Shower Power

Excuse the cheesy rhyme, but I could not resist. I have often said the places where I have the best ideas and the most meaningful thoughts are in my car on a long distance drive, and in the shower. It is as though you are encapsulated in these somewhat small spaces, and you become vacuum sealed allowing all of your greatness to ooze from your pores. It is a complaint I have often had because I struggle to recall the details of my thoughts long enough to get my pen in hand. 

This morning in the shower, I started to formulate some organized thoughts about a piece I have been conceptualizing for several weeks and have yet to move past brief jottings. As I was shampooing my hair it was as though I was massaging the thoughts right out of my brain. And I panicked. I had just started my shower, and washing my hair is the first thing I do following the initial warm water rinse. How in the world was I going to remember all of these ideas through the conditioning rinse, the body wash, face scrub, and a leg and pits shave? And like a computer my mind started to create a graphic organizer. It was a desperate attempt to create an image and take a mental snapshot, so I could hold onto the brainstorm until I could get my hands on my journal.

By the time I was exfoliating my face, I got distracted and started to wonder why this always happens. Why, during the two most difficult times to take pen in hand and jot your thoughts, do the ideas start to flow? And just like that my brain was on another tangent. This one. And I think I may have figured it out. Driving down a monotonous highway with the hum of the tires along the road, and no distracting chatter because I have no passengers, allows my mind to be cognitively clear and relaxed. The driving part is automatic, and therefore my mind is free to think about whatever it wants. 

The same could be said for a shower, with the added benefit of physiological relaxation. You step into the chamber and hot water washes down over you relaxing your muscles, clearing your sinuses (which for me is no easy feat), and cleaning away the muck. My routine, and I suppose many others would concur about their own shower routines, is pretty automatic. I follow the same procedure everyday, in the same order. I do not really have to think about it, and it is solitary. So there is the soothing sound of running water, my body is relaxed, my cognitive launching pad is clear, and I start to think.

It can be frustrating at times, but if I can manage to finish my shower, get dried off quickly, and get my hands on a pen and my journal, it is all good. Today was one of those days. I grabbed a towel, jumped out dripping wet, and ran to retrieve my journal from the dining room table. I placed it on the counter in the bathroom, and as I dried off, combed my hair, and completed my post-shower routine, I happily stopped to take notes in between each task. I was able to salvage most of my treasurly thoughts for the post I origianlly began thinking about, and a few that helped me write this post too.

I have often thought about keeping a recorder just outside the shower to catch fleeting brilliance in an emergency. My solution in the car is to voice-to-text myself so I can revisit the thought later. But recently my son suggested he would like to buy me one of these:

I think he may be on to something. Aqua notes would never allow my shower power to go to waste.

 

Celebrity Politics... or What Ever Became of the Dixie Chicks?

I have long been a fan of the Dixie Chicks, even saw them in concert back in the late 1990's- what a show! I have two of their albums and a couple of single song downloads on my iPod, and I just love it when I hear any of their tunes on the radio. But it doesn't happen often, so recently I was delighted to hear Wide Open Spaces on the radio during my morning shower, and I got to thinking. Where in the world are the Dixie Chicks now? I didn't realize, until I started date checking for this post, but this week  marked ten years since the beginning of the end of the Chicks.

I recalled the incident of 2003, when Natalie Maines, lead singer, expressed shame over the fact President Bush hailed from Texas. This was post 9-11, and the nation was still quite raw from the terrorist attacks. Her comments were allegedly meant to show disdain for Bush's choice to go to war. She said it off the cuff at a show in London, and another band member reminded the crowd they support the troops 100%. The fans cheered in response, but Maines would return home to be lambasted by the American media and the American public. She was accused of being unAmerican and the group would soon lose favor with listeners, after becoming the top selling female band of all time. They reportedly received death threats and feared for the safety of their families and themselves. They largely ducked out of the spotlight for awhile, though still entrenched in controversy.

In 2006, they released another album Taking the Long Way Around, which soared to the number one spot on the Billboard Country Album chart, and broke top 10 on the best Album chart. They also won three Grammys, including best Album. They appeared on the cover of Entertainment Magazine, naked and covered in the words (good and bad) slung at them since the 2003 incident.

