After we knew he was sick, but before the worst of the
symptoms would soon enough appear, Gary slid into the driver’s seat of his
compact SUV and looked across at me. The mischievous grin, I knew, signaled
that whatever was to come next was intentional, as he pushed a dull silver disc
into the waiting CD player on the dash and pulled away from the curb.
Springsteen’s plaintive acoustic guitar and lonely harmonica
conjured up the ghost of old Hank Williams. I’d heard the song before, but never
really paid attention to the lyrics. Now as we drove down the tree-lined streets
of Boise’s North End, I knew right away that the words were meant for me.
Funny…
I would have said the same things of Gary:
“Well they built the Titanic to be one of a kind,
but many ships have ruled the seas
They built the Eiffel Tower to stand alone,
but they could build another if they please
Taj Mahal, the pyramids of Egypt, are unique I suppose
But when they built you, brother, they broke the mold
Now the world is filled with many wonders
under the passing sun
And sometimes something comes along
and you know it's for sure the only one
When they built you, brother, they turned dust into gold
When they built you, brother, they broke the mold
They say you can't take it with you,
but I think that they're wrong
'Cause all I know is I woke up this morning,
and something big was gone
Gone into that dark ether
where you're still young and hard and cold
Just like when they built you, brother, they broke the mold
Now your death is upon us
and we'll return your ashes to the earth
And I know you'll take comfort in knowing
you've been roundly blessed and cursed
But love is a power greater than death,
just like the songs and stories told
And when she built you, brother, she broke the mold
That attitude's a power stronger than death,
alive and burning her stone cold
When they built
you, brother...”
("Terry's Song," by Bruce Springsteen)