The typical Christmas letter is a letter that a family sends to friends and relatives telling a story of how that family's year has gone. I'm going to deviate from that form a bit. My Christmas letter this year is something of a love letter, and it is written to you.
I recently came across a statement from an atheist saying how they the felt like a hypocrite when they politely responded to people with a "Merry Christmas," at this time of year. To me, it is as appropriate for them to say "Merry Christmas," as it is for me. If I think about Christmas Spirit or the Meaning of Christmas, I see three aspects to it.
Christmas is a party! We seem to lose track of this. For many of us, there is so much of a pursuit of perfection that we forget to just sit back and have fun. But in the end, that's what it means to be festive. We are in the blackest time of year, when depression (non-clinical) often takes hold. Christmas is an excuse to relax and just have some fun.
Christmas is a celebration prosperity. I don't mean this in any kind of miserly sense, but in terms of sharing blessings. The act of giving gifts is a way that we can enjoy our prosperity and the blessings that we have been given.
Christmas is about love. To me, this is the most important aspect of Christmas. Christmas is one of those times when we mix chaos and tradition into a complicated dance, all with the intent of showing how much we love each other. We're humans, so we're not that great at it, but we try. Even in the strictest "Christ in Christmas" sense, the importance of Christ's birth is that it is the expression of God's love, leading to final possibility of reconciliation between humans and God.
I have to make a bit of a liar of myself, and frame this with a bit of 2013 personal history. To Amber and I, 2013 is a year that cannot be in the past fast enough. There have been a number of blessings, without a doubt. However, the times of pain have left significant marks this year. As often happens in years of pain, it has also been a year of various kinds of growth. So as I look at the world, today, it is without those things sitting at the back of my mind.
The other thing sitting at the back of my mind, though, is you. All of you. Part of me is tempted to go through the laundry list of blessings I've received from people on my friends list. My biggest fear is that I would leave someone out, unintentionally. As we all know, details are not a strength of mine. It's funny, because you are all so different. Some of you, I only know a little, some of you I know very well. All of you are people I choose to keep in touch with, because in some way, I think we can make each other better people.
I have to say, I am constantly amazed by all of you. You've done me the favor of letting me peer into your life. I know a number of you have had a painful 2013 as well. A number of you are still struggling today. I've gained a lot from watching your struggles, and sharing in my own way your tears and triumphs. You've shown me the different kinds of strength it takes to make it through life: strength of will, strength of character, strength of devotion, and sometimes even physical strength. You've helped me learn how to relax a little bit more and have fun. You've shown me how to hold hope alive, even when things are bleak. You've shown me the power of faith.
A number of you right now, are looking at yourselves and thinking how little of that you feel you've shown. You know your flaws, your dark moments, your failures, and your times of weakness. My parents have always had a fairly loose Christmas tradition. Growing up, we were never one of those families in pursuit of perfection. I think that is part of why I still enjoy the Holidays so much. There is a certain beauty, to me, in weak people showing strength. So to me, you are all wonderful and I say, "Merry Christmas."
Monday, December 23, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Theism and Truth
Theism takes on many different forms. Some folks acknowledge the existence of a vague, largely unknowable higher power and leave it at that. For other folks, it's a case of "this I know, for the Bible tells me so." For me, it's a little difference. I was taught from an early age to respect all of the intertwining disciplines of "religion", "science", "logic", and "philosophy." These are all tools which give us the ability to make reasonable decisions about what is real.
But, I'm not about to try make a case for Christianity, here. Others have done that enough for me to be convinced and if you're really curious, I can point you to some good sources. But it is important recognize that I am convinced that there are very strong arguments based on the nature of reality which support the case for basic Christian truths. This is the lens through which I view the world and the content of my thoughts.
But, I spend an awful lot of time interacting with people who are non-Christians, who think Christians are fools, and who are suspicious of anything with the word Christian in it. So if those basic Christian truths are the content, my language is one of reason, empiricism, and naturalism. Furthermore, because I know I'm going to come up against objections in those same terms, I try to hone my own beliefs based on what can withstand serious scrutiny.
