Margaret Serious

Onward and upward we must press — ‘The Roses of Success’

Sometimes keeping old technology going has great advantages. When I wrote “Onward” in a message this morning, I remembered a song in a movie I saw as a child, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” It was the first story by Ian Fleming — yes, that Ian Fleming, Mr. Bond — I ever saw on the screen. It’s a fantasy about a flying car. The old technology, not Chitty’s (the car’s) new stuff, comes in because I got the soundtrack album as a present, and I still have it. It’s playing now.

The song that came to mind, the words I need to share, came in a scene when Chitty (the car) has been captured and bumbling scientists are trying to copy her for the villain. Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman wrote the music and lyrics. With a spot of help from stlyrics.com (although I’ve known them most of my life), here are parts of the lyrics. Regardless of where we are, what we’re doing for healing (from the riots or the virus — remember that), finding peace and rebuilding a better city, onward and upward we must press!

Every bursted bubble has a glory!

Each abysmal failure makes a point!

Every glowing path that goes astray,

Shows you how to find a better way.

So every time you stumble, never grumble.

Next time you’ll bumble even less!

For up from the ashes, up from the ashes, grow the roses of success!

Grow the roses!

Grow the roses of success!

Oh yes!

Grow the roses!

Those rosy roses!