WHAT WE OVERCOME [ country-blues/R&B ]    Uncle Charlie was a humble man, born deaf, mute and blind    He sold pencils down on the corner for a nickel, three for a dime    Refusing to stand in a welfare line, he wasn't one to complain    And long after he passed on fond memories of his smile remain    If a picture’s worth a thousand words he was worth ten thousand more    When he died the bar was raised, three tens, a perfect score    It’s a lesson nailed down long ago written in blood and stone    In the end it's not what we achieve but what we overcome    They had no Special Olympics back when Uncle Charlie was born    And while the kids chose up sides he sat on the sidelines alone    As some climbed the social ladder and gained a little wealth and fame    Uncle Charlie remained on the corner come sun, snow, wind an' rain    If a picture’s worth a thousand words he was worth ten thousand more    When he died the bar was raised, three tens, a perfect score    It’s a lesson nailed down long ago written in blood and stone    In the end it's not what we achieve but what we overcome    Uncle Charlie had a good friend to whose judgment we all yield    He knows who's deaf, mute and blind and how to level the playing field    If a picture’s worth a thousand words he was worth ten thousand more    When he died the bar was raised, three tens, a perfect score    It’s a lesson nailed down long ago written in blood and stone    In the end it's not what we achieve but what we overcome    Uncle Charlie couldn’t hear, see or speak but like his unseen friend    He had a tough cross to bear and overcame in the end * * Based on the life of Charles Munro, early 20th Century United States immigrant from Aberdeen, Scotland.             Copyright © by Richard Aberdeen ASCAP Copyright © by Freedom Tracks Music ASCAP No part of this material may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher and signed by the author.  Inquiries: Freedom Tracks Music ~ Records, 292 Trails Circle, Nashville, TN 37214 or requested via eMail.  Essays entitled Revolution and Revolution -- Side B are open copyright and may be reproduced or utilized as often as one likes.