There was a chance for me to write one song for the section

The words of Mac Davis, when he said, “There was a chance for me to write one song for the section where Elvis sat in his black leather outfit and sang the old hits. At eight o’clock the next morning I had written Memories,” echo like a hymn to destiny itself. They are not merely the recollection of a songwriter’s task, but the testimony of how opportunity and readiness can join hands in a single moment to create something eternal. For in that hour, when a door opened briefly, he did not falter, he did not delay—he seized the moment, and by morning he had wrought a song that would live on in the heart of generations.

Consider the vision: Elvis Presley, clad in black leather, the king of rock ’n’ roll, seated in the glow of stage lights, revisiting the songs that built his throne. And yet into this scene of remembrance, there was room for something new, a hymn to reflection, a ballad that would stir the soul. Into this space stepped Mac Davis, unknown to many, but carrying within him the fire of creation. He was given a chance—one, perhaps fleeting, perhaps never to return—and from his hands flowed a melody that would endure. Thus does fortune often whisper, not with trumpets, but with quiet summons, asking: “Are you ready?”

The ancients knew this truth well. Did not Homer sing that when Odysseus returned to Ithaca, disguised as a beggar, there was but a single instant when the great bow of kingship was laid before the suitors? Each man tried and failed, for they had not prepared themselves for destiny’s test. But Odysseus, though weary and scarred, lifted the bow with ease, for he had long trained his hands in struggle and patience. In the same way, Davis was ready when the bow of opportunity was placed before him. He did not ask for more time, nor shrink from the challenge, but drew back the string and loosed an arrow straight into the heart of history.

Here lies the deeper meaning of Davis’s words: greatness is not only talent, but readiness. Many men and women of genius let chances pass them by, for they wait until tomorrow, or until inspiration feels kinder. But the world rewards not only those who dream, but those who act swiftly, shaping dream into form while the hour is open. Davis labored through the night and by dawn had given birth to Memories—a song that carried both personal reflection and universal longing, destined to be sung by the King himself.

Reflect, too, upon the lesson of Abraham Lincoln, who in his youth was handed small, fleeting roles of leadership. A man asked him once to speak at a local gathering, expecting little. Yet Lincoln prepared as though the world itself depended on his words. His readiness on that humble stage set him on the path that would one day lead him to the presidency. Just as Davis was ready with his pen in the quiet hours of night, so too was Lincoln ready with his voice in the simple gathering halls. Destiny knocks softly; only the prepared heart hears it.

Therefore, O seeker of wisdom, let this be your charge: when life offers you even the smallest opening, embrace it with all your might. Do not say, “Tomorrow I shall begin.” Do not say, “I need more time.” For destiny waits not, and the window of opportunity is narrow. Instead, keep your tools sharpened, your mind disciplined, and your spirit aflame, so that when the hour arrives, you may answer as Davis did—with work complete before the sun rises.

Take practical steps: hone your craft daily, even when no one is watching. Write, sing, build, learn, practice, though no audience applauds. For in silence you forge the strength to act when your chance comes. And when it does, pour yourself into the work with urgency and devotion, knowing that your offering may endure beyond your lifetime. This is the way of creation, the way of readiness, the way of memory itself.

Thus the tale of Mac Davis and the song Memories becomes more than music; it becomes a parable. It tells us that opportunity and preparation must embrace like lovers in the night, and from their union comes a child of immortality. Let us then live not as those who wait for perfect moments, but as those who forge greatness in the hours given, ready always to meet destiny’s call.