So... Here are some of the precepts of my worldview that will certainly show themselves implicitly as I write.
1. Reality doesn't function smoothly - Life is hard, we have to work at it, and even hard work doesn't guarantee success. At the end of life, all we've accomplished and accumulated is thrown away, or given to others to manage.
2. There's something wrong with people- I'm not going to give you a list, but there isn't a single day of my life that would stand up to scrutiny. Even on a good day, I spend far more time than I'd like plotting the violent deaths of rude drivers. I'm pretty sure that we can all confess that our lives are full of decisions that we wish we could have made differently. Often we simply make compromises to get around point 1 (Reality doesn't function smoothly.)
3. We're not getting better any time soon - There are folks who believe that as a race humanity is getting better and better and making some sort of progress. My perception is that we seem to be finding new an interesting ways to mistreat each other, without ever truly changing the core of people (there's something wrong with them.) Even if I were to grant this point, that we are "evolving" into a better and better race, the pace is certainly evolutionary. In fact, it's at such a slow pace that I don't think from where we are sitting we will ever be able to distinguish the rate of change from a non-zero point.
4. It is rarely useful to harm others- I think most of us have a somewhat instinctive understanding that we are mutually independent. When we harm each others, we limit opportunities to cooperate. Given point #1, we can use all the help we can give each other. Given point #2, however, we seem to struggle with this a lot.
5. "Self Defense" is always acceptable - I don't really mean self defense, here. This would include defense of friends, family, possessions, other folks you don't know, and even society itself. This is the other half of point #4. I'm all for pacifism... right up until someone threatens the well-being of my friends and family. As far as I can tell, the only way society does not degenerate into dominance of the fittest is if we all agree to defend each other. As far as defense of society... Rules without consequences are useless, and our mutual defense agreement simply doesn't work without rules.
6. Love everyone, even those who hate you - At some point, we hurt someone. We don't necessarily intend to, but it happens. Then the person we have hurt defends themselves a little too hard, and we become hurt as well. So, we end up in an arms race. As far as I know, the only way to break down those walls is by someone breaking through the walls with love and acceptance. Easier said then done. By the way, I do believe that it's possible to love someone (Osama Bin Laden?) without turning that into a reason to let your guard down and destroy you. I even find it logically consistent to love someone and still kill them under point #5. Just because you have to do it, doesn't mean you can't wish there was a way out...
7. Lies are a form of self-destruction - This is probably the one that people will want to argue with me. Radical honesty has recently been espoused by others. However, I think that there is a tendency to go to extremes, there. There is a difference between giving your opinion honestly when asked for it and telling people things that are unhelpful. Lies, however, seem to ball up on people. The bigger the lie, the bigger the ball. In the end, though, truth seems to find it's way out and there is even more pain between people than if the truth had been told.
At this point, you might think that I'm standing on my high horse a bit too much. So, I just want to point you back to point #2. Truthfully, I don't think there isn't a day where I don't end up missing these ideals by a mile. But just because I can't attain them, that doesn't mean they aren't the goal.
But, I'm not about to try make a case for Christianity, here. Others have done that enough for me to be convinced and if you're really curious, I can point you to some good sources. But it is important recognize that I am convinced that there are very strong arguments based on the nature of reality which support the case for basic Christian truths. This is the lens through which I view the world and the content of my thoughts.
But, I spend an awful lot of time interacting with people who are non-Christians, who think Christians are fools, and who are suspicious of anything with the word Christian in it. So if those basic Christian truths are the content, my language is one of reason, empiricism, and naturalism. Furthermore, because I know I'm going to come up against objections in those same terms, I try to hone my own beliefs based on what can withstand serious scrutiny.
So... Here are some of the precepts of my worldview that will certainly show themselves implicitly as I write.
