Discovering music for the first time.

I love finding new music. Sure, I'm hardly discovering it (as it's been published by someone at least), but there's the thrill of finding a new treasure. I've been searching out musicals recently, and found a very fine French one (Notre Dame de Paris) and a sequel of sorts to the Phantom of the Opera (Love Never Ends). There's some terrific music there, even if I don't understand all the words. I find myself often seeking music of longing and loss, because it tends toward the rich and deep rather than auditory abrasiveness.

 

Music is a language of the heart and soul. It touches a part of us regular language never can, and infuses into our lives without even trying. If math is the language of the universe, then music is the language of everything else. I can't imagine a world without it. I could spend days alone and never know, because I have a century's worth of music bouncing around my mind. Music is as much a part of me as the next breath.

 

With the various online music sites it's a whole lot easier to find new material. Finding enjoyable new music is a treasure--right up there with finding the perfect skipping stone, or your car keys. I wish everyone had exactly my taste, then I'd always find new music. Sadly, or happily, that isn't the case, and so I muddle through and find the occasional gem. But, since I'm not the only one who matters, music is available to everyone of all sorts of tastes. I'm glad I don't rule the world--it'd be very boring for some, exciting for others, and downright terrifying for most!

 

- M

Looking at the past with eyes for the future.

It's good to take stock of your life now and again, examine the things which went right and those that didn't. But, don't dwell on it overmuch or your likely to go mad. I find the exercise valuable in discovering what I'm good and bad at. Plus, it's a great excuse to try new things. I'm trying to think of a good phrase, but the oldie works: "The past is behind you and the future hasn't happened yet, but now is a gift; that's why it's called the present." The longer I live, the more I agree with that statement. It's great to plan for the future, we'd be insane not to, and it's good to examine the past, but the present is a gift we shouldn't ignore.

 

Funny how often philosophical I am. I suppose I've always wanted to be one of the great thinkers of our day, but I've never been discovered for that. Now, I'm happy to let my writing speak for me. If I'm only remembered as a teller of stories, that's fine with me. Stories are a great deal more important than most people realize. Without them, there's no history, no fantasies, and no sharing of events. I can think right now of a dozen stories I've told my kids and the smiles on their faces. What a joy it is to hear, "No, don't stop now. Tell about the squirrels! Or, what about the mouse. I know, tell us about the time you--" I've never felt prouder than hearing my children beg for more stories!

 

I admit to pangs of regrets that too many times I've put a stop to it. Why? Was I busy? Or, maybe in the middle of something? No. I just wanted to stop. Selfish. Ah well, that's part of the joys of youth--being boneheaded. But, because of that, I truly hope I am less that way now. So, my introspection guides me toward a better future, of hope, of eagerness, and of passion. Live to fullness!

 

- M

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's the day of feasting in America. This is an unusual holiday, since it's not typically a holiday where we remember the past but instead talk about current family and what we are thankful for. The holiday has very specific roots, historical events surrounding it, yet we celebrate as a day of thanks rather than a memory. I think the Pilgrims would appreciate that we've carried on their celebration of thanks. Of course, we should still learn the incredible history surrounding this holiday, and the many tribulations the Pilgrims endured (you can read the history from the governor of the Pilgrims, William Bradford here). But, in the end, they gave thanks for their survival.

The painting above was done in the early 1900's by Edward Percy Moran and is titled, "Pilgrims Landing."

And now we feast and celebrate our own good fortunes. Sure, we stuff ourselves with turkey, dressing, pies and all manner of great food. We watch sports, gather together, play games, take naps, and have an all around great time. I hope at some point during all this we thank each other and our creator. Life doesn't offer many times to sit back and enjoy things, so have fun while it lasts. On Monday we go back to work, with turkey sandwiches and other leftovers, to put our noses to the grindstone once again.

 

I pray you all have a wonderful holiday, that you are safe and well. And, don't eat to bursting. There's always leftovers for another day. Treasure your families. Treasure your times together. Treasure the thanks shared by all. This is a day to remember what we have and be thankful for it.

 

- M

Dreaming of days gone by.

One of my favorite activities with friends is to tell tales about things we've done together. Especially games we've played (I know I should outgrow such silly things, but I can't help myself ... I love playing!) We'll talk for hours about silly things, stuff we did, and mostly simply relive times of glory. It's a sort of heroic storytelling I suppose, but mainly we are reviving connections we share and bringing those times to life again. It's wonderful. Knowing this happens makes me all the more likely to play games with my children, so we'll also share those times of connection that are so vastly important to me now. And, playing is what I know best, so why not have fun at the same time?

 

This is called a "fish tornado." Really, it's true.

