Every now and then,
I take a trip back to the past
To look back on the good times
That I knew could never last

Celluloid reflections
Of the world that used to be
Pondering suggestions
For a future few could see

Analog or digital
Auditory or visual
Every individual
Made their contribution critical

To me, those were the days
When entertainment reached its apex
Mastered onto Betacam
Transferred to consumer tape decks

Some dreams were unattainable
And others unexplainable
A bubble that was meant to burst
A lifestyle unsustainable

All that we had seen
All it seemed to mean
Projected onto retinas
With phosphor and electron beams

From massive CRTs
To space-saving LCDs
Betamax, laserdisc, VHS
To Blu-Rays and DVDs

They say it takes a village
To help a child grow
Many humans made the leap
From amateurs to pros

Some knew what they were doing
Some pretended that they could
All fought the inner voice
That tried to say they were no good

They brought into creation
Tales transcending generations
With hard work and dedication
And a little perspiration

A piece of me just seems to die
The inner child starts to cry
When in some manner, I must look
At what once was, and say goodbye

Teardrops trickle down my face
For the tape that cannot be replaced
In a world that laid the past to waste
And said old pastimes have no place

This is why, by humble grace
I set aside a little space
To take the tape out of its case
And watch with a smile on my face

Tears fade away, but then return
For the lessons folks have yet to learn
The metamorphosis of happiness to concern
Death spares none; we all wait our turn

Too many words were left unsaid
For the beautiful humans who are now dead
For the stories that they brought to life
For how they helped me reach new heights

As long as you're here, I want you to know
I stand on your shoulders every day
You're one of the reasons why I've grown
And why I know things will be okay

Staring at the loaded rifle
That was in my parents' closet
Knowing that, with just one twitch
This life, I could have lost it

Because of you, I put down the gun
Remembered I am not alone
And made a choice to have some fun
Before the Good Lord calls me home

When I first met you, I was still a boy
Since then, the boy has become a man
A man who strives to live for peace
And be kind as often as he can

You're more than instructions the director gave
More than the residuals that you've made
More than every check hanging on your wall
You're a story of a human who gave their all

And if ever you should doubt yourself
Just glance at the knick-knacks on your shelf
Dust them off a bit, and take a look
At the direction that your life has took

"I can't believe I did all this!
Where has time gone? What did I miss?"
From then to now, here you still are
For time couldn't fade a shining star

A name the boy saw on the screen
Thanks to that same electron beam
Thank you for being who you are
Thank you for being that shining star

Take a bow for who you are now
And everything you used to be
Though few will ever know your name
You'll always mean the world to me.