1. Reality doesn't function smoothly - Life is hard, we have to work at it, and even hard work doesn't guarantee success. At the end of life, all we've accomplished and accumulated is thrown away, or given to others to manage.
2. There's something wrong with people- I'm not going to give you a list, but there isn't a single day of my life that would stand up to scrutiny. Even on a good day, I spend far more time than I'd like plotting the violent deaths of rude drivers. I'm pretty sure that we can all confess that our lives are full of decisions that we wish we could have made differently. Often we simply make compromises to get around point 1 (Reality doesn't function smoothly.)
3. We're not getting better any time soon - There are folks who believe that as a race humanity is getting better and better and making some sort of progress. My perception is that we seem to be finding new an interesting ways to mistreat each other, without ever truly changing the core of people (there's something wrong with them.) Even if I were to grant this point, that we are "evolving" into a better and better race, the pace is certainly evolutionary. In fact, it's at such a slow pace that I don't think from where we are sitting we will ever be able to distinguish the rate of change from a non-zero point.
4. It is rarely useful to harm others- I think most of us have a somewhat instinctive understanding that we are mutually independent. When we harm each others, we limit opportunities to cooperate. Given point #1, we can use all the help we can give each other. Given point #2, however, we seem to struggle with this a lot.
5. "Self Defense" is always acceptable - I don't really mean self defense, here. This would include defense of friends, family, possessions, other folks you don't know, and even society itself. This is the other half of point #4. I'm all for pacifism... right up until someone threatens the well-being of my friends and family. As far as I can tell, the only way society does not degenerate into dominance of the fittest is if we all agree to defend each other. As far as defense of society... Rules without consequences are useless, and our mutual defense agreement simply doesn't work without rules.
6. Love everyone, even those who hate you - At some point, we hurt someone. We don't necessarily intend to, but it happens. Then the person we have hurt defends themselves a little too hard, and we become hurt as well. So, we end up in an arms race. As far as I know, the only way to break down those walls is by someone breaking through the walls with love and acceptance. Easier said then done. By the way, I do believe that it's possible to love someone (Osama Bin Laden?) without turning that into a reason to let your guard down and destroy you. I even find it logically consistent to love someone and still kill them under point #5. Just because you have to do it, doesn't mean you can't wish there was a way out...
7. Lies are a form of self-destruction - This is probably the one that people will want to argue with me. Radical honesty has recently been espoused by others. However, I think that there is a tendency to go to extremes, there. There is a difference between giving your opinion honestly when asked for it and telling people things that are unhelpful. Lies, however, seem to ball up on people. The bigger the lie, the bigger the ball. In the end, though, truth seems to find it's way out and there is even more pain between people than if the truth had been told.
At this point, you might think that I'm standing on my high horse a bit too much. So, I just want to point you back to point #2. Truthfully, I don't think there isn't a day where I don't end up missing these ideals by a mile. But just because I can't attain them, that doesn't mean they aren't the goal.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
The Apollo of Dogs
This definitely falls under the category of pet peeves for me. There are a lot of folks with opinions. From my perspective, a lot of them are very wrong. You may fall into this category. If you do, I don't expect you to change your mind, but I hope to give you a little bit to chew on. "Type", loosely defined, is what makes a dog breed that breed, and not another breed. It is the unique characteristics that make is possible to recognize a breed. Breed type is defined in the breed standard, which describes the ideals, minimum standards, and disqualifications for a particular breed. The standard for the Great Dane is located here:
http://www.akc.org/breeds/great_dane/breed_standard.cfm
At the top of that link is the General Appearance section. It is a summary of what the dog should look like and sets the tone for the rest of the document. I've reproduced it here:
The Great Dane combines, in its regal appearance, dignity, strength and elegance with great size and a powerful, well-formed, smoothly muscled body. It is one of the giant working breeds, but is unique in that its general conformation must be so well balanced that it never appears clumsy, and shall move with a long reach and powerful drive. It is always a unit-the Apollo of dogs. A Great Dane must be spirited, courageous, never timid; always friendly and dependable. This physical and mental combination is the characteristic which gives the Great Dane the majesty possessed by no other breed. It is particularly true of this breed that there is an impression of great masculinity in dogs, as compared to an impression of femininity in bitches. Lack of true Dane breed type, as defined in this standard, is a serious fault.
