One fine day last summer I was listening to Radio Margaritaville on SiriusXM when a song by Paul Thorn called Everybody Looks Good at the Starting Line came on the car radio.

It is a fun, bluesy song and I drummed the steering wheel for all I was worth. But as I listened I realized that Mr. Thorn has a message for us. Here are the lyrics:

When you’re born it’s a beautiful thing
They put a pacifier in your mouth
You crawl around naked on the kitchen floor
And your mom and daddy feel so proud

Chorus:
Everybody looks good at the starting line
Get on your mark, get ready but you better keep this in mind
You can hit the ground running like you’re shot from a gun
But going the distance is the hard part son
Everybody looks good at the starting line

You fall in love, you tie the knot
You’re on a permanent honeymoon
But twenty years later when the thrill is gone
Will she still be in love with you

Life is a race we’ve all got to run
So stand up and toe the line
I wish that I could say it was all down hill
But there are mountains we’ve got to climb

Sing it one more time
Everybody looks good at the starting line
Looks good, looks good
At the starting line

So what is he saying? Finishing well is the hard part. Perseverance counts, probably more than anything else. You are going to need grit, friend, to get to the end. And plenty of it.

But don’t let any of this get you down. You have fans in the bleachers.

Everybody Looks Good at the Starting Line

Looking Good! For now…..