"Some friendships take years to build. Others happen in a single moment.And somehow… this song became part of My Life Through Music!This is "Never Enough." https://youtu.be/_aG8hk0c7i0?si=GnZuNPNQYn30T_7r - "Never Enough" - The Cure

This was the first weekend that we had where, as a Battery, we didn't have much going on... And, we were getting ready to go out to the field for about three weeks! So, we did what we felt was the only thing to do, and that was to PARTY!!!! And party we did. That weekend I met some more very cool people and was initiated into a cool ritual that included MUSIC!But after partying with a group of really cool guys, there was something missing, a true brother. Someone who I could experience this new country, its culture, and its people with. Someone who would get just as much out of this experience and opportunity as I would. As they say, "The Lord works in mysterious ways..." I didn't realize it yet, but that brother was already on his way there!https://youtu.be/8igvj3lrTz4?si=G09CMsI9jCdlaHNZ - "Empire" - QueensrÿcheReferenced Songs:https://youtu.be/FYX74wd6ff0?si=BvJpGHZYX2SJXqtl - "Queen of the Riech" Queensrÿchehttps://youtu.be/0DgRHUJKxVs?si=YskVcFwDs4UlCcTj - "Take Hold of the Flame" - QueensrÿcheOne Cool thing that my new friend from Prescott did was at the end of the night when it was his turn to choose a song, he said, this next one is for my new "Homeboy!" Then he played Anthrax's "Room for One More." Which I was honored by the compliment!https://youtu.be/hF5U_JKIBQQ?si=xz3jHE1yujSCS-Ss - Room For One More" AnthraxI do remember one of my other selections that night was "Rising Force" by Yngwie Malmsteen. 🤯https://youtu.be/uCVY4Zu_kqk?si=UizSjhjGntkpnczQ - "Rising Force" - Yngwie Malmsteen

B-Battery 3/35 FA... Werthiem, Germany. Late 1990- Early to mid 1992...When the doors of Bravo Battery closed behind me, a sound that I would get to know all too well and never forget, I KNEW that my life was about to change... once again!!!! I'm 54 years old, I've been in many different types of units in two different MOS's. I have served with, and have observed men who used many different leadership styles. Looking back, and I mean this with the fullest sincerity that I can humanly muster... My First Sergeant (I'll give him the nickname "Grim Reaper" which fits him exactly) in B-Battery 3/35 FA was the very embodiment of brutality wrapped in authority. He was mean, loud, and unrelenting. His very demeanor, along with his words cut deeper than the bark of his orders. His presence alone was enough to drain the air from a room. Compassion was a language he did not speak!! He seemed to delight in our pain, while physically and emotionally breaking us down as he thrived on pushing us past misery into exhaustion! It was as if our suffering was the fuel for his satisfaction. To this day, he stands as the meanest, most ruthless individual I have ever encountered on this planet.And yet… therein lay the paradox! I LOVED to HATE him! Why? Because hating him was easy. But at the same time, I HATED to RESPECT him! The reason that I respected him was because buried in that cruelty was an undeniable truth! As much as I hate to admit, he made me better! His torment forged my resilience, his harshness hammered weakness out of me, and his mercilessness carved strength where I didn’t know it existed. He was the monster I despised, BUT, also the fire that tempered me and played one of many HUGE roles in making me the person I am today. And I have to thank him for that...https://youtu.be/nBM1-DwjA8I?si=psRe8SGXBDzIjTU1 - "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)" - AC/DC

There’s a moment in basic training I’ll never forget! Not because of what ALMOST happened, but because of WHO stopped it from happening. I was fired up! My heart was pounding and my blood was hot. One of the other guys had pushed me way too far! The disrespect, the words, the attitude... everything! The whole thing was about to explode. I wasn’t even thinking, and at the moment, I didn’t care about consequences. I was ready to throw hands, and in basic, that could’ve meant getting recycled, losing rank (or which I had none), or worse. But just before I could swing, I felt two strong arms grab me from behind. It was one of my battle buddies! My friend from Nebraska who physically yanked me back. He didn’t just stop a fight, he saved me from making a huge mistake. One that could’ve changed everything. That’s what it means when someone has your back. It’s not just about stepping in when things go bad, it’s about stepping up when you’re about to go bad. It’s about knowing you’ve got someone who sees the bigger picture, who cares enough to keep you from doing something stupid! Having someone’s back means accountability, loyalty, and love in the form of tough truth. And in that moment, my friend had mine. https://youtu.be/zzoTITn7zC0?si=hQnYtzAIi0ZkjRY0 - Where I Come From - Montgomery Gentry