Dear Art: We know that friendship and love changes through time. The initial excitement wears off, the discoveries become less frequent, and we start repeating ourselves. How many times have I told my kids the same old story? As they've grown up, they've been kind enough not to say, "Daaaad! you've already told us that story!!" If anything is repetition and familiarity, it is folk music. We wouldn't have all this beautiful music if we hadn't repeated it endlessly. I agree 100% with Steve on this one. What is boringly familiar for some, is exciting for someone else. For every exhausted stretch of land, there is an unplowed field.

But, what we lose through the years in excitement and discovery, we gain in understanding and shared times. I like Steve's excitement. May we never cease to find excitement in our lives. I have a dear friend of mine named Art, who has always signed his letters, "Ain't life grand!," or "Amazing!" You are a great wealth to all of us, Art, and not just musically. When newcomers like myself and Steve request lyrics to a song that might already be in the Digitrad it's because we want the stories.. We want to share the music with the people who know it in their heart as well as in their mind. It's a way to get to know people, and get to know the music on a deeper level than lyrics and chord changes. And if someone is hurting, or frustrated with something in their life that can't be reduced to the lyrics to a song, this is a good place to find strength and encouragement. We all need that. We all need you, Art. I know I do.

Your old pal, Jerry