The music fills me with such love and beauty, it’s like free-falling with all the best intentions, just now, while the world shepherds a course of direction, and I feel that deep connection.
I sit and let the music fill me, every nook and cranny of my soul becomes engulfed in the sound and feeling of all that’s there. Oh, such devotion and care.
Care for ourselves is such an important part of our journey. Sometimes we feel lost, and unsure, even uncomfortable in our own skin, even when we are with our kin. It’s not a demerit, we all feel this way at times, so let your heart inherit.
The joy you feel within, as you take in the piano paying a melody you swear was written for you, and you grin.
The smile filling the room with joy and love, it’s enough to absolve the remainder of the lost souls, in which you do connect, as you see yourself in their midst, and have lived through the tests, just as they are now presently, giving their best.
Best is what we each carry, give out, and try not to tarry. No, give all that you have, my friend, and, when it’s time, let the music fill you and begin the dance again.
I strum the guitar, just as the dream begins, and close my eyes, and look within. The sound coming from this instrument fills me with a knowing that feels like the best of times akin.
Back and forth, and forth and back, strumming, all the while there’s more coming. Hands slide up and down the neck, fingers tired, yet no one remembers, because the music Is simply glorious in all it’s radiance.
The vibration shakes my being, core holding tight to this very special delight. Skin prickles, wakes up, just as the goose bumps begin to flush.
The end of January. Wow. It’s been almost a year since the pandemic broke out here locally. What a year. And, within 2.5 months of starting to work at home, my first blog post was published. Since then, I’ve created 295 posts, began following so many amazing blogs and inspiring people, and have now over 450 followers. Awesome, and so much fun.
Alright, let’s get to the writing part.
My 2 Favorite Posts This Week
I want to do something different this week, and for a few weeks. Instead of simply recapping all that I wrote, I’m going to choose my favorite 2 or 3 posts each week and provide some of the inspiration, thinking, and reflecting that went into the post. Ready? Good. Here we go.
The reminiscence poem was created as a multi-reflection on my marriage, my childhood, and having two beautiful boys. All three reflections combined in unique ways to create a poem about pain and joy, and recollections about simpler times.
One of the things I love the most about writing poetry, outside of the sheer exuberance I get when an idea flows through me, is looking back, reflecting, and putting on paper some joyous, and yes, sometimes painful life events.
Tanka #2
Tanka #2 was created as a reflection on my meditation practice, and the chasing we sometimes do as humans, trying to get to the next thing, and then the next. Reflecting on meditation and then the concept of chasing after things is a paradox, just like all of life.
The last two lines are a reflection upon creating the future from the present moment, with the knowing that already living inside of me, all of us, are the past, present, and future. As, they are one.
Alright, that’s my reflection on the reflections that inspired the two poems above. That was fun. Let’s now turn to one of my other favorite topics, music.
I’ve posted about my love for music before, though it’s been a while. I grew up in a household where music was always present. Whether that was through the TV and MTV, my dad playing his guitar, or sisters, mom, or myself playing the radio, cassettes, or an 8-track.
Yes, I did just reference the radio, cassette tapes, and 8-tracks in the same sentence. I did grow up in the late 70’s and 80’s though.
In this entry on music, I want to do two things. Show you the guitar I bought today, and embed a youtube of one of my favorite songs.
Alright, first, here is a pic of the guitar I bought today. As I mentioned, my dad played the guitar. Though I tinkered with the guitar as a child, youth, and young adult, it’s been years, and I am excited to take some lessons and begin to play.
Corvallis, Oregon 2021
Pretty, yes? Yes, I think so too.
Alright, now here is one of my favorite songs. I am present to it, because my oldest son played it on the guitars we looked at on Saturday. Was so beautiful.
Here you go.
YouTube
I just adore this song. Always have, and always will.
Alright, friends, that’s all for this week.
Remember, to keep breathing and take time for yourself. It’s important.