                  

However, since then the Chicks have called it quits. Maines has been reported to say they will never make music together as a group. It's possible the other two Chicks, who are sisters, blame Natalie for their demise. Most of the articles written certainly blame the incident.

My support for the Chicks is for their music, ok and for their Freedom of Speech. No matter what you believe about the incident, about our former or current President, in our country we have the First Ammendment. And what followed this episode, was an all out boycott of Dixie Chicks music. Radio stations, all of which are owned by only a few broadcast companies, forbade their DJs from playing any Dixie Chicks songs, and a couple of DJs were reportedly fired for noncompliance. It just seems so ridiculous that any celebrity's politics could have that much of a stronghold on what we do. There was no industry boycott over Chris Brown being a wife beater, or Mel Gibson being an anti-Semite. There was no NFL or TV broadcast boycott over Ray Lewis being a murderer. 

Why bring up old news? Plain and simple, I miss the Dixie Chicks. I miss their brand of country, which by the way is not likely to be interpreted as pop. I fought back for some time against recent country music naysayers, who have said country has gone too pop. I've defended my enjoyment of some of the catchy tunes that have been put out by some of the more recent artists. But I'm losing ground, because quite frankly, a lot of it sucks. Rascal Flats? Just the Backstreet Boys with accents. Taylor Swift? Cute and sweet, and a good alternative to some of the trash on the pop chart, but not really country. Even some of the artists who started out country have since crossed over. And I hate to say it, but there are so many new artists with so little flair that I can't even tell them a part. Don't get me wrong, there are some I still like, Little Big Town, the Band Perry, Zach Brown Band, and some of the others. But overall, country music needs the Dixie Chicks to come back. We need the "stripped down" country jamboree country that got me knee slappin' and boot stompin'. We don't need to agree with the politics of our entertainers. We just need to be entertained. That's what they do, and that's what they get paid for. We need the Dixie Chicks back.

Here's an article that explains why:

http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/destroying-the-dixie-chicks-ten-years-after

Soul to Soul

Rather off the cuff recently, after almost 18 years of marriage and about 25 years with my agnostic husband, I looked at him and asked, "Do you believe we are soulmates?" It was not a trick question designed to bait him into an argument, or a test of how he feels about our relationship. It was a genuine and sincere question about something we had never discussed before. 

It is a sticky thought, not necessarily for us as a couple but for people in general. We often hear people say things like, "They were meant to be together," or "They were made for each other." But if we really consider the implications of what that means, it becomes a much more complex discussion. What does "meant to be" mean? Does it mean if you believe in G-d, that G-d put you on the earth for each other and you were predestined to cross paths? No matter what had happened to us and in our lives, we would have ended up together anyway? If my mom never decided to move from New York to Florida when I was a teenager, my Florida born and raised husband and I still would have found our way to each other?  

I read recently that according to mythology ancient Greeks, believed humans were created with four arms, four legs, and two heads (as well as male and female genitals). Zeus feared they would become too powerful so he split them in two, forcing them to spend their whole lives searching for their other halves. Most Judeo-Christian religions believe that woman (Eve) came from man (Adam). There is some pretty good simple information about religious beliefs and soulmates on this self-helpy site about finding your soulmate (http://www.the-soulmate-site.com/soul-mate-theory.html). But is there a higher power of any kind that brings two people together, or is it simply chance that two people make a series of choices, and experience a series of happenings leading them on some path? 

If soulmates exist, then the next question is how many do we have? The next one might be, are all soulmates romantic? My dad, who has been divorced from my mom since 1987ish after being married for 17 years, once told me he believed people have more than one soulmate, and for different purposes. He used the example of his relationship with my mother for bringing them their children, my sister and me. He then explained that his current wife is his life partner, and another soulmate. I am still not sure how I feel about that, but he is my dad. Some of the soulmate self-help gurus online agree with the multiple soulmate theory.

