SO…It’s the holiday season, and Christmas songs are currently playing everywhere you go. We sing them so flippantly and melodically. It’s almost automatic.
As I was driving in my car a couple of days ago, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen was playing on a cd in my car, and I actually took the time to think about the lyrics “…oohh tidings of comfort and joy.”
Comfort and joy…is exactly what I need to hear right now as my migraines and neurological issues are constantly robbing me of my peace.
Comfort and joy…in the fact that God is always there for me no matter where I am.
Comfort and joy…in knowing that my life is full of blessings, and that I cannot sacrifice enough for the sake others.
Comfort and joy…in believing that I have a purpose that goes beyond my own life.
Comfort and joy…in Jesus.
I love Sarah McLachlan’s voice in this Barenaked Ladies’ folky bluegrass version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen:
I recently returned from a two-week business trip to New Orleans. The one free weekend we had there held Halloween, Voodoo Music Festival and the Saints/Steelers NFL game. It was crowded and chaotic all weekend, and I’m glad that my newly found co-worker buddies and I got to experience it the way we did. I would definitely revisit New Orleans!
Jazz Band on a corner of Frenchman
"Spontaneous band combustion" everywhere you go in N.O.
Bourbon Street Halloween Night
Greenwood Cemetery
My observations and experience in the city had me excited at first, but upon leaving, I was honestly heartbroken and even empty. I fell in love with the city but as the two weeks panned out, I began to distance myself as there ended up being eight known murders. I asked myself: “There has to be more to New Orleans than ‘this’ right?”
Taken from my hotel window in Metairie
I Wish I Knew
Was there light before dark?
Spirit before flesh?
Love before lust?
I wish I knew you
Before she drowned your heart
Scattered your seed
leaving you half empty
Now what is left?
What is your identity
when all I hear is ‘Who dat?’
I wish I knew you
So much history, culture, music,
soul
Does anyone know that part?
Did she take it away?
Maybe she added one more battle scar to be blue
I wish I knew you
before saints were more than just a team in a dome
Before citizens were without guilt by association with the name of a city
In 2007, I was diagnosed with premature ventricular complexes (PVCs). During the last couple of weeks, I’ve been feeling dizzy, light-headed, and my heart palpitations have grown stronger, leaving me short of breath, fatigued, and…worried. I just started a new job at the beginning of this month (October), and I am currently learning about the functions of the human heart, moreover atrial fibrillation. So here I’ve been, reading and feeling each symptom in my own body, wondering if what I have could be deadly. Well last Thursday, it felt pretty darn close.
I went to the doctor Thursday morning, and after noticing that my PVCs have increased in frequency and strength, my doctor put me on a Holter monitor, which records my heart rhythms over a 24 our period.
That night, on my way to pick up my dad from LAX, my heart hurt as it felt as it was struggling to pump, which caused me to lose breath. I got out of the car at LAX to help my dad load his bags, and I felt my left arm and leg tingle in a numbing sensation. I said nothing because my dad had a fellow employee with him.
After we dropped off my dad’s coworker, I updated my dad on my condition. He was worried of course.
As soon as we got home, I told him I wanted to go to the emergency room. It was 8:30pm.
At the hospital they put me on every machine, took a chest X-ray, a CT-Scan, and monitored my EKG. My PVCs were averaging 16 per minute.
The doctors decided to keep me in the hospital overnight.
I woke up at 6:30am to my primary care doctor, checking on me, asking how I was feeling. He stated that the recent monitoring of my heart showed NO PVCs!
I couldn’t believe it. They kept me (and my devoted girlfriend) there a few more hours running an echocardiogram to measure the structure and function of my heart.
Around 5pm, they discharged me with no definite cause of the problem that put me in the hospital. The doctors, including my primary care doctor told me that it’s most likely due to stress and anxiety especially because I just started my new job.
Surprisingly (oh me of little faith right?), my PVCs have diminished substantially. My heartbeat is pretty much back to normal, but I still get lightheaded when I walk around. Sometimes I feel like I’m going to pass out. We’ll fix that problem later I guess. I’m just glad my heart went back to its original ways.
All this to say, that I’m amazed at our bodies. You know, our bodies that we abuse each day by losing sleep, not exercising, and eating garbage fast food. I’m amazed that they can function and stay alive despite our indifference towards them.
If you took some time to study how the heart works…JUST our heart alone, you’d realize how vital it is to take care of this precious life preserver, this muscle, this source of life.
Take care of yourself. Take care of your heart. It’s a gift.
