Dancing in the Rain to the Music of your Life

Some people listen to music every day, some people can take it or leave it.  I, however connect with it.  Music has been a part of my life for as long as I remember.  Music to me is the one thing that can bring me to a place in every single point of my life.  When I was a little girl, driving on the country roads with my mother singing to Carly Simon and Juice Newton.  Listening to Johnny Cash at the Lunch Table with my Dad after Paul Harvey on the farm.  When Uncle Doug would show up on the farm blasting his Rock and Roll, I will never forget him gifting me my first cassette tape of Blue Oyster Cult.  Godzilla was my favorite song at 5 years old.  

Maybe I'm a strange breed.  Every day of my life involves music.  This past weekend I was blessed to see one of my favorite bands from Austin, TX for the second time.  The Band of Heathens.  I was introduced to them through some musician friends of ours.  Now, let me take a few steps back.  These musician friends of ours probably wouldn't even be friends of mine at all had I not taken a minute to introduce myself to them because of the fact that I am a severe creeper when it comes to me loving live music so much.  I am kind of a groupie.  When a band or musician comes around that I love, I sort of become a stalker.  I would venture out to say that 98 percent of the musicians in town know who I am, if not 100 percent.  Why?  It was my dream to become a performer.  I love to sing.  After my high school graduation I shot myself in the foot and gave up on that dream.  That story is for another time.  When I meet all of these musicians, it makes my eyes shine and a smile come to my face to hear how they get to do what they love.  Mind you, some don't do it full time, but just even doing it at all would be fun.

Seeing The Band of Heathens this weekend really got me to thinking what music has done for me in my life, especially recently with some times I have spent with some of my very best friends and even by myself.  I can always go into a release of my mind listening to The Band of Heathens.  They are so mellow and I can just connect with their music.  The band is so genuine and personable.  They talk to their fans, they thanked us for driving down to the show again.  Remember who our friends are and take the time out of their schedule to at least say hello.  We go to other concerts, pay money for big name bands, who we love as well, but have never been to a concert where we get an experience like this.  

Once a year I attend a Singer/Songwriter's Festival in Deadwood, and it is fantastic.  Musicians are everywhere.  Through the festival I have met a few more musicians because of my severe stalker status.  I also just go to enjoy the music.  It might surprise you who has written some of your favorite songs once you attend a festival like this.  I've seen rock and roll band members who write country and pop music and cried tears watching artists like Michelle Branch sing acoustic right before me and then talk to me like I'm one of their close friends.  

This.  This is the music of your life.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  If you sit and really think about it, every person can connect a time in your life with a song.  A memory with a song.  I know one memory that I will always connect with a song is the memory of my dear friend Tami.  When 5 to Life would play, we would wait for them to play Journey.  She and Kendall and Leon and I would get right in front of the stage.  We used our drinks for microphones and sang at the top of our lungs!  It took a long time after she passed away for me to hear that song.  I remember the weekend after she died someone played it on the jukebox and I had to step outside.  It wasn't fair.  I never wanted to hear it again.  I even requested my musician at my graduation to not play it at all.  Well, I basically threatened him.  Now, it's me playing it on the jukebox.  Memories and music are a good part of your life.  You dance to the beat of your own drum.  If you aren't dancing to the music, what will you do?  

Finding a way to learn through the storms

In my last blog I mentioned that I was going to be going through my journals and re-writing the topics that I wrote in 1995 during my Senior English class.  These past few weeks have been more than tough, so when I ran across this next entry I found it to be the most appropriate to write about.

"The successful adult continues to learn all his life."

Back in 1995 I stated that I didn't necessarily agree with this statement.  I'll give you a few bits and pieces of my journaling back then and I will write how I feel about this statement now.  In my younger years I felt that as an adult we may continue to learn many things but not all people do.  I felt that successful adults might not ever learn the value of a friend, the value of trust, or the value of other people's feelings.  This would be determined by what we defined as successful in our minds.  At that time, successful was determined to me by money.  Every dollar bill controlled our lives.  If your main goal in life was to be successful in money, your may never really be successful at all if you don't have your friends and family around.  You could continue to learn intellectually, but not from within your heart.  

I was really feeling something there, at such a young age.  What provoked it?  Nothing I suppose.  We as a family were not financially successful, but we were successful in knowing the value of family.  We were grounded and close together.  I am confident this was the base of my journal at that time.  So, let me see where I am on this topic now.

Does the successful adult continue to learn all of their life?  Absolutely.  I learn something new every single day.  Today I learned something new about a new software system being used at my workplace.  You will always be successful if you continue to be open to learning something new.  This openness doesn't mean being open to learning something new at work or to training your brain with book knowledge.  Learn something about yourself.  Learn something about your best friend, your kids, your parents, your siblings, or your spouse.  Ask questions and start a genuine conversation.  Surprise yourself and see how long you can have a conversation without complaining about work, gossiping about someone or how awful your life may seem.  Sing a song in the car with your best friend as high as the volume will go.  Take a walk and catch up on things you and your friend have never discussed.  Earn the trust of others.  Learn the value of their feelings.  Learn the value of trust.  Heck, learn those lyrics to the songs at karaoke night the next time you go!  Everyday make it a goal to learn something new.  

This past few weeks, I have learned that feelings from others are genuine.  Some pretend, and you can learn how to identify that.  Your children will teach you every day.  You will learn how to use the newest technology, you will learn about the newest trends in fashion, the newest music and even about their girlfriends and boyfriends.  We will learn something everyday.  The minute you stop learning, is the minute you stop living.  Take a breath and learn to weather your storms.  Learn how to live through them.  Learn who to lean on when you need help.  You will live life to the fullest with every bit of knowledge you gain.