We spent the weekend visiting my Dad and his wife in Vermont. Over the years, they have become huge Mary Chapin Carpenter fans -- going to concerts and everything. (My Dad at a concert -- now there's an image.) I have never been much of a Carpenter fan myself, but it's hard not to respect her tremendous musical accomplishments, including several Grammies, country music awards, and platinum selling albums, all while retaining her somewhat unique musical style, a blend of country, folk, and other influences.

Not being a Carpenter aficionado, I was not sure what song lyric to select, but I kinda like the lyrics from "The Long Way Home" off of Time*Sex*Love. Here is the opening verse:

You could be this man, he's got it all worked out
To the nth degree, no fears, no doubts
He'll retire at thirty to his big-ass house next to the putting green
Now he's got a picture in his head of the perfect wife,
Their perfect children, their perfect life
Nothing wrong with that, coming home each night to his cul-de-sac of dreams
Funny now how it all went by so fast
One day he's looking over his shoulder at the past
When everybody had to go, had to be, had to get somewhere
How did he forget about what got him there

The full lyrics are available here.