Episode summary introduction:

This podcast episode delves into the profound notion that no individual should traverse the labyrinth of life in solitude. TC and Mad Dog illuminate the significance of companionship during both triumphant and challenging times, asserting the necessity for direction amidst adversity. Through the exploration of various lyrical narratives from TC's literary work, "Esprit De Corpse," we endeavor to intertwine music with personal experiences, thereby revealing the intricate connections that underpin our lives. The discussion extends to the realms of leadership and the pivotal role of vision, encapsulating how these elements shape our existence. Ultimately, we invite our listeners to embark on this enlightening journey with us, as we confront life’s complexities through the lens of music and shared experiences.

Topics discussed in this episode:

The episode continues to explore the profound connection between music and the human experience, particularly in the realms of adversity and leadership. Commencing with a resonant thought for the day—'You better, better your best'—the speakers, TC and Mad Dog, invite listeners to ponder the mantra's deeper implications as a guiding principle for personal growth.

The conversation swiftly transitions to the concept of adversity, wherein the speakers draw from the lyrical content of Jimmy Rankin's evocative song 'Lost.' This song serves as a poignant metaphor for life's tumultuous journeys, exemplifying the notion that during periods of turmoil, music can act as a source of solace and direction. The speakers articulate the universality of facing challenges and the necessity of seeking support, whether from loved ones or through the resonant power of music.

As the dialogue progresses, the focus shifts towards the theme of leadership, with the speakers examining the qualities that constitute effective leadership. Through the lens of Don Henley's 'Learn to Be Still,' they dissect the responsibilities and attributes of leaders, emphasizing the critical need for authenticity and empathy. The conversation draws upon personal anecdotes and reflections on various leaders encountered throughout their professional trajectories, positing that true leadership transcends mere authority and encompasses the ability to inspire and uplift others. This segment of the episode serves to underscore the importance of having leaders who genuinely resonate with their followers, thereby fostering an environment conducive to growth and collaboration.

In conclusion, the episode invites listeners to engage in introspection regarding their own life soundtracks, positing that music is not merely an auditory experience but a profound narrative that shapes our identities. The speakers advocate for the exploration of one’s personal musical journey, urging listeners to recognize the emotive power of lyrics and melodies in articulating their individual stories. The episode leaves an indelible impression, emphasizing the necessity of living in the moment and cherishing the experiences that music encapsulates.

Walkabout takeaways:

1. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on significant moments in their lives that music has soundtracked and influenced.
2. Adversity is an inescapable aspect of human existence, with the podcast delving into how individuals cope with it.
3. Leadership is scrutinized, particularly regarding the qualities that truly define an effective leader in various contexts.
4. The discussion highlights the imperative of having a vision and a dream to guide one's life and decisions.
5. The hosts invite listeners to explore how the lyrics of songs can evoke powerful memories and emotions related to their personal journeys.

To get your very own copy of “Esprit De Corpse” visit Amazon or any online book store:

“Esprit De Corpse”

More about E-Walkabout:

To learn more about Electronic Walkabout visit us at www.ewalkabout.ca.

If you want to read more “Thoughts of the Day” check out TC’s Book at Amazon:

“St. Mike's Fortunes”

A special thanks to Steven Kelly, our technical advisor, who keeps trying to teach these old dogs new tricks when it comes to sounds and recording!!

“Remember to take advantage of the moment before the moment takes advantage of you!”

“Lost”-Jimmy Rankin, 2011

https://genius.com/Jimmy-rankin-lost-lyrics

“Learn to be Still”-Eagles, 1994

https://genius.com/Eagles-learn-to-be-still-lyrics

“Mission”-Rush, 1989

https://genius.com/Rush-mission-lyrics

“Sympathy for the Devil”-The Rolling Stones, 1968

https://genius.com/The-rolling-stones-sympathy-for-the-devil-lyrics

“Dream on”-Aerosmith, 1973

https://genius.com/Aerosmith-dream-on-lyrics

“I Wanna Be That Song”-Brett Eldredge, 2016

https://genius.com/Brett-eldredge-wanna-be-that-song-lyrics

“Days Go By”-Keith Urban, 2004

https://genius.com/Keith-urban-days-go-by-lyrics

Electronic Walkabout. No one should have to walk through life alone. We share the good times, the bad times, and the best times.