I leave you with this quote from Gianna Jessen, abortion survivor.
Don’t you realize that you cannot even make your own heart beat? It is the mercy of God that sustains you.
Again: Take care of yourself. Take care of your heart. It’s a gift.
We’ve all been caught up in the same vicious cycle of relationship issues.
At some point, we become disoriented, tired of running in circles only to face the inevitable:
resolve and continue or
call it quits.
I’ve been in relationships that could’ve lasted for a long time, and I’ve been in relationships that lasted for years only to fall apart for various typical reasons because all I did was sweep problems under the rug. Sometimes I’d ask “If I had acted this way instead of that way, would we still be together?” The tardy questions and the “yes/no/maybe” answers didn’t really matter at that point. It was too late.
The only healthy choice I could make was to move on and reestablish my identity.
you and i
are gonna get it right
don’t let me go
it takes two
to make a leader but
one has to follow
-
help me
help me understand
what we’ve become
we fell apart
and then proceeded to
both play the victim
on and on and on we go just like a carousel that’s lost control
we don’t know why, we don’t know why we go, we go, we go in circles
I want you
more than anything
just as you’re leaving
for every wound
there’s an apology
that’s lost it’s meaning
-
you and I
i think we’re better off
without each other
the last ride
the unavoidable
keeps getting farther
on and on and on we spin to find an end where we begin
we don’t know why, we don’t know why we go we go we go in circles
Two shows that I fell in love with this past decade, well at least the first two seasons of each, were The WB’s Smallville and NBC’s Heroes. It is safe to say that what captivated me and my peers was not only the intriguing characters and relevant plot twists, but also the strive for these extraordinary people to live a normal family life.
For example in Smallville, Clark Kent, in his adolescence always counted on his earth family for values and difficult decisions in his life. In Heroes, Claire Bennet, the indestructible cheerleader played by Hayden Panettiere, had to deal with balancing out her high school experiences, her life’s purpose, and role in her family. Keep in mind that she’s just one of the many in that show that had to learn to keep the family together while having superhuman abilities.
So why did I disconnect after two (and a half) seasons? There are a few reasons I can say, but the underlying reason is that both shows slowly drifted away from the concept of family, and the struggle that comes with keeping harmony in the family. Smallville started to jump on the “Sex Sell” bandwagon and also introduced cheesy superhero costumes, and Heroes went in a million directions with their character development, failing to tie loose ends.
I’m looking forward to next Tuesday as ABC is premiering a new series about a family of super heroes where the focus of the show is to stress the importance of…yes that’s right…FAMILY. While the definition of family has changed over the years, I’m glad there are still writers out there instilling its value.
Here’s the pilot trailer for ABC’s No Ordinary Family:
I’m hoping this show doesn’t deviate too far from its original intent.
I have always been a huge fan of 80′s and 90′s family sitcoms like The Cosby Show, Growing Pains, Full House, Family Matters, Home Improvement, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and the like. These shows had substance and humor, and they brought up everyday family conflict that empathized with kids and adults across America. I have to admit that it was tough to sit through some of the sappy piano moments when the apologies and regret were thrown around, but in reality, I believe that’s what everyone strives for in their lives especially in their family: harmony.
REAL QUICK: Though I gave up during season 3 and 4, I’m happy to know that they’re finally putting an end to Smallville this 10th season (that’s right: 10th), but Heroes didn’t even get a proper burial. NBC just cancelled the show after last season (It’s 4th I believe).
I’ve been listening to 30 Seconds To Mars’ latest album This Is War. While the band’s lyrics remain cryptic about the absolutes of what they believe, I’ve been inspired to say to myself “Stand up for what you believe in,” which I can assume is the theme of the album.
This video and song “Closer to the Edge” had me in tears as I heard and saw what these kids my age and around the world believe in. I don’t blame them. The magnitude of this band and how it can rally these people to believe in something is amazing and inspiring with the way they move the crowd and all. Plus, it looks way more exciting than any church.
Moved by this video, I thought to myself: Why should I ever be timid about what I believe in when I know that the Truth in my life gives me a desire to connect and impact the peers in my generation, the concert goers, the strugglers of faith, the music lovers, the doubters, the searchers, and all the like? All for the better. For unified redemption. For Truth.
What I love about music like this is that it opens up forums, conversations, and even venues for people to express what they believe in whether its religion, politics, morality, love, or leisure as everyone is searching for what “truth” really is. Music has a way of rallying and uniting people.