It’s hard to believe, I know, I know, cliche, yet, it is hard to believe that the holidays are upon us. Phew. A busy week, as always, and a stressful one for people that live in this country. Yep. True.
Writing
Right, so, first, in the event you’ve not yet seen what I’ve been up to, here it is.
Well, well, well, look at that. More poems than any other type of writing this week. Hm. Well, I did write last week that I was going to continue writing poems. How fun.
And, this week?
Well, as always, there is a plan, yet I’m never really sure what will happen. More fun that way. Really. Let’s see. Yes, I am thinking about a few different pieces. Here they are.
Poems on
Courage
Movement
Vulnerability
Majesty
A new social construction series entry on interaction ritual – it’s a sociological thing, of course, and will be fun.
Some new thinking I’ve done on interactions. More specifically on coaching type conversation.
And, I’m still pondering that piece on moving towards a more resilient and positivistic approach to sociology. Not sure.
It’s super fun to look back on what I’ve written during the week, reflect upon it, and then consider the following week’s writing. I am very curious to see how much poetry comes this next week. Hm.
Right. Well, that’s all about writing. Now? Yep, here we go.
Though, I’m not going to go on and on here, I do want to acknowledge how much stress, worry, and anxiety people in this country have been feeling about the election over the past week
And, no matter where you align yourself along the political spectrum, the aforementioned statement is true.
I am grateful that the election is complete, and that Biden and Harris will be in office for the next 4 years.
Whereas, I am hopeful they will do some good for a very fractured country, I do believe they are a bridge to a better day. Meaning?
That both political parties have work to do; and, they need to begin today.
That’s about all I have to write about that for now. Music? Yep. Good. Here we go.
Alright, so, like many of you, I’m sure, I listen to music when I write. Well, actually, I listen to music when I do lots of things, writing is simply one of them. And?
Well, a good friend of mine turned me on to a new pianist this past week. And?
WOW!
I mean, phew, moving, inspiring, exceptional. Ready? Here you go.
Now, whether you enjoy piano, or not, I invite you to please take a listen. Yiruma plays some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard. Really. Phew. Lovely.
Alright, that’s about all for this week.
Before I go, I want to add one more thing. Ready? Good. Here we go.
A New Day
Though divided, They simply had forgotten, That division is the seed of begotten Times past, and
That there was need Of a new day, where the kids could play Free from fear of reprisal,
Along a path toward survival With a much needed revival
Let us then not be stifled, but rather Set a course Quite more delightful
And work side by side One and all Toward a future That holds the promise Of what is rightful and insightful
Alright, so I’m driving home from the store about an hour ago, and it occurs to me that music, like many things in life, is a paradox. Well, that is, the music that one likes and listens to may be seen as a paradox. Do you know what I mean? No. Hm. Okay, let me try it this way.
What I actually mean is that human beings are paradoxical; and, that the things we think, feel, and do can be seen as paradoxes, which includes the music we like, and the music we listen to.
Let me show you.
Here is a band I’ve loved all of my life. As I’ve written about before, I was scheduled to see them play the month that my dad passed away unexpectedly. A difficult time.
Well, I recreated that possibility about 6 months later, so got to see them play in Santa Ana, California last fall. I love all of their albums, and songs, yet this one is more present for me today.
Bad Religion
Ah, yep, Bad Religion. I hadn’t seen them in, oh, should I say? Alright. It had been 20 years. That is a story for another day.
Anyway, as much as I love Bad Religion, I also love this.
Billie Holiday
Mm. Billie Holiday. Love that. Beautiful. And, let’s not forget about this.
Le Miserables
Oh, and then this.
Hamilton
Alright, alright, though there is so much more to add, I’ll stop now. 🙂
What I am writing about to you today, is to listen to what you love. Especially when it seems like a paradox. It’s for you, no one else.
Likewise, do what you love to do, be who you want to be, and cherish all the apparent paradoxes that you know and feel about yourself. They are a part of you. And, guess what?
