The beauty of love as it was made to be

 I love songs that are true. Songs that tell you about partying, glamor, and degrading you based on your social status ("she's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers": BARF) are so unrealistic. Not only could I have written them hanging from a tree making loud monkey noises, but they don't mean anything. They sing about the world we think we live in, the one that is an illusion. Take these lyrics, for example. I reckon they took experience, spirit, and heart to write them, not adolescent hormones.

 Love it will not betray you
Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free
Be more like the man you were made to be
There is a design, an alignment, a cry
Of my heart to see,
The beauty of love as it was made to be.

This is so true, and everyone feels this cry from their heart to see the beauty he sings of. The only difference, is those who are patient, and those who are not. Friends of mine -- and others I know -- have already been through three, four, even five relationships. How long did they last? A few months if they were lucky. They are feeling this cry, but instead of letting it take its course, they are shoving it through their system, and looking for the love. As a result, they have multiple shattered friendships behind them and still the alignment is out of whack. Humans don't finish developing until their early twenties, not our teens people.
And what about me? How many boys have I held hands with? The answer is none. Is it because I'm a nerd? I doubt it. Maybe I'm socially awkward? Sure hope not. It's because I'm waiting for the cry. I have not yet felt its lusty tug, nor gone in search of it, and though I may not know how to write a breakup letter, I am better off than most of my peers. I am whole and undamaged, having not felt the loss of one whose affections I thought would never leave. Patience truly is a virtue.

These lyrics were from "Sigh No More" by Mumford & Sons

Now I know you'll be listening.....

They may not be your favorite band in the world, but you know without any doubt, that they are the best band that you will ever hear. Do you think you know who I'm talking about? You probably didn't think it was Wilco. This band can do anything. They do everything. And they do everything better than everyone else. You want a rock song? Try Heavy Metal Drummer. A slow song? She's A Jar is one of many. "Upper" songs? ELT does the job. How about country? Just look at their album titled "A.M."  But do you want to hear the best piece of music in the world? Impossible Germany. Just look at what it has to say-

This was still new to me,
I wouldn't understand.
Impossible Germany,
Unlikely Japan.
This is what love is for,
To be out of place.
Gorgeous and alone,
Face to face.

With no larger problems,
That need to be erased.
Nothing more important,
Than to know someone's listening,
Now I know you'll be listening....

How do you interpret these? There are so many things these can mean. I believe they are telling us, that people can find love in such unexpected places. In World War II, Germany and Japan were allies. Please set aside for a moment the atrocities they committed and look at it this way -- two countries that were as different and foreign to one another as they can be saw something in the other. They joined forces.
Is this not like two people, different as can be, finding love together? A doctor and a janitor; a 25-year-old and a 40-year-old; a black woman and a Chinese man; you name it. I see this song telling you to keep your mind open, because "this is what love is for, to be out of place." This song also preaches of two lovers listening to one another, because what the other has to say is very important, thus the jam in the second half. It represents all the communication that passes between two people, and how powerful is that? Every time I hear this song, it nearly brings me to tears. I hope you too will see how amazing this band is, and that they are right about everything.

"Impossible Germany" by Wilco

E A D G B E

Today, I learned how to play guitar. Well, sort of. Rock stars make it look easy, but let me tell you; it's a rough start. To begin, let's make sure we have our terminology right- frets the spaces between the shiny metal bars where you push down, the neck is the long, narrow part where the frets are, and the body is the peanut shaped bottom that makes the sound. There's more, but let's go easy on us beginners. To strum, you run your thumb down the strings over the string hole, putting the same amount of pressure on each string to get an even, blended sound. Then, to play a chord, you need to place the right fingers over the right string in the right place on the right fret and strum on the right strings with your other hand. And not only that, but you have to make sure that your fingers aren't accidentally muting any other strings, pushing down hard enough, and in the correct form. PHEW! I'm done already! Why should I even play this thing in the first place? Well, everything we listen to these days has a guitar it it. Whether it be acoustic, electric, base (or is it bass....?) has guitar in it, so since I listen to music constantly in my life, I figured it a good idea to learn. I'll be playing rock songs in no time! Right. After about an hour, I have four chords down. Some involve one finger, two fingers, and all the way up to three and four. The strings have letters too, in the order of EADGBE. It's tough to keep them all straight, and I better get used to Mary Had a Little Lamb for a while here. But hey, Jimmie Hendrix isn't worshiped for playing a kazoo.

Today, I'll leave you with the comforting guitar of Ryan Adams with "Magnolia Mountain." (please notice that this link has an incorrect artist name)