Don't Take the Free Ride

I know a lot of people really hate Nickelback, though I don't really understand why. Whatever. Their song, "If Today Was Your Last Day" written by Chad Kroeger, from the album Dark Horse (2008), has a great deal of resonance for me. Here are the lyrics if you don't know it:

My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each day's a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had, if today was your last day?
What if, what if, if today was your last day?

Against the grain should be a way of life
What's worth the price is always worth the fight
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try
So live like you're never living twice
Don't take the free ride in your own life

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?

And would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you're dreaming of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you'd finally fall in love if today was your last day?

If today was your last day
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?
You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are

So do whatever it takes
'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life
Let nothing stand in your way
'Cause the hands of time are never on your side

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?

And would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you're dreaming of
Swear up and down to God above
That you'd finally fall in love if today was your last day?

Some people might think that it's rather trite, but there's one line in particular that rings like a bell in my head: "Don't take the free ride in your own life." That single line makes me want to be better, do more, be daring, take risks. If you spend all your time analyzing if something will work, you may never actually find out if it does.

There's about 90 in that pile. I don't remember when I started saving them.

I've been saving fortune cookie fortunes for years, with no real clear idea of what I wanted to do with them, but saving them nonetheless. Now I know. If you read the lyrics, some of them are short and pithy: "live like you're never living twice," "it's never too late to shoot for the stars," "the hands of time are never on your side." Don't those sound a little like fortunes? Here's some from my cookies: "Rely on your own good judgement to lead you to success." "Nothing in the world is accomplished without passion." "Be quicker of mind than of tongue."

As I was poking through them, I noted that there are some duplicates, and I suppose I could omit them, but I don't think that I need to or should. I'd be astonished if there aren't more, given my horrid habit of stashing things everywhere, but this is the majority of them, and I think sufficient for what I have in mind. I'm going to take that single, resonating line and superimpose it over a canvas covered with fortunes. The size of the canvas will be dictated by the number of fortunes, but it looks like I have enough to cover an area 14x18 inches (leaving some space between fortunes), and leave space at the edge for framing.

Unfortunately, I have really lousy handwriting. (Really. Lousy. Handwriting. People have asked me if I was a doctor upon seeing my signature -- true story!) Putting a paintbrush in my hand isn't going to make me a calligrapher, so I may attempt to recreate the above text with cardstock and an X-acto knife. Dunno, I'll see when I get there.

Also, I will be at the Salt Fork River Art Festival again this year, at the Sleepy Creek Vineyards in Fairmount, Illinois (just outside Oakwood, in east central Illinois). It's a lot of fun, there are lots of wonderful artists and artisans, live entertainment and demonstrations, plus... WINE!