Everyone needs a little direction now and again. And TC and Maddog are here to show you the way. A podcast where we talk about the important things in life. Come journey with us, the Electronic Walkabout.

Welcome back, listeners, for part two, where TC and Mad Dog continue to share the lyrics and songs of TC's book, Esprita Corpse. But for first is always a thought for the day. You better, better your best. Not just lyrics in a song, a mantra to grab to.

Chapter 8 in the book is on adversity. And adversity is something that people deal with on a. On a daily basis in ebbs and flows. Of course, that's because that's the way life is.

Not overly.

Are you familiar with the Rankins? The Rankin family? So he's a member of the Rankin family, plays with them, and this is one of his solo albums. Okay. And I'll.

I'll just share some of the lyrics with that. When you're lost on a stormy ocean being tossed I'll swim to you at any cost I'll help you find a way around when you're down.

Nice. A guiding light, if you will.

Yeah, that's exactly what it is. So like you.

And if you want to take that, that analogy to life, like, there's going to be times when, when you're going to face that adversity and you're looking for that as that shining light to somehow bring you back into shore, back into reality, back into where that adversity is, is. Is no longer there. Right.

So it's interesting. So these songs now represent chapters in your book. So when you hear them just randomly playing, does it put you right into your book?

Or like, what's the. How does that connection work?

As.

As far as the trigger, I. I'd say it reminds me of the book, but then I'd have to go visit the chapters again because, like, quite frankly, for me to think about what I wrote 10 years ago. Right. But generally speaking, I could say, yeah, I get that. Yeah.

Because to your point earlier, I think, you know, with songs that we've come attached to, you always kind of know where you were and either who you were with when a certain song plays. Right. Because they get etched in your. Your memory and sometimes like, oh, I remember when this came out, I was here, or Whatnot.

So just interesting how those lyrics take that same. Or those songs take that same approach to, you know, markers in your book and remembering when you wrote that and how it appl.

For sure. For sure. Okay, so chapter nine is on leadership, and I chose the leader of the pack.

No, no, it's actually a Don Henley song and it's called Learn to Be Still. I'll just carry on with the lyrics. So we wander around this desert and wind up following the wrong God's home.

But the flock cries out for another and more and more starry eye messiah meets a violent farewell.

So a lot of times with these lyrics, I mean, obviously you have to read all of the lyrics, but you can pull out lyrics and grab your own meaning from. Sure.

And this one, considering that the topic is leadership and how many times that there's those people that are in that leadership position and literally just are not the right people, number one. Or they get eaten up by the people they're trying to follow. And really it begs the question, are they the right person that are truly a leader?

So that whole, like, following and one more starry died messiah, and I say that one more starry died leader needs a violent farewell. So if you're not the right one, don't go there.

Yeah. So stay in your lane.

Stay in your lane. For sure. And I just thought that set the stage nicely for. If you're going to talk about leadership. Yeah.

Because, you know, I think everybody can relate to over the course of your own personal careers, how many different bosses you have along the way and the ones that you like, the ones that you didn't like, the ones you saw as a leader and not so interesting.

Yeah. Chapter 10, the sky is the Limit. So we did an episode, you and I, not too long ago on visionaries.

So this chapter kind of explores that a little bit more in depth and the importance of having a vision, having a dream. And it makes me laugh because I'll tell you, tell you, seeing that dream come to fruition, I'm laughing inside because there is.

There is someone that I know that. That didn't say fruition. They said fruition constantly. Like, it almost makes sense. Right. The dream is coming to fruition. Sure. Because when.

When it's right. Right.

It's a. Yeah.

So the proper term is fruition, but it always starts with that vision.