Further sections go in to detail on a lot of the points. But I want to make a case based on this general description. In the dog world there are taller dogs, such as the Irish Wolfhound. There are also much heavier/bulkier dogs, such as the Mastiff. There are significantly more elegant dogs, such as the Saluki. Finally, there are more athletic dogs, too numerous to name. If I read this correctly (of course I do!), then the Great Dane is singular not because it exceeds those breeds in any one of these attributes, but because it combines all of them (height, substance, elegance and athleticism) in a single dog.
Truthfully, I think that the paragraph stands on it's own, but I will go sentence by sentence, much like a biblical scholar and give an exposition.
Sentence #1
The Great Dane combines, in its regal appearance, dignity, strength and elegance with great size and a powerful, well-formed, smoothly muscled body.
This is the keystone of the general appearance and, in fact the whole standard. When you look at a Great Dane, these are the attributes that should stick out to you. This is 3 of my four characteristics, but it's worth noting that athleticism is, at best, only implied here. The first impression of a Great Dane should always be that of a large, regal, powerful dog.
Sentence #2
It is one of the giant working breeds, but is unique in that its general conformation must be so well balanced that it never appears clumsy, and shall move with a long reach and powerful drive
This is the first point at which the Great Dane is compared to other dogs, specifically the other giant working breeds. This is a kind of vague category but the first dogs that come to mind are the Mastiff and Bullmastiff. The Great Dane, then, is compared against this back drop of large, more lumbering breeds. However, it is not stated that the Great Dane should be "more balanced, and less clumsy" than those breeds. The wording is absolute and imperative. Truthfully, this whole sentence is dedicated to making one distinction: a Great Dane is not just large, it is also athletic.
Sentence #3
It is always a unit-the Apollo of dogs.
This is short and to the point, enhancing the above statement. But this single phrase "the Apollo of dogs," is often misunderstood and misused. I have often heard this phrase used by breeder's to support their own emphasis on height, substance, or elegance. However, if you look at the phrase in the context of the sentence, it is not discussing any of those things. In fact, it is talking about the dog's overall balance. The Great Dane does not give the appearance of disjointed parts. It is put together and moves as a single unit, an Athletic quality.
Sentence #4
A Great Dane must be spirited, courageous, never timid; always friendly and dependable.
I often want to cry when I read this. Here it is, right in the standard. This is an optional quality, this is part of Great Dane breed type. This isn't worded hopefully, but with an imperative "must" and absolute "never" with absolute "always." A Great Dane lacking that friendly, trustworthy temperament is as poor of a specimen as a Great Dane lacking size or substance.
Sentence #5
This physical and mental combination is the characteristic which gives the Great Dane the majesty possessed by no other breed.
This statement draws the previous four together and establishes them as the differentiating characteristics of the breed. No single attribute is enough, but putting all of these together, including the temperament, is why Great Danes are so striking. If you don't include any part of that, you are missing an important piece.
Sentence #6
It is particularly true of this breed that there is an impression of great masculinity in dogs, as compared to an impression of femininity in bitches.
Here we have an important refinement, establishing that there should be a visible difference between the sexes. In generally, we seem to be good on this as a breed, although to the untrained eye all Great Danes seem to be males... :-)
Sentence #7
Lack of true Dane breed type, as defined in this standard, is a serious fault.
