In the AP article “Tom Petty a rock classicist from the beginning” (Oct. 4), Tom Petty was quoted as saying in a 2009 Associated Press interview, “…people come up to me on the street and tell me how some song played a role in their life or how it got them through a hard time or this and that and I just think, 'Damn, that’s what it is about!'”

“I Won’t Back Down” has inspired me for years as I have had to push through tremendous obstacles. It has been a go-to song that I have listened to often on my iPad when I was in need of an extra boost to work through yet another challenge. And I know this song will continue to inspire me for many years to come.

Using our talents, our gifts. no matter what they are, for the betterment of humankind — “Damn, that is what it is about!”

Roberta M. Helming

Ledyard