They aren’t really paradoxes. Not really. Because they are a part of you, those things that you love, that inspire you, that move you, that touch you, they are one. They are you.
And, when you are inspired, everyone around you will also be inspired. It works like that, and is fun like that.
What are some of the apparent paradoxes that make you the human being you are today?
It’s hard to believe that it took until my 4th installment in the sound of series to get to music. A profound impact on my life, music has had, does have, and will always have. Do you remember the first time you were moved by a song, or piece of music? Yes? Me too.
First, a cool quote about music.
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” – Plato
What I played music on
Reel-to-Real Players
I’m old enough to remember reel-to-reel players. I was very young, and I remember my dad playing music on the one we had. I couldn’t have been more than 5 or 6, maybe 7 years old at the time. What a contraption. Large and bulky, yet from what I can remember, the sound was pretty good.
The one in the above photo looks very similar to the one we had. I’ve always loved music. Even at a young age. I’ve always been moved by it, and moved towards it. I remember listening to endless amounts of music as a child, endless. There really wasn’t, and isn’t. enough to fill me up.
The chills you get when a certain piece is played, moving your emotions and entire physiology. Creating within you a space of wonder, which is only ever really filled with another piece of music.
Record Players
I’m not sure how many record players we had, or I had – there were many. I LOVE the sound of music coming from a record player. A completely different experience. It is textual, in a way. The raspiness of the record doing its revolutions around the player, music pouring out of the tiny speaker, love that sound. Irreplaceable, and uncomparable.
When I was probably 10, maybe, not sure, the sony walkman came out. WOW. What a game changer. Now, you could have your music on the go, without carrying a boombox, or some other transistor radio. Changed my life.
I was a rather mobile youth, as I’ve mentioned in other posts; skateboarding being a large part of my mobility, and youthhood growing up in Los Angeles. With the advent of the walkman, I could take my favourite music with me everywhere, and it was just for me. I didn’t have to play it for anyone else. I could sit with my music, skate with my music, do anything, really, with my music. LOVE.
The Cassette
And, of course, how could there be a post on music without writing about the tape cassette. Funny, how many of those I owned. Probably hundreds. I remember buying them, trading them, even making them. Buying the blank cassettes from the store, and compiling my favorite song mixes – WAY before the advent of Spotify, and Pandora.
I even remember creating pseudo broadcasts with friends, pretending to be DJ’s. Playing music, creating hot topics, and generally having a grand time. All the while recording the sessions, on what, you ask? Well, of course recorded to, and played back from cassettes, of course. Old school if there ever was such a thing.
Two of my favorite musical contexts
Concerts and Musicals
How about your first, what I call a show, typically called a concert. Do you remember how that made you feel? Music louder than you’ve ever heard music played. And, even better, the actual physical experience of feeling the music. First experiencing that was such a rush. I will never forget having that feeling for the first time.
Nor, will I forget, after many years of not going to concerts, of going to one about three years ago. Having that physiological experience again. It is hard to put into language how exciting, and what a total mind-body experience that is.
Since that time, I’ve been to many more, and, once we are able to gather again like that, will do so again.
How about the first time you ever saw a musical. I LOVE musicals. The first musical I ever went to was Les Miserables, in Los Angeles. I will never forget the power of the music, and how the music combined with the performance, and story, to create an even profounder mind-body experience.
I’ve not been to a musical in some time, however, as I write this, I am listening to Les Miserables. I also look forward to the day, hopefully soon, where I can once again sit in the audience, and take in all the beauty of the sets and costumes; and, hear the wonderful orchestra combined so beautifully with fantastic performances. A joy.
Music. Profound, life changing, and ever present in my life; and, I for one, am very grateful to have it there. And, now, there are SO many more ways to listen, interact with, and be with music. Yet, that is for a different post; so, let me simply leave you with one more quote about music that I quite like.
“Life seems to go on without effort when I am filled with music.” – George Eliot