This statement has always puzzled me a bit. It seems to say that the the Great Dane doesn't meet the characteristics of the standard, that's a problem. Well, of course, that's a problem. That is the point of the standard. This isn't even a boilerplate statement, that I can tell. I don't recall seeing anything like it in other standards. So, since this is closing the general appearance paragraph, I take it as a sort of closing summary. I might paraphrase it as follows:
If you have a dog that is lacking these attributes (height, substance, elegance, athleticism, mental stability), that's a big problem. The details on this are contained in the rest of the standard.
So... There is a summation of the Great Dane. We can argue about angles and all the rest, but we must, as a breed get these things right first.
http://www.akc.org/breeds/great_dane/breed_standard.cfm
At the top of that link is the General Appearance section. It is a summary of what the dog should look like and sets the tone for the rest of the document. I've reproduced it here:
The Great Dane combines, in its regal appearance, dignity, strength and elegance with great size and a powerful, well-formed, smoothly muscled body. It is one of the giant working breeds, but is unique in that its general conformation must be so well balanced that it never appears clumsy, and shall move with a long reach and powerful drive. It is always a unit-the Apollo of dogs. A Great Dane must be spirited, courageous, never timid; always friendly and dependable. This physical and mental combination is the characteristic which gives the Great Dane the majesty possessed by no other breed. It is particularly true of this breed that there is an impression of great masculinity in dogs, as compared to an impression of femininity in bitches. Lack of true Dane breed type, as defined in this standard, is a serious fault.
Further sections go in to detail on a lot of the points. But I want to make a case based on this general description. In the dog world there are taller dogs, such as the Irish Wolfhound. There are also much heavier/bulkier dogs, such as the Mastiff. There are significantly more elegant dogs, such as the Saluki. Finally, there are more athletic dogs, too numerous to name. If I read this correctly (of course I do!), then the Great Dane is singular not because it exceeds those breeds in any one of these attributes, but because it combines all of them (height, substance, elegance and athleticism) in a single dog.
Truthfully, I think that the paragraph stands on it's own, but I will go sentence by sentence, much like a biblical scholar and give an exposition.
Sentence #1
The Great Dane combines, in its regal appearance, dignity, strength and elegance with great size and a powerful, well-formed, smoothly muscled body.
This is the keystone of the general appearance and, in fact the whole standard. When you look at a Great Dane, these are the attributes that should stick out to you. This is 3 of my four characteristics, but it's worth noting that athleticism is, at best, only implied here. The first impression of a Great Dane should always be that of a large, regal, powerful dog.
Sentence #2
It is one of the giant working breeds, but is unique in that its general conformation must be so well balanced that it never appears clumsy, and shall move with a long reach and powerful drive
This is the first point at which the Great Dane is compared to other dogs, specifically the other giant working breeds. This is a kind of vague category but the first dogs that come to mind are the Mastiff and Bullmastiff. The Great Dane, then, is compared against this back drop of large, more lumbering breeds. However, it is not stated that the Great Dane should be "more balanced, and less clumsy" than those breeds. The wording is absolute and imperative. Truthfully, this whole sentence is dedicated to making one distinction: a Great Dane is not just large, it is also athletic.
Sentence #3
It is always a unit-the Apollo of dogs.
This is short and to the point, enhancing the above statement. But this single phrase "the Apollo of dogs," is often misunderstood and misused. I have often heard this phrase used by breeder's to support their own emphasis on height, substance, or elegance. However, if you look at the phrase in the context of the sentence, it is not discussing any of those things. In fact, it is talking about the dog's overall balance. The Great Dane does not give the appearance of disjointed parts. It is put together and moves as a single unit, an Athletic quality.
Sentence #4
A Great Dane must be spirited, courageous, never timid; always friendly and dependable.
I often want to cry when I read this. Here it is, right in the standard. This is an optional quality, this is part of Great Dane breed type. This isn't worded hopefully, but with an imperative "must" and absolute "never" with absolute "always." A Great Dane lacking that friendly, trustworthy temperament is as poor of a specimen as a Great Dane lacking size or substance.
