Cliff Rule #45

Spurred by a conversation by my friend Ben earlier, I decided that Rule #45, albeit one of my crazier rules, was worth dedicating a posting to.

Ben, by the way, is the author over at The Pigskin Pathos. It's a great blog (It makes me want to read about sports ... You know how rare that is), and it was partially Ben's stalwart influence that gave me the idea to start a blog of my own. I thank you, sir.

Cliff Rule #45: Lyrics from musicals can be cited as precedent. It is also acceptable to quote musicals as long as you are not discovered.

I've always been enamored with musicals. Perhaps I live in a fantasy, but I like to see a reality where it's socially acceptable to burst into song with little to no provocation.

In the world of musicals, farmers and cowmen sing about disagreements, teens in Baltimore dance their way through civil rights, and street gangs all seem to have three years of jazz tap.

Fact: Dancing street gangs are the scariest.

Sure, singing about one's troubling issues does seem a bit disturbing, but it is any worse than how we do it in real life?

You look at the musicals of Stephen Sondheim and find a treasure trove of helpful hints for how to deal with life.

"Company" shows us the isolation found in modernity and that "alone" is not "alive." For someone like me who is surrounded by married friends and well-meaning Yente, the message of "Company" really seems to hit home.

Sondheim writes the thinking man's musical, but there is useful life advice to be taken from even the campiest of musicals.

"Damn Yankees" preaches that "You gotta have heart."

"The Music Man" shows us the problems of having our expectations set too high for a potential mate, as we know Marian the Librarian may have trouble finding that mix of "Paul Bunyan, St. Pat, and Noah Webster (she's) concocted for herself out her Irish imagination, her Iowa stubbornness, and her library full of books."

"Cats" ... I can't defend. Have Sir Lloyd Webber try to rationalize that one. I can't.

Control the cat population ... shoot Andrew Lloyd Webber.

On an almost daily basis, I use musical lyrics to emphasize a point or rationalize a strange view or belief. If you've known me for longer than a month, I can guarantee I've done this to you without you even having realized it. (Fact: I'm always pleasantly surprised when people do call me out on this. I'm also quite impressed with their musical theatre knowledge.)

So, if I start speaking in verse, assume Bock and Harnick, not Swift or Pope. It might be superficial or shallow thinking, but sometimes Comden and Green say it better than the Bard, or at least make it more relatable.

Even if you hate musicals, give them a try. Open your heart a little and you might be surprised to find that you, too, enjoy a world where life's problems can be wrapped up by the end of a song.

Find the songs in your day. Use music to embolden you or give you a sense of purpose.

Life's always interesting when it's done in song.