Getting To Know Me: Music (and a little about books)

For me music and books are both endless. The list of the music and the books I like could go on forever. My taste in both books and music are eclectic.
When it comes to music I can listen to just about anything, I am not a huge heavy metal or rap fan, but there are some songs in both genres that I like especially in the right mood. For instance tonight I was frustrated at somethings going on, and I needed to get a couple of things done. So I needed to calm down and relax. I turned off my phone, plugged my iPod into some speakers, and I turned on my classical play list. I then cranked up the volume (Kraig ended up taking Kate downstairs and shutting the door to the TV room). With Russian Sailors Dance up full blast, and the music engulfing me, I was able to calm down and relax.
I know the songs that will make me mad, I  know the songs that make me sad, I know the songs that calm me down, I know the songs that are apart of me. Music is a part of my soul, I need it as much as I need water, air, food, and books. If I don't have the option of blaring it from speakers, then I will put headphones in and letting the music swirl around my head.
In junior high and high school I played in the high school orchestra, I was not good. I was alright, I wasn't super talented, but I tried hard. I had a few things working against me, like my dad hated me practicing and I couldn't afford to take private lessons. Everything I did, I did on my own. There are so many times that I miss that hour a day of having to play music, and listening to the intricate workings of a musical piece hearing the melodies and harmonies coming together to make something complete. I miss that one hour a day I had the chance to spend in the one class that actually helped me relax and didn't usually stress me out.
I still have my violin, and I even take it out from time to time to play, but I seem to have gotten worse at playing since I haven't done it regularly in over a decade (sad). However the music I have never really forgotten, and I love it.

Getting To Know Me: Fall, Wind, and Being Connected

Fall: I love fall. It is one of my favorite times of the year. I love all the colors and the beauty of it. I love that everything is made with pumpkin; well almost everything, there are somethings that shouldn't have pumpkin in it. I love the crisp air. I love all the apples! I love Halloween with Kate! It is the time when things are "dying" and hibernating, it is a new beginning dressed as an ending. It is a time when we allow ourselves to enjoy life as a little kid. The one and only thing I dislike about fall is the fact that it means snow is right around the corner.

Wind: I hate the wind. I don't mind a little breeze, but full on wind scares me. Wind can cause so much damage, and cause so much havoc. I have the hardest time sleeping when the wind is blowing like crazy. I wish there was some where I could move that there was no major wind.

Being Connected: In the last year or so I feel like I am constantly connected to everyone. I hate it. There are so many times I just want to turn my phone off and leave it off for a week or more. I hate feel like I have to have my phone with me all the time. I hate that we get sucked into Facebook, Reddit, blogs, and other things that we ignore the people sitting in front of us. I try very hard to just put my phone away when I am having dinner, or talking to friends. Sometimes if I get an idea I will look stuff up, and sometimes if I am with friends I will check the time, and I will also make sure that I didn't miss a important message from Kraig (since he is probably home with Kate, and has no car). There are so many times I will be out and see parents paying more attention to their phones then the kids, friends busy texting others instead of listening, spouses that are ignoring each other because they are on Facebook. There is a quote credited to Einstein that I think sums it up very well, and sadly I think that the day he is talking about it here. “I fear the day technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” ~Albert Einstein

Getting To Know Me: Coming out of my closet

I ran across a TEDx Talk of a woman talking about coming out of the closet. I loved her view. There are two things she says that touch me deeply. One is that hard is hard, and that we need to quit trying to one up each other. The other is that we are all in closets, and a closet is no place for anybody to live.



Growing up, I was in a constant state of flight for fight. Some of what she talks about hit so close to home for me because of that. I was constantly trying to hide what my home life was like to the outside world. Now I am learning to let go of those things, and live authentically.