Sentence #5
This physical and mental combination is the characteristic which gives the Great Dane the majesty possessed by no other breed.
This statement draws the previous four together and establishes them as the differentiating characteristics of the breed. No single attribute is enough, but putting all of these together, including the temperament, is why Great Danes are so striking. If you don't include any part of that, you are missing an important piece.
Sentence #6
It is particularly true of this breed that there is an impression of great masculinity in dogs, as compared to an impression of femininity in bitches.
Here we have an important refinement, establishing that there should be a visible difference between the sexes. In generally, we seem to be good on this as a breed, although to the untrained eye all Great Danes seem to be males... :-)
Sentence #7
Lack of true Dane breed type, as defined in this standard, is a serious fault.
This statement has always puzzled me a bit. It seems to say that the the Great Dane doesn't meet the characteristics of the standard, that's a problem. Well, of course, that's a problem. That is the point of the standard. This isn't even a boilerplate statement, that I can tell. I don't recall seeing anything like it in other standards. So, since this is closing the general appearance paragraph, I take it as a sort of closing summary. I might paraphrase it as follows:
If you have a dog that is lacking these attributes (height, substance, elegance, athleticism, mental stability), that's a big problem. The details on this are contained in the rest of the standard.
So... There is a summation of the Great Dane. We can argue about angles and all the rest, but we must, as a breed get these things right first.
Monday, September 23, 2013
On Music and Insanity
There are a number of songs that resonate with me for different reasons. At the most general level, I like songs with wit and songs that I can steal a bit of emotional energy from. This is why I have both "Barenaked Ladies" and "Celldweller" songs in my list of most played songs. There are, however, a group of songs that are in there for a more thematic reason:
Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
Rolling Stones - Paint it Black
The Who - Behind Blue Eyes
Tears for Fears - Mad World
Korn - Coming Undone
Drowning Pool - Bodies
Doors - People Are Strange
Yes.... I seem to collect songs that revolve around insanity. This is a very personal thing for me. Mental health has been an intense subject in my family at times. Of course, for me, the most intimate encounter was my own diagnosis of ADD. Although ADD is usually thought of just as a "focus" issue, there are often significant behavioral and emotional issues that come along for the ride. (If you're having a "But you're not ADD!" moment, please keep in mind that I've been medicated for ADD most of my life and have worked a lot of coping mechanisms.) In additional to behavioral, emotional, and other direct effects of having a mental "illness" (I would call it more of a malfunction) there are additional self-perception and social issues.
There is certainly a stigma against the mentally ill. There is definitely a stigma against folks who have had to spend time in an "institution." Even as I write this, I want to hurry to qualify that I haven't been in an "institution," because I'm afraid that anything I have to say would be immediately disqualified if I had. We don't trust people who are unstable. Certainly media doesn't ever portray someone (like me, I think) who is mentally ill, but through the power of modern medicine is also high-functioning and has a handle on life.
Beyond this, even "high functioning" individuals have an internal stigma. We will always hold ourselves, if not as "less", then certainly as "other" than someone who is "normal." We are acutely aware of those things that we are constantly struggling with that seem so easy to other people. We know when the frayed edges are showing, even if no one else notices anything different. We feel like we are clinging to the pieces our lives with a tenuous grip, always about to slip through our fingers.
But this isn't about anyone's personal struggles, this is about the music...
I imagine anyone who reads this is familiar with at least one of these songs. Chances are pretty good you even enjoy listening to one of those songs. I mean, these are not esoteric Indie artists. These are popular songs that have all had success as singles. So... While I don't have statistics on the percentage of the population who are struggling with mental illness, I'm pretty sure that it isn't high enough to have a noticeable impact on the music industry.
So... Doesn't that mean that these songs probably resonate with "normal" people as well? If that's the case, what are these songs really about? Alienation is certainly a strong theme. We've all been there. Certainly we all hit that point during our teenage years, but I think we also still go there at times. Sitting with our morning coffee, or perhaps in the car during our morning commute, we wonder if we have a connection to anything around us.