Hold your fire, Keep it burning bright hold the flame till the dream ignites. With a.

Interesting. You know what's funny? And I'll be the first to admit, I'm not saying this intention. You're slightly older than me and I.

We fell into different genres of music. Like my classic rock's different than your classic rock. Right. So it's. It's. I think a lot of these are. Are just before my time.

Just a little like I've heard most of them, but. Yeah, I didn't.

Do you realize some of this is my dad's music too? Say you feel bad. Wow.

Okay. So anyways. But yeah, interesting. So. Because obviously I know the. The bands, but yeah, the lyrics might be. Lost it.

Have you heard of Rush?

Rush. I've heard for sure.

Yeah. Okay, good. Good to hear. I know what you're saying. It's. It's funny you say that about classic rock. I was watching a special on. And.

And the question was, what is classic rock? Because your classic rock wouldn't be my classic rock. And when you think about classic rock, it's. It's almost like it should be etched in stone.

No, this is classic, but it's not. No, it's to the listener. It's. To the listener, it's. It's made perhaps on a continuum, depending on your. Your generation. So crazy, right?

So I'd hate to ask what my.

Some versions of classic Rockies would we say Nirvana?

Yeah, well, actually, yeah, that could be.

Yeah.

Yeah. Fair. And there are certain bands that can span over decades that would be many people's different classic routes.

And just in my defense, as much as these songs, I kind of. I'm all over the place with the music. It doesn't matter. Like, I've been listening to a lot of Hootie and the Blowfish. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I like him while he was that. And then when he transformed into Darius Rucker in country.

Yeah, for sure. So chapter 11, like, I call it Policing at the Speed of Light.

And I didn't have a Chapter 11, Policing at the Speed of Light originally until it went to the publisher and the publisher came back to me. Can you kind of write a chapter on policing and the Internet?

Interesting.

Yeah. And I said, yeah, I think I can do that. So what it. What it really meant to me is that some of the stories I Shared on that is that.

And we all know, let's take policing out of the equation, but when you go on the Internet and you send an email, you send a pic, it's there for eternity, whether you like it or not. And when you think about the whole law enforcement, you're going to be a role model. That means your image has to be pristine. So that means.

And we see a lot of times in the sporting world where someone's been silly enough to put a post on a blog, a tweet, and Instagram, and next thing you know, it's inappropriate and done them damage that they can't fix.

Careers are lost.

Yeah. So what I did was. And you might be familiar with this band, okay. And I'm not even going to say they're. They're.

Okay.

And I'll explain why in a second, but I'll just read the lyrics. Pleased to meet you. Hope you guessed my name. Oh, yeah. Hoo hoo. I can't. I'm not Mick. Okay. Yeah. Okay. But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game.

Oh, yeah. Get down, baby. So think about this for a second. And if you listen to this song, obvious, it's the devil.

So what I do is I liken the Internet to the devil. Okay. Because you don't know, right, what you're throwing out there, but it's going to come back to bite you.

And if it comes back to bite you, that's the devil.

Yes. Interesting. Yeah, that was a good tie in. Yeah, that's a scary one. See, the old Internet usage these days.

Chapter 12 is on fools and sages.

Now, fools and sages, really what I'm talking about is these people that somehow appear in your life, you can call through karma or whatever it is, and they bring something to your life. And I'll say more in the context of sages, these people that are role models.

And you're looking for these role models, like you say, they just appear. And of course, I talk about my dad as being one of my sages, and Magdi Conant is one of my sages. And I have a story.

We could even do a whole episode on Magdi. But I'll briefly explain to you how I met the man.

But when I was being transferred down to the lower mainland to work on the homicide team, at one point, we decided we're going to settle in Chilliwack. And until our house was finished, we had to Find a place to live and you can relate to this, Magn. So I found a basement suite.

And of course, it was Magdi's basements. We, we were renting from him. But when I went to see if the unit was available, it was like a job interview. Okay. To see whether.

Yeah, I would.

