Friends.... no, don't mean Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, yada....

Dear Friend (and I mean the 'dear' part):

When you're down and troubled
And you need some lovin' care
And nothin', nothin' is goin' right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night

Redfacedly,  I was having one of those "poor, poor, pitiful me" moments (OK, hours).. you ever have those?  If so, I'm sorry.. If not, Bless you...  I experienced 'disappointment' in a 'friend' (and quite frankly, that very well could be a reach, an overthinking [which I'm 'good' at] on my part.  Anyways, my mind races faster'n a crotchrocket on I-435. Too logical (errantly so)..  "if that person doesn't like me, then I guess no one does." I know, stupid, but, how my brain occasionally works.  I really want EVERYONE to be a friend, but that just ain't how life works.  Ya know, it's kinda like being in onea those 'money booths'... ie, a booth the size of a phone booth (remember those?).  they turn the blower on, dollar bills are flying allover and you grab as many as you can.  You will never get them all. (Did you hear that Victor?)..  you will never get them all.

You just call out my name
And you know, wherever I am
I'll come runnin'
To see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there
You've got a friend

So.....  God Bless Google.  Back to that in a sec... Amidst this disappointment,  I remembered I'd just returned from a gathering of friends I went to school with 45 years ago or so.. Maybe 20 of us.  A truly wonderful time.  That, coupled with my golfin' buddies, friends made thru the years (softball, school, working, coaching, teaching, of course family, etc.. My mind flip-flopped from disappointment, to "Damn am I lucky."  Back to Google - so I thought of this song, and I went to see the lyrics James Taylor wrote.....

Only to find, James Taylor didn't write it.  Carole King and her first hubby wrote it.  Along with all the above friends, my friend Google, another good friend is Wiki.  So, I Wiki'ed Carole King.  Turn left here (and I won't be mad OR worry that I've lost you as a friend.. but a few blips about Carole King.

If the sky above you
Grows dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind begins to blow
Keep your head together
And call my name out loud
Soon you'll hear me knockin' at your door

4 years old, Carole King's mom got a piano.. Carole would sit beside her.. sing.. much... it was discovered she had 'absolute pitch', (sometimes called perfect pitch).. the ability "the ability to identity or recreate a musical note without the benefit of a reference tone."  Carole's proud poppa would bring friends over and brag "Listen! Listen to her!"...

You just call out my name
And you know, wherever I am
I'll come runnin', runnin', yeah, yeah
To see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yes, I will

So James didn't write it.. Carole did.. (and her first hubby, in fact, they wrote many.) As in 118 hits that made the Billboard Top 100. Ah chihuahua that's a lotta hits. May I list a few?  VICTOR, it's your blog, do what you damn well please, which is fancy for, we know you will anyways.. . Good idea! I will:

Chains (uh huh, one in the same as the one the Beatles recorded).. Don't Bring Me Down (yep, Eric Burden and the Animals recorded it).. Go Away Little Girl...    Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby) "Oh no", sorry, the oh no slipped, I was singing.. Promise there's no sound here..  long list, breaktime Victor

Now, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend
When people can be so cold?
They'll hurt you, yes, and desert you
And take your soul if you let them
Oh, but don't you let them

I Feel The Earth Move...  It's Too Late:...   (You Make Me Feel) Like A Natural Woman.. (Really?  She wrote that?  Uh huh, did)..  The Locomotion..  One Fine Day..  Pleasant Valley Sunday (nuh uh? That was the Monkees wasn't it?  Nope, Carole wrote it.)..   So Far Away.. .Will You Love Me Tomorrow?... and of course, You've Got A Friend...

You just call out my name
And you know, wherever I am
I'll come runnin', runnin', yeah, yeah
To see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yes, I will
You've got a friend
You've got a friend

And I left out 113 more hits she wrote...  Reading of her life, ah chihuahua. Hey, you know what? The one that wrote that 'fallback', YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND, comfort, consoling song?....Mercy she TOO (like us all) experienced tumultuous.  She had disappointment(s) in "I thought that would be a hit, nope"... She's been married four times (Criminy, that's two more than me!).. Her 3rd husband physically abused her, and he died of a cocaine overdose...  She retired, unretired.  retired.. unretired..  break:

Ain't it good to know you've got a friend
Ain't it good to know, ain't it good to know
Ain't it good to know
You've got a friend
Oh, yeah, now, you've got a friend
Yeah baby, you've got a friend
Oh, yeah, you've got a friend

She has many friends.  When you think about it, we all do.  She's performed with many, many.  She's done free concerts for charity.  Free concerts for no reason. A free concert with the guy that wrote You've Got A Friend (I'm kidding on that part).. free concert with James Taylor in Boston shortly after the Marathon bombing.  She's done a concert for a President.  She somebody.  But, so are you, and me, and us.

79, she's 'retired' now, this time in Idaho.  That don't sound like a bad gig.

So.............. if YOU TOO ever throw a pity party like yours truly..  close your eyes.. count/see your friends.  there are many.. you will never know how much you mean to many... Victor, is this where you preach?  NO, it's where I REMIND.. me and whoever else wants in........ to have a friend, you gotta be a friend.

Ain't it good to know, you've got a friend.

By Henry (he's my friend) Gibson..  Forward by Gerry Goffin - gotta give him credit, he co-wrote many WITH Carole, his wife, friend.

Love, Victurd