Impending loss of control is the second strong theme. If I ever get around to it, I'll share my opinion on "civilization," but in the mean time I'll give you this thought: it is a very complex thing to be a civilized modern human. Some time, or another, we all get to the point where we feel like we are ready to throw of the last shreds of our civilized demeanor. Most of us go there at least once during our daily commute. But, even beyond road rage, we have the stress of being tugged multiple directions at once. There are days when there are so many phone calls, emails, pressing errands, and people we really ought to be interacting with that we just don't know where to start. The pressure to do and accomplish is often so strong that we'd know that "one more thing" and we will simply stop functioning as a human...
Okay... So maybe it isn't about the music after all... But, perhaps we can recognize that in the end, we are all struggling to keep it together, and that's okay.
Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
Rolling Stones - Paint it Black
The Who - Behind Blue Eyes
Tears for Fears - Mad World
Korn - Coming Undone
Drowning Pool - Bodies
Doors - People Are Strange
Yes.... I seem to collect songs that revolve around insanity. This is a very personal thing for me. Mental health has been an intense subject in my family at times. Of course, for me, the most intimate encounter was my own diagnosis of ADD. Although ADD is usually thought of just as a "focus" issue, there are often significant behavioral and emotional issues that come along for the ride. (If you're having a "But you're not ADD!" moment, please keep in mind that I've been medicated for ADD most of my life and have worked a lot of coping mechanisms.) In additional to behavioral, emotional, and other direct effects of having a mental "illness" (I would call it more of a malfunction) there are additional self-perception and social issues.
There is certainly a stigma against the mentally ill. There is definitely a stigma against folks who have had to spend time in an "institution." Even as I write this, I want to hurry to qualify that I haven't been in an "institution," because I'm afraid that anything I have to say would be immediately disqualified if I had. We don't trust people who are unstable. Certainly media doesn't ever portray someone (like me, I think) who is mentally ill, but through the power of modern medicine is also high-functioning and has a handle on life.
Beyond this, even "high functioning" individuals have an internal stigma. We will always hold ourselves, if not as "less", then certainly as "other" than someone who is "normal." We are acutely aware of those things that we are constantly struggling with that seem so easy to other people. We know when the frayed edges are showing, even if no one else notices anything different. We feel like we are clinging to the pieces our lives with a tenuous grip, always about to slip through our fingers.
But this isn't about anyone's personal struggles, this is about the music...
I imagine anyone who reads this is familiar with at least one of these songs. Chances are pretty good you even enjoy listening to one of those songs. I mean, these are not esoteric Indie artists. These are popular songs that have all had success as singles. So... While I don't have statistics on the percentage of the population who are struggling with mental illness, I'm pretty sure that it isn't high enough to have a noticeable impact on the music industry.
So... Doesn't that mean that these songs probably resonate with "normal" people as well? If that's the case, what are these songs really about? Alienation is certainly a strong theme. We've all been there. Certainly we all hit that point during our teenage years, but I think we also still go there at times. Sitting with our morning coffee, or perhaps in the car during our morning commute, we wonder if we have a connection to anything around us.
Impending loss of control is the second strong theme. If I ever get around to it, I'll share my opinion on "civilization," but in the mean time I'll give you this thought: it is a very complex thing to be a civilized modern human. Some time, or another, we all get to the point where we feel like we are ready to throw of the last shreds of our civilized demeanor. Most of us go there at least once during our daily commute. But, even beyond road rage, we have the stress of being tugged multiple directions at once. There are days when there are so many phone calls, emails, pressing errands, and people we really ought to be interacting with that we just don't know where to start. The pressure to do and accomplish is often so strong that we'd know that "one more thing" and we will simply stop functioning as a human...
