I'll Sing On

Compiling these glimpses of my life from childhood to the present day was prompted by three randoms: my reflections whist compiling my collection of songs of remembrance and hope, Today I Live, especially relating my future to my past; answering requests by our daughter, Carol, and her son, Kirby, to recall and send them reflections on various periods of my life, e. g. “What was it like to be a young person during WW2;” and GIA’s senior project editor, Michael Silhavy’s invitation to add my book to their distinguished list of biographies.

Just as I started writing in early 2020, Covid–19 prevented access to my archives and papers held in Bridwell Library, Perkins School of Theology, SMU, Dallas, TX. So, I became totally dependent on my memory. To my great surprise I had serial recall in long-term memory of persons and their voices, places, sounds, images in their context. Consequently, the bulk of this book from childhood to the late 1980s is based on my memory, supported by records, diaries and commentary stored in my computer. Later coverage is supported by our annual Christmas letters included in the Appendix, emails, and personal, institutional, and publishing correspondence.

In addition, I want to acknowledge the support of other members of my family, including Marj, my understanding and creative/creating spouse for 75 years, and colleagues who have verified, amplified, and contextualized my glimpses. In addition, I express my gratitude and thanks to the creative, unflappable, resourceful general editor, Barbara Day Miller, Don Saliers, years-long friend and colleague for the eloquent foreword, to Eileen Guenther for her review, and Michael Silhavy, energetic, imaginative music and liturgical editor extraordinary.

I take full responsibility for errors of fact or intent and apologize to persons that I may have offended or slighted, and for circumstances, events, and places that I may have misrepresented.

With gratitude to abiding spiritual support and medical expertise since I have thus far outlived several actuary charts and 35 years beyond life expectation of 55.5 at birth in 1926.

~ Carlton R. "Sam" Young