I have talked to others about meeting people in their lives who seem to be there at just the right time, providing just the kind of friend they needed when they needed it. Or have you ever met someone who you felt like you had known for years, even though you are just getting to know them? Many people would say this type of frienship feels like you have met a soulmate of sorts, kindred spirits.

When you find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, and it feels so right, you seem to be able to accomplish and survive anything together, it might be difficult to accept that you found each other by chance or by luck. You feel alive and true to who you are, and when two of you come together equally committed to working hard at the relationship when so many others seem unwilling, you start to wonder why and how you were brought to each other. You believe so deeply in the bond of love you have together, it is hard to believe there was no divine intervention or a fate-like power, because your feelings are that strong. I am Jewish by faith, a believer in G-d. As I consider the beauty of my realtionship with my husband, an umatched commitment and unconditional love, I want to believe that G-d brought him to me, and me to him, and our son to us. How can something so divine, come from anything other than G-d? 

But if I believe strongly that the power of G-d brought us together, that chance and circumstance had nothing to do with it, then must I also believe that those who do not have this kind of love in their lives are alone because G-d wants them to be? Why did I encounter my love at the age of 16, and my sister hers at the age of 42? Surely, God did not purposely make my sister wait, make her experience pain and loneliness just because. Those who look to word and acts of G-d quite literally would say that G-d has a purpose and we do not always understand it. We just have to believe, have faith because G-d works in mysterious ways. I believe in G-d. I believe strongly and whole-heartedly in the higher power, in the creator (incidentally, I do not subscribe to the idea that any one book or written work is the literal word of G-d). I just do not think everything is so calucalted like that. I do not ask G-d for things, I do not think every little positive thing in my life is a direct result of G-d up in the sky at the control panel pressing the buttons to help me out because I have been ind to others. I do believe that G-d is within everyone, breathing strength into us, giving us the power to make good decisions, to be the best people we can be, to open our hearts to love.

So does G-d, fate, or any higher power bring us to the ones we love? It is tempting to believe it, but I am not sure I do, at least not completely. Sometimes life presents choices, circumstances, feelings, and as human beings we react. G-d gave us free will, it is up to us to embrace the challenges and choices in our lives the best way we know how. Your wife, husband, best friend, current or future soulmate maybe on your path or in your presence. You may not even know it, or you may be lucky enough to be living it, as I feel I am.  But it is up to both of you to create the lasting, loving friendship that really bonds you soul to soul. Soulmates, in my opinon, are created by the human act of joining in love and friendship infinitely and unconditionally.

Keepin' on Writin' on

I can't seem to figure it out. I don't know when it happened, or why. I remember as a child in school always liking to write. Book reports, stories, science reports, poems, a few of them even survived the selling, packing up, and moving from our family home in New York when I started high school. But I don't actually remember when I decided I wanted to write. It seemed like a part of my post graduate school journey, as this is the period in my life when I spent the most time reflecting and writing. In 2010 I took a wonderful seminar-sized class around a conference table with 7 or 8 of my doctoral cohort members. It was a critical literacies course, and we did a lot of reading and writing about the development and sponsors of our own literacy (Brandt, 2009).

This book, one of the grad school reads that had the most profound effect on me, led us through a series of discussions that really got me thinking. One of the first assignments by our professor was to write an autobiographical account of how we remember developing literacy (I am going to dig it out and include at least part of it in a future post). We were asked to reflect on our earliest memories and experiences with reading and writing. I recalled so many small details leading back to an early love of writing, and choices I seemed to have made subconsciously to support my development and later teaching of this craft. That same semester I applied to and later attended the Invitational Summer Institute (ISI) of the National Writing Project (NWP). What a snowball effect that had! I went on to develop amazing professional relationships and friendships through the NWP. I have since presented numerous times as a fellow and teacher consultant for the NWP, facilitated the ISI, and conducted my dissertation on the phenomenon of the ISI. Today, I have an amazing circle of friends, fellow writers and writing teachers, all as a result of my love of writing.    