And he, and he told me, well, you know, like, when I, When I'm, like, gonna rent you, I'm trying to figure out whether we could be friends or not. I'm thinking, okay, wait a sec.

Yeah. I'm not looking for buddies.

I'm not looking for buddies. Yeah. During, during the time I would get to know this guy. He. Olympic fencer, a pilot, a, a, an engineer, sports psychologist. And I can go on and on.

I'll tell you a quick story, but I can go on. On. But like, the first time I heard all this, what. What would you say? BS yes. It's all true. All true. Even to the point where there's one time.

No, I was.

There was a bit of a. What's that?

I was one at the time.

Oh. But if it. And maybe you can do some homework on this. There's a movie called Munich, Right.

There was an incident that occurred during the games where people were taken hostage, and it was a bit of a terrorist thing. So I go over and I just, I finished watching the movie. I said, hey, Magd, do you ever hear this, this movie? He said, well, I was there.

I'm thinking, okay. Well, made sense to me because as I look in his office, there's a great big picture of the opening games in Munich. Right. So that.

Yeah, but he said, I, I, I ran out and I, I laid in the. Basically in the grassy knoll and I watched the whole thing unfold.

Oh, my God.

He said, my coaches were so pissed at me. Really? Yeah.

But, wow, that sounds like a life that's made up of a lot of stories.

Yes. Even to the point where he said that the KGB used to follow him around. Oh, wow. So I never did ask if he was a spy.

Yeah.

He wouldn't tell me if he did.

Sure.

He would have to kill me.

Right, Exactly. So now, do you think crossing paths with him was fate?

Well, he seems to think so.

Okay.

Yeah. Karma. He likes to use the word karma. He says we don't run across people without. Without a reason. So getting back to what the. What the.

And the stuff that I learned from, from the man is priceless. So, yeah, you just go up there and you. You want to somehow tap into this. This wealth of knowledge. But he grew up in Egypt. Wealthy family.

His dad was a lawyer, I believe his brother's lawyer sister'. But no.

Wow.

He. He had a. His own drum. He wanted.

He did all the adventures for all of them combined.

I do.

I got to ask. Yeah, I know.

Fair.

Yeah. Okay. Dream on. Okay. You're familiar with that song? Yep. Yeah. Okay. You sing better than I do. Right. But. And some of the lyrics.

Half my life in books written pages like Live and learn from fools and from sages. You know, it's true. All the things you do come back to you. So I pick out that fools and sage, and he helps to bring that whole story to life again.

I need to pay more attention to lyrics.

Yeah.

Sell the songs, but don't pay attention to lyrics.

Okay. So I've got basically one more chapter I want to share with you. And then, of course, the epilogue. And then if you. You can.

You can see where I've gone with this.

And I do have something for another book that it's going to kind of bubble up probably in the next few years now that I have a little bit time to kind of explore what's going on in my mind. Right.

Yeah,so, But that's a great concept. I really like that.

Okay. So, not surprisingly, Chapter 13's called Everyone Has a Soundtrack. Do I need to explain this? No. Okay. No.

I've got all the genres that I'm pretty sure I want to be that song. When you're searching the horizon when your eyes look back when you're standing in the moment Every life has a soundtrack.

This is a great way to wrap up a book by the way you've done it.

Yeah. So, I mean, and you just. You just have fun with it. And then every book has to have an epilogue. And of course, my book does, too.

Yes.

Okay.

It's all we've been given so you better start living right now Take him by the hand don't let them all fly by Come on, come on now don't you know the days go by it's.

I think there's a couple of those in your book where it's. Be in the moment, you know, realize where you're at, enjoy the time. Yes, I think, because it does go.

Yeah. Even. Even. Even my career in the RCMP, it went by at a blink of the eye. And I'd probably do the same thing again.

I'd probably look after myself better trying to make up for. For lost. I'm not sure, but I think in.

The same breath, like, my wife and I literally had this conversation today about our boys and where they're at with their lives.

