I used to play piano as a kid, never learning how to actually read music, I would memorize how the songs sounded and then plunk away at them at home in between lessons so I could play them from memory while appearing to read the notes on the paper. I still haven't learned how to read music.
I have a guitar, it sits either in it's case (when I'm cleaning) or out on it's stand (when I feel like it's "time to learn how to play the guitar"). I still haven't learned how to play.
I love music, it touches me more than any other art form I know of. I like photography but often I am not moved by another photographer's work, I simply like to take photos. Movies, eh, I can find them entertaining, perhaps shed a tear now and then. But I can remember exactly what song what playing and where I was when I found out the best friend of my unknowing highschool crush died..."I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston, played over and over as I sat crying in my room, thinking that he must be hurting so much right then. It still gives me pangs. When the song comes on that reminds me of when my Great Grandma died, I smile because I know she's looking down on me with her husband making sure I don't run out of gas before I get to the gas station. Certain George Winston songs remind me of Christmas at my house, and I can almost smell the cinnamon water my mom boils to make the house smell good during the holidays.
Music touches my heart and it brings me to another place in time. It is hard for me to move away from songs that are tied to a strong memory. With any sense-memory, they put me right back where I was, what I was feeling, good or bad. Some songs I wish I could listen to without having that effect but it will never be.
For better or worse, music will inspire me and haunt me. I hope someday that I can compose something that someone will feel touched by...until then, I will keep taking in the inspirations that others put out on the airwaves. Music is sharing someone's emotion through time and space.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
What I know about Sundays.
Sundays are delectable. They are slow, relaxed, peaceful periods of time where I collect my thoughts and get ready for another hectic week. I've tried to find a way to make all my days Sundays but as of yet I still have a lot of Mondays on my schedule.
I'm not entirely convinced that Sundays are they way they are simply because they don't contain work. I work on Sundays, photoshop, housework, etc. But something about them is different from any other day on the week. Mondays are just painful, starting a long uphill battle to the next delicious Sunday. Tuesday doesn't really hold a lot of feelings for me either way, other than being happy Monday is over. Wednesday is pretty much the same as Tuesdays except there is a hint in the air of resignation at the fact that it's the middle of the week no matter how you look at it and you move on. Thursdays for me are really my Fridays as I have Friday off of my full-time job. So I get excited for Thursdays. It means sleeping in the next morning. Fridays, while they are the end of the work week for most people, are my productive days. Still during the work week, Fridays make running errands easier, since most people aren't out shopping and I can avoid the craziness of Saturday shoppers. Saturdays, since I work, are a wasted day of the weekend until after 4 pm and then it's time to prepare for Sundays. My day :)
There are a myriad of things I do with my Sundays, firstly including sleeping in a bit later than usual (I wake up about the time I'm normally expected at work...feels a bit devious even if I wasn't supposed to be at work anyway). Second, coffee. I have coffee almost every day but it is usually in a nondescript paper cup with a plastic lid that doesn't evoke any emotion or offer any comfort. My Sunday coffee is in a cup of my choosing, which I believe makes or breaks the day. Today it's my T.G.I.F (Thank God I'm Fabulous) cup, which always means it's going to be a good day. As I sip my coffee, this morning I'm writing this blog but other mornings may be spent with my cat, Lola, perched on my lap while I sit on the chaise lounge in front of my window. Right now she is on her perch, which is another popular spot for her on most days. Lastly comes the list of things I COULD do today, which is different than the list of things I SHOULD do on any given day.
1. Nap (this is always a top of the list item)
2. Crochet (still trying to finish that burgundy afghan I started about 8 years ago)
3. Organize my photographs (an on-going project I chip away at)
4. Cook
I stop here because this item on the list is an important one for me. It's fall time in MN, which means the start of chili season (excuse the segway) and chili for me is a wonderfully awesome activity for a Sunday...which is why we often have chili on hand in the fall/winter months. Combining all the ingredients into a pot and letting it simmer for most of the day is perfection. Ok, back to the list.