We share music, our beliefs, and our struggles. We share life.
So it’s been a three week dry spell for a new post on the ol’ so yeah dot net bloggy-poo. I’ll have to be honest, there were times when I just forgot about my blog, and yeah, I had stuff I could’ve written about, but I forgot about my blog altogether as an outlet. Another reason why I haven’t written in a bit is because I have been reading other “How To Blog,” blogs, and my mind was fried in a frenzy. Most blogs said “write short entries,” others said “longer entries are for the more intelligent, etc., etc., blah blah blah…”
Which pretty much just led me to tweet more. Nowadays, I’ve been wanting to lean toward shorter journal entries as I am programmed to keep character count under 140. Pretty lame. I know. THANKS A LOT, TWITTER :sarcasm: Now I’m reminded about the earlier versions of Facebook, and how status updates were limited to a certain amount of characters and even the words “John/Jane Doe is…” Remember those days? Now that’s pretty confined. So blitz blogging isn’t all because of Twitter.
I remember a conversation that I had with a Twitter skeptic that went something like this:
Skeptic: Twitter is stupid. No one knows cares about what you’re doing or what you’re thinking.
Me: Well would you have Twitter if all of your friends were on it?
Skeptic: Hmm…probably
Me: Do you ever update your status on Facebook?
Skeptic: Yeah.
Me: Isn’t that the same thing? People post what they’re doing and what they’re thinking almost all the time. I wish I could respond with “No one cares,” but in reality some people care. So Twitter isn’t as stupid, it’s just more challenging to build a network. Also, it’s not all about networking…
Overall, I enjoy writing, and I hope you love reading. My future blog entries will continue to range from elaborate to straightforward.
I still tweet. Keeping things under 140 characters has it’s advantages and disadvantages. The challenge is adjusting and not being too ignorant to a changing society, while holding on to key constants.
Sometimes the quick advancements of technology frustrate me. When you’re walking out of the front door of a store with a new phone, computer, MP3 player, television, or any other electronic gadget, retailers are already loading in the newer and better devices in the back. Luckily, being a part of “Generation Y” or “The Millennials” gives people like me a higher adaptability due to our affinity for the new goods. My parents and most “baby boomers” however, are getting left behind in the technological world. All they want is a cell phone that can be used for talking and texting (for the more advanced), and they hold on to it until the buttons fall off. We millennials, are more likely to do heavy research on a new phone, weigh the pros and cons about the features, bells, and whistles, and then “commit” to a new two-year contract.
Then what happens? A few weeks or months later, we see something new or different and then start to second (or third or fourth) guess our decision figuring out how much or how long it would take to get out of our contract.
Ah yes. The notion for my way, right away. The mentality of in-demand on-demand to cover up the buyer’s remorse.
Guys.
Two years ago I sat next to an elderly couple on an airplane. They spoke civilly and were very considerate towards each other in their actions. After seeing such appropriate display of affection, I mustered up the courage to speak, and it went something like this.
Me: Excuse me, I hope you don’t mind me asking…uhh…’How long have you been married?”
Husband: Well it’s been 43 years.
Me: Wow. Do you have any advice for people my age on how to sustain a marriage for so long?
Wife: Well you have to communicate and talk things through.
Husband: You find your mate, make a decision, and commit to her no matter how hard things get. There will be hard times, but stick with it…
Being in my late 20′s, the talk of marriage isn’t far from my lips. The same goes for some of my guy friends. We talk about the concept of marriage and our current bf/gf relationships that we’re in (but not IN-in as if we’re already married). We have problems and issues with girlfriends and whether or not the relationships are worth keeping. After all, we didn’t sign a contract right?
My fear is that we become so instinctive to dispose of what we want when we want, that we treat our relationships the same way. Women are obviously worth more than any material item to purchase, and we should choose wisely who we want to commit to and do just that: make a sound decision and stick with it. No matter what you decide, there will always be something or someone out there with different features, bells, whistles, hairstyle, skin, talent, etc. There will be malfunctions and misunderstandings. These things are inevitable. Does that give us the right to run? Yes? No? Maybe? I’m curious to know what others think.
I know there are legitimate and healthy reasons for divorce and separation, and in no way am I saying that all relationships can be transformed into rainbows and butterflies. That’s just ignorant. Moreover, even if bad decisions were made either to begin or end the relationship, I believe God can work all things for the better somehow some way.
