On Sunday nights, I
like to veg out on the couch with my family and watch something on TV to make
us laugh (meaning no sports, pawn shop reality shows, or the news).
We came
across a movie, right at the scene where a young boy watches his brother die after
an accident with a saw. Certainly not a
movie to make us laugh, but we were immediately drawn in to this biographical
movie based on the life of Johnny Cash.
Johnny Cash
was a great songwriter, as well as a singer.
He is said to have written over one thousand songs, a hundred of which
became hit singles. He also wrote a
historical fiction novel.
What really
interested me about his life story was his constant battle with temptations and
struggles. On his own, he failed so many
times to “walk the line” and balance his career with a stable home life. Yet through the grace of God, Johnny
Cash was able to use his own life sorrows to help
others through their own struggles.
He
identified with the underdog. For example, men in prison. His empathy for them, led him to write songs
about prison. He even worked on prison
reform in the early seventies. Johnny
Cash quoted:
“The Master
of Life's been good to me. He has given me strength to face past illnesses, and
victory in the face of defeat. He has given me life and joy where others saw
oblivion. He has given new purpose to live for, new services to render and old
wounds to heal.”
His
inspirational story brought me to this question. What does it mean for a writer to walk the
line?
Logically,
it means a writer who balances his or her career with a stable home life. But ultimately, if you have the ability to
take the passion and motivation inside you and turn it into words that identify
with even one reader—you walk the line.
~Marjorie DeVries
Good article, Marjorie. Thanks for the encouragement.
ReplyDeleteOne other note on Johnny -- I forget the title but he narrated a movie based on the life of Christ.
Another funner note. His sister-in-law Anita was singing a song in front of him that she co-wrote with Carl Perkins (who was also present). He told her, "Anita, I hope that song is a big hit for you. But if not, I'll do that song. And I'll put a trumpet with it." Carl couldn't picture a trumpet put to his ballad at that time. The name of that ballad? "Ring of Fire".
Jeff
Christ knows us inside and out, the victories and the failures. I'm so glad he's not fooled by appearances of success. Good post.
ReplyDeleteGood post, and now I'm thinking about what line I walk.
ReplyDelete