5. Photoshop (I am constantly honing my skills and a day without actual work means I can play).
6. Photography
7. Chatting with friends and family
8. Writing letters (I am trying to bring back that wonderful tradition, as I know I am excited when I get a letter in the mail from a friend).
9. Crafting
10. ...
I leave 10 open because I never seem to get all the way down there. My list of things to do is filled with things that make me happy no matter which one I choose. I realized a couple of weeks ago that my posting on Facebook of disliking my return to reality after an amazing weekend was sort of depressing. Why do I feel depressed when I go back to my life after doing something fun? Could it be that I need to fill my life with more Sundays? I think so. So I challenge you to find your Sunday, whatever that means to you, and fill your life with with that day. Even if you just insert a Sunday hour into each day, it will make you a happier person I guarantee it. So...how is your Sunday?
I'm not entirely convinced that Sundays are they way they are simply because they don't contain work. I work on Sundays, photoshop, housework, etc. But something about them is different from any other day on the week. Mondays are just painful, starting a long uphill battle to the next delicious Sunday. Tuesday doesn't really hold a lot of feelings for me either way, other than being happy Monday is over. Wednesday is pretty much the same as Tuesdays except there is a hint in the air of resignation at the fact that it's the middle of the week no matter how you look at it and you move on. Thursdays for me are really my Fridays as I have Friday off of my full-time job. So I get excited for Thursdays. It means sleeping in the next morning. Fridays, while they are the end of the work week for most people, are my productive days. Still during the work week, Fridays make running errands easier, since most people aren't out shopping and I can avoid the craziness of Saturday shoppers. Saturdays, since I work, are a wasted day of the weekend until after 4 pm and then it's time to prepare for Sundays. My day :)
There are a myriad of things I do with my Sundays, firstly including sleeping in a bit later than usual (I wake up about the time I'm normally expected at work...feels a bit devious even if I wasn't supposed to be at work anyway). Second, coffee. I have coffee almost every day but it is usually in a nondescript paper cup with a plastic lid that doesn't evoke any emotion or offer any comfort. My Sunday coffee is in a cup of my choosing, which I believe makes or breaks the day. Today it's my T.G.I.F (Thank God I'm Fabulous) cup, which always means it's going to be a good day. As I sip my coffee, this morning I'm writing this blog but other mornings may be spent with my cat, Lola, perched on my lap while I sit on the chaise lounge in front of my window. Right now she is on her perch, which is another popular spot for her on most days. Lastly comes the list of things I COULD do today, which is different than the list of things I SHOULD do on any given day.
1. Nap (this is always a top of the list item)
2. Crochet (still trying to finish that burgundy afghan I started about 8 years ago)
3. Organize my photographs (an on-going project I chip away at)
4. Cook
I stop here because this item on the list is an important one for me. It's fall time in MN, which means the start of chili season (excuse the segway) and chili for me is a wonderfully awesome activity for a Sunday...which is why we often have chili on hand in the fall/winter months. Combining all the ingredients into a pot and letting it simmer for most of the day is perfection. Ok, back to the list.
5. Photoshop (I am constantly honing my skills and a day without actual work means I can play).
6. Photography
7. Chatting with friends and family
8. Writing letters (I am trying to bring back that wonderful tradition, as I know I am excited when I get a letter in the mail from a friend).
9. Crafting
10. ...
I leave 10 open because I never seem to get all the way down there. My list of things to do is filled with things that make me happy no matter which one I choose. I realized a couple of weeks ago that my posting on Facebook of disliking my return to reality after an amazing weekend was sort of depressing. Why do I feel depressed when I go back to my life after doing something fun? Could it be that I need to fill my life with more Sundays? I think so. So I challenge you to find your Sunday, whatever that means to you, and fill your life with with that day. Even if you just insert a Sunday hour into each day, it will make you a happier person I guarantee it. So...how is your Sunday?
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