I talk a lot about fun and imagination (other than writing, it does show up most often in my topics), and that's because I think we lose the ability as we age. It takes a lot of work to maintain my imagination (no, I'm not daydreaming ... I'm working!). Like any muscle, you need to exercise it. Kids do this naturally, but adults must force themselves to have fun and imagine. Gazing at clouds is a good start, but try stepping into the world of your 5 year old's backyard. There be dragons and knights and ninjas and oceans. If you allow your very methodical and mature adult mind to float along, you'll surprise yourself what you find.

 

Telling tales of adventures gone by is a way of reliving them, and cherishing time with friends. We live through the connections we have with people around us. How shallow must life be if we cannot text someone with "!" and not get back a grin. Try it with your special someone. At the very least, you'll get a fun conversation started. Here's a hint: try being mysterious and draw it out so long that your friend completely mistrusts everything you say and won't believe you until they see you in person. Now, that's fun!

 

- M

Who's on first? Secondary characters who take over from the main characters.

Band Aha, music video, "Take on Me"

It's amazing how characters take on a life of their own as you write them. I know I'm not alone in this, because I see it so often. Characters who were slated to be background, secondary, or disposable, hold up their noses and refuse to fall into darkness. They rear up, write themselves a new position, and suddenly flare into fully realized main characters. For those who haven't written much this seems impossible, but trust me that characters have a nasty habit of ignoring your carefully crafted plans and come up with it all themselves.

 

Perhaps this makes me just a teeny bit nuts, but I don't care. Do I ever talk to myself? Silly question. Of course I do, and my characters talk back! That's one of the secrets of writers. We can't contain the story ourselves. Sure, careful thought and planning comes first, but then the specifics will make you change those plans all the time. It's okay. We all have our own methods of writing. Some plan every detail, while others do only generalizations, and still others have no plan other than the beginning. I like having a general outline, but love watching as the characters move around and alter my ideas.

So, sure, it's completely understandable when the main character changes. If it's a natural outcome of the story, then your audience will follow right along. I think one of the biggest mistakes authors make is forcing a main character who has no connection with the audience. We have to care about the main focus of the story, and if we don't then it feels wrong and won't work. Maybe if this is happening to you, it could be a sign that your story needs tweaking rather more than you expected.

 

It's okay. Keep moving on and create the story you deeply want to tell. Now that you know more, maybe starting from the new perspective is a good idea? Or, be like Steven King in the "Stand" and wipe out half of the cast so you can start over. George R.R. Martin loves doing that too, and look how popular "Game of Thrones" has become!

 

- M

Dance! Let it loose and boogie!

Funny how certain things immediately put a smile on your face. Watching people having a great time dancing and flailing around does that for me. I just watched a couple of videos mashing up old movies and modern songs. Those are lots of fun. One particular favorite is Matt Dancing (he dances a silly jig all around the world, and became an internet celebrity due to it). I also enjoy Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. Watching the smiles grow on people's faces is a particular delight.

 

Another aspect of this is the sudden appearance of a mob of singers and dancers. The usual name for this is a "flash mob" and they are amazing to watch. Sadly, I've never been at a location to see one in person, but the many internet videos keep me entertained. Plus, there can be specific events tied together with the sudden appearance of dancers, such as weddings, anniversaries, saying hello, saying goodbye. However, the main reason is just to have fun and be a part of something unique.

 

With two bionic knees, my ability to dance is virtually zero (though, to be honest, I've never really tried). I think it'd be fun to try, and I'm sure my wife would enjoy it. There's real magic in dance, especially moving together with someone else. The pair create a whole greater than the sum of the parts. And, watching the fluid movements and incredible synergy makes me willing to give it a try--I'll even buy my wife steel toed shoes for the inevitable foot stomping I'll do.

 

- M

Fear. The soul-crushing enemy of us all.

There's a phrase that is one of the most biting and accurate ones of them all: "Mind numbing fear." It really is incredible what fear does to a person. We've all felt it, and probably more than we'd like. The funny thing is, when it's in a controlled environment (such as a roller coaster or a scary movie) we actively seek out being terrified. But, in the wide world it's something that all too often stops us in our tracks and prevents us from moving forward.

 

I bring it up due to recent events, but also to point out that stories give us an outlet for these fears. Much has been created mainly because the author is working out fears and how to react to them. Since we can all relate, these stories resonate strongly within us. I think it's why the Horror genre even exists in the first place (though nearly any genre can have aspects of fear). We want to see mythical figures deal with fears that are all too real. Sure, we may not ever face maniacs with guns or fight dragons, but fear is fear.

 

My dad told me that we all face fear, but courage is the willingness to stand up and not back away. There are many ways to judge the character of someone, and courage under fear is a great measure. Sure, life isn't like stories where we know everything turns out alright in the end. Life is much more complex than that. But, it sure doesn't hurt to immerse yourself in a good story and let it wash past you, at least for a while. Things really do work out in the end, don't they?

 

- M