Again, I’m reminded about that elderly couple on the airplane who signed that contract and committed to each other for life despite their “buttons falling off” for the past 43 years. They saw value in each other decades ago and didn’t let go of that no matter how the times changed. Nowadays we get so short-sighted due to the influx of immediate options out there, the thought of anything lasting more than two years or more scares us. As for me and any contract I sign or commitment I make, I just want to be faithful to the end. I hope others can agree with me. Let’s help keep each other accountable.
Here’s one of my favorite songs and lyrics about this subject by hip-hop artist, Common:
Lyrics:
Faithful to the end
(We got to be)
Faithful to the end
(I want to be)
Faithful to the end
I’m like her
Very best friend
Yes, this for the people … God moves
I was rolling around, in my mind it occurred
What if God was a Her?
Would I treat her the same?
Would I still be runnin’ game on Her?
In what type of ways would I want Her?
Would I want her for her mind
Or her heavnly body
Couldn’t be out here bogus
With someone so godly
If I was wit her would I still be wantin’ my ex
The lies, the greed, the weed, the sex
Wouldn’t be ashamed to give Her part of my check
Wearing a cross, I mean Her heart on my neck
Her I would refelct
On the streets of the Chi
Ride with her. cause I know for me, she’d die
Though good and bad
Call on her like I’m chirpin Her
Couldn’t be jealous
Cause other brothers worship Her
Walk this Earth for Her
Glory I’m grateful to be in Her presence
I try to stay faithful
Faithful to the end
Faithful to the end
Faithful to the end
I’m like her
Very best friend
He worked with her
She was this lady’s best friend.
Even if they do try, some ladies test men
And this was a test that was bigger than him.
Some believe it’s the nature that’s givin him in
He had a good gig, a wife, a kid, a decent home.
One reason or another, couldn’t find peace at home
She asked, “Why do men always have to stray?”
He said, “I’m bad, but not as bad as Eric Benet.”
I used to take them out to eat
But they weren’t really eatin’
Might have got a little head
But I wadn’t really cheatin’
It’s hard when your lady don’t believe what you sayin
What you did in the past you gotta live with today
She asked if they could spend the night together
He thought and said, “I’m tryin’ to get my life together.”
Went home to his lady
And these were his confessions
“Baby, you a blessin’ and my best friend.”
Faithful to the end
Faithful to the end
Faithful to the end
I’m like her
Very best friend
Fact has it that there is a not-so-secret society among us, a society that is not exclusive, and everyone wants in. Within this group, people have a sense of greatness along with their peers across the globe whom they have never met. I’m not referring to the whispered conspiracies of the free masons or illuminati. The members of this not-so-secret society are both poor and wealthy, and they have resources for each other that can pull each other through tight binds, criticism, and adversity; resources like hope, encouragement, empathy, laughter, tears, and heck…money too. What is the main component that ties these people together? Appreciation…for life, each other, and even God. This appreciation drives joy (and not just happiness) through the roads of their lives. It also fuels the hope for each day they start and finish.
Another featured trait among these people is their attention to effort and detail, the little enhancements that can make life grand. As depicted above, adding a little extra zest to some stock sparkling cider turns a table of “commoners” into a banquet of kings and queens. Does that imply looking down upon others? By no means. While I can try to articulate it in my own words, I believe Coldplay does it so much better with theirs:
People moving all the time inside a perfect straight line
Don’t you wanna curve away?
It’s such it’s such a perfect day, it’s such a perfect day
Whether you’re escaping, conquering, laughing, or crying, there are others right there along with you. Together we push forward, putting in the effort to survive these harsh winters and dry seasons. Globally, we’re non-exclusive, and we differentiate ourselves for the better by being present and encouraging each other. We don’t need all of the money and power in the world to be at the top. We’re on top of the world because of God and each other. We are blessed, “strawberry swingin’” with world-class status.
This is my spoken word about most (not all) of today’s pop music.
Almost all of it sounds the same. Almost none of it is fruitful.
In December 2009, I came up with the idea, wrote some lines, and then moved on in my writing journal. I then wrote the “original” version in Spring 2010 as inspiration from the profound music of Paper Route. I was even able to recite the very first version in front of a couple of the Paper Route band members.
As I was reviewing my writing journal a few days ago, I came upon what I had written in December. It fit perfectly as the beginning to the original version.
So I put the two together and recited it publicly for the first time this week in Covina Park. (The camera was too far to tell, but Mike (guitarist) and I both coincidentally wore Paper Route shirts. I’m also rocking my red PR wristband). I <3 Paper Route.