Okay... So maybe it isn't about the music after all... But, perhaps we can recognize that in the end, we are all struggling to keep it together, and that's okay.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Disclaimer
I enjoy the company of a very diverse set of friends and acquaintances. It should come as no surprise, then, that I don't agree with the religious and political views of all of these friends and acquaintances. Because of this, I try to be careful with what I post on Facebook. I find no value in stirring up controversy. This is particularly true in the current American social climate where it seems that no issue is complete without controversy.
Those rules do not apply to this blog. While I do not intend to post anything overtly offensive, I do intend to post opinions that I hold. Sometimes those opinions may offend you. Often, you will not agree with those opinions. I will welcome your well-reasoned attempts to change my opinion. If it bothers you that I simply have a different opinion than you, you are encouraged to remain silent.
Please also keep in mind that although I've learned to temper and control it a good bit, I still have running through my veins the "Anderson" blood. Although the Andersons are swedish in decent, they seem to have a more Irish temperament. I also am a designer of computer programs. This means that in a good week, I spend a significant amount of time debating from vague principles to detailed minutiae, with a good dose of semantics thrown in.
So, can you expect that there may be a good amount of heated discussion... with a purpose. The opposite side of this is that any opinion I currently hold may be changed or tempered with reasonable discussion. So, if you have the fortitude, feel free to engage me. If you don't, I will try to mark topics that could cause controversy so that you can skip them and not be offended.
The purpose of this blog
This blog is about me. It's not really about you. When it is about you, it's not really about YOU you, unless you want it to be. You see, I love to create. It doesn't really matter much to me what it is I create. I tend to dabble in whatever catches my interest at the time. This is because, to me, creation isn't about making something. It's about exploration. It's about understanding a process that I never understood before, then quietly slipping that process into my back pocket, should I ever need it. I'm not ashamed to say that I have a ton of half-finished "projects," scattered about my life. These are projects that I will likely never go back and finish, and that's okay. I learned a lot from each of those projects and I think they have made me better.
Among those half-finished projects are blogs that I've started and haven't kept up with. Each blog surrounded something I felt I had to say. "I can speak intelligently on this topic," I said to myself. And so, I built myself a platform and I spoke intelligently... And found I had little else I wanted to say regarding that thing. But I always seem to have *something* to say. Although my parents didn't make a big deal out of it (there are a lot of things like this), they have always breathed into my brother and I the mindset of an educator. When I understand something, it is often important to me to be able to share that understanding and hopefully enrich the lives of those it touches. Originally, this was blog was going to be titled "Bullets in the Dark," with the idea that I would write focused, tight, epistles to no one in particular, that might have a direct impact on their life.
But this blog isn't about you. It isn't about the topics. It's about me. Writing, for me, is just part of my process of understanding. It lets me view my thoughts through an outside eye and then see if they stand up in the cold light of day. I imagine there will be a lot of things that I start to write that you will never see. That's okay. In the end, this is my creative journal. A place for me to leave a few footprints in the sand.
Among those half-finished projects are blogs that I've started and haven't kept up with. Each blog surrounded something I felt I had to say. "I can speak intelligently on this topic," I said to myself. And so, I built myself a platform and I spoke intelligently... And found I had little else I wanted to say regarding that thing. But I always seem to have *something* to say. Although my parents didn't make a big deal out of it (there are a lot of things like this), they have always breathed into my brother and I the mindset of an educator. When I understand something, it is often important to me to be able to share that understanding and hopefully enrich the lives of those it touches. Originally, this was blog was going to be titled "Bullets in the Dark," with the idea that I would write focused, tight, epistles to no one in particular, that might have a direct impact on their life.
But this blog isn't about you. It isn't about the topics. It's about me. Writing, for me, is just part of my process of understanding. It lets me view my thoughts through an outside eye and then see if they stand up in the cold light of day. I imagine there will be a lot of things that I start to write that you will never see. That's okay. In the end, this is my creative journal. A place for me to leave a few footprints in the sand.
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