Most of the songs on Long Time Gone were written either retrospectively or forward-looking in their lyrical approach. This Time I’m Gonna Make It however, breaks that mold. For it is the only song on the album that was actually written about the here and now (verse #1) while at the same time looking both backward (verse #2) as well as forward (verse #3).

As a young man in his 20’s, I don’t think I was prepared at that time for a serious career in music. My focus back then was on starting a family and building a career in advertising. Pursuing my love for music seemed to me to be a somewhat speculative venture given the responsibilities I was about to take on as both husband and hopefully, soon-to-be dad. More importantly however, I was not yet convinced of my abilities as a songwriter. I had only begun writing what I considered to be minimally competent music in my early twenties and I was not yet convinced that my music writing skills was something I could depend upon long-term.

Contrast the above with today. With a lifetime of personal and professional experiences now registered in my life’s ledger coupled with several decades of writing music, my confidence level moving forward has never been greater. Today, I feel that the wood that stands as my life’s foundation has aged well and I am much more prepared emotionally and creatively for this new chapter in my somewhat eclectic life. As declared in Christian scripture, “There is a season,… turn, turn, turn…”

But life is a series of dynamic yet finite stages, chapters that have a beginning, middle and end; thus the lyrics in This Time I’m Gonna Make It, “No time can last forever.” And therein is one of the major challenges facing all of us in life… knowing when the time is right to begin life’s next chapter and understanding that, no matter what may happen… good or bad… it too will eventually end. So make the best of the time you have been given. Work hard to achieve your personal and professional goals. And enjoy the experience while you can. I know I will.