Fishermen, listen up and follow me, according to the Gospel of John toward the end, as the story of my life concludes with The Stranger of Galilee. In 1958, I heard a tenor sing that gospel song, I did not know his name or whether he was Jack Holcomb or inspired by Jack, but it was embedded in my memory. Becoming a senior in high school, I selected the tune for my last audition for the male glee club, but something went wrong, I was a baritone and my voice choked on the first line and froze throughout subsequent attempts. All my friends were already in, the embarrassment of a lifetime. Failure, I remember singing a tearful Danny Boy, driving myself back home. I planned to join Jack Holcomb as baritone on the last line if I was able to complete the Gospel of John translation in my old age. Along with the bucket list, success, I want to go fishing. |