And then we passed somebody that was pushing a stroller with two kids in it, and it was like, do you remember, you know, way, way, way back when, when the older two boys were young, and you just. You're in that moment at that time and, you know, every once in a while you go, I wonder what they're going to be when they grow up.

And, you know, we look at all these four boys now, and it's like never in a million years did a. We think that they would be in the kind of life stages that they're at.

But when we look back, it seems like it was literally 50 years ago, but it now feels like it went to the blink of an eye, but it truly didn't. But you realize how much time that you have spent, so you can kind of cherish that as well.

Even though it does feel after the fact like it's gone fast.

Yeah, it has gone fast. So it's. I don't know. Again, no. No regrets. Because, I mean, at the end of the day, like, you may.

Or depending on how you look at things, you may or may not have control on which way you're looking. Life zigs are zags still got to live in the moment, for sure.

I think that the whole point behind this episode is a couple of different things, really. Is that perhaps Mad Dog, you need to listen to the lyric.

That is 100%. Yes.

Okay. And then. And to make it easy for you.

Yeah.

Make them mean something to you. Okay. And that's the simplest way because you can.

You can go online and I can't remember what site it is, but it'll give the history of the song and the lyrics and what was going on with theirs and what the song might be about and how the.

If, for example, if you look at one of the Eagles songs, Life in the Fast Lane, Glenn Fry told the story about how that came to life while he's down in California and he's in the car with a drug dealer, and the drug dealer is just, like, booting it down the highway very quickly and looks over at Glenn and says, life in the fast lane, baby. Life in the fast lane. Next thing you know, that's the inspiration for that song.

Wow. Didn't know that.

So that's as simple. That's as simple as it gets. So the challenge. The point. The challenge is not only to listen to the lyrics, but think about it and ask yourself.

And it's funny, because we were just at a celebration of life, and one of the things I did for my dad was I thought, okay, what would his soundtrack be? And I picked some of the songs that he would like and tried to do the best I could.

But if we could create our own soundtrack today, what would that sound like? Yeah.

Yeah. I wouldn't even know it. And that's a hard one to think of, right? How would I sum up my life in a song? What would people take from it?

Well, you don't have to pick one.

No, no.

There are some songs that really kind of, you know, for sure, but I'll just say they trigger, you know.

And, you know, I. I know with great respect to your friend Mr. Wilkins, I didn't know him that well, but just sitting through his celebration and listening to some of those songs, tough, because you apply it to family and kids and all that sort of stuff. So it really. Sometimes, you know, to your point, when you're putting your life into a song or your life gets put into a song, it. It can.

It can be pretty touching.

And like I had already mentioned there, and I think some of the songs are coming back where they're starting to tell stories again, and there's a meaning. And again, obviously, the. The writer of the song might have a different meaning that they're writing, but it's whatever meaning you get out of it.

And if it's something that has impact, influence, and I say that in a positive way, and let's not kid ourselves, because some of those songs are gonna make you cry. But that's. That's just life. And you have to. I'll just take the good with the good because there's no bad there.

So there's no question that music has an impact. And of course, music has an impact right now, because I'm hearing that music is how. You heard it, too, didn't you? Yes. Yeah.

So music will continue to have an impact on our lives. Guess what? Whether we like it in.

So you can choose either to really dip your foot in that pool a little bit or really kind of jump in and see where those lyrics take you and truly just have some fun with it. That's all it is. It provides inspiration and triggers both happy and sad thinking. It think of it in a way.

If it really kind of triggers emotions, it lets us know that we're alive.

That's a great way of putting it.

And that we have emotion. I know what you're thinking about me because I'm one that keeps my emotions close to my chest, but that's fine.

Baby steps. Baby steps.

So what the challenge really is to our listeners nowadog is to explore music that has impacted their life, which really means finding their own soundtrack.

It will present itself and I don't think you have to look too hard.

I don't think so either. Hope you enjoyed this episode, but remember to take advantage of the moment before the moment takes advantage of you.

To learn more about E Walkabout, please visit us at ewalkabout.ca.