A big part of my recent commitment has been finishing up graduate school and being able to enjoy my down time as real down time. Sure I have papers to grade and lesson plans to prepare, but I have finally learned to create a balance between work and home. I have found ways to maximize time while I am at work, and to impose boundaries because it is true that a teacher's work is never done. If we do not cut ourselves off at some point, we would never leave school. That is neither fair, nor healthy. 

As my winter break comes to a close, I feel like I am gradually coming down off a high. I wrote more in the past two weeks than I have since summertime. And I love it. And it makes me feel good. Not having to work allowed me to relax, and my writing to flow. As soon as one piece was finished, another one started to develop in my mind. Sometimes the new one did not even wait for the previous one to finish. I hope to keep up my daily commitment to writing. I want to be able to write professionally, and my blogging has helped me to start building writing stamina and to make it a priority to write. I have some ideas for big projects and some research in the wings, but writing it here reminds me what my goals are. Not resolutions, but goals. I cannot remember who said it, but someone said if you write your goals down your more likely to work at them and achieve them.

So I am going to try and keep at it. I am going to try and keep a balance between work and home. I am going to try and write daily, even if it does not result in a completed piece. I will write, because writing makes me happy, and I deserve to be happy. Don't we all?

Music Discoveries, a Year in Review

My friend Helen and I share many interests, among them writing and music. So I just loved reading about her top albums of 2013 (helenbeforebreakfast.blogspot.com). She has such an eclectic taste, and never seems to rule out an artist or song just because it belongs to a certain genre. I have a pretty broad taste in music as well, so I enjoy reading her descriptions and suggestions. But more than that, I love her willingness to just download a song. She hears it, likes it, and adds it to her playlist. After my post about Tesla, she immediately asked me for a couple of suggestions to add to her iPod. When I read her musical year in review, I naturally commented by asking her if she would like me to post one as well. To no surprise she responded, yes. That was days ago.

When I think about why it is has taken so long for me to write this post, I wonder if it is because I have been working on so many other pieces, or if they are merely a distraction because I do not know what to write. I have determined that my procrastination is because I am not sure how much new music I really purchased this year. That in turn has made me feel kind of old, because I realized I do not like a whole lot of new music. I tend to stick to new albums by artists I already like, or like new artists with a familiar sound. Either way, the result is that most of my music downloads this year are new to me, but not new in 2013. The new music I discover and buy, is usually offered as a free new music download on iTunes, something I heard my son or husband listening to, music I hear and like in the background of one of my favorite TV shows or a new movie, and songs and artists I hear about on satellite radio stations. My musical year in review, is really about new discoveries, not necessarily new music. Though I begin my list with a song and artist new to 2013, most of them are not.

My Music Discoveries Year in Review

 

The Wire by HAIM

I almost always take a free download from iTunes New Music! link. I have gotten some really good songs that way, and they are usually songs I would not have otherwise been attracted to buy (I know this is the purpose of such a link). When I first sampled The Wire, deciding whether to download or not, I liked the beat. It reminded me a little bit of Heartache Tonight by the Eagles. I was not necessarily sold on the song, but I downloaded it for the true test. That is, I leave it in my iPod so when I set it on shuffle it mixes in randomly. If the song comes on and I do not skip it, it is usually a keeper. I kept The Wire on, and it got really catchy. I cannot help but love they are a girl band, but really I like the song and plan to check out some more of their stuff.

Home by Phillip Phillips

If you can get over the absurdity of this guy's name (it pops up on the satellite radio), you might leave it on long enough to hear that the songs are good. Often played on Sirius Coffee House or The Spectrum, I found myself liking Phillips' voice and singer-songwriter style. I have long been a fan of this genre- James Taylor, Paul Simon, John Mayer, Norah Jones. I would hear him now and then, but never purchased any of his songs. Soon, of course, my son was plugging in and playing Home in my car every time he got in. Now we both love it.

Come on Get Higher by Matt Nathanson (2007)

Another singer-songwriter, I actually downloaded this before Home. My son kept saying this song was ok, and within a couple of weeks he was playing it too! It was this I think, that led him to Home. But, the thing about this song is its sweetness, his longing for her- whoever she is. What can I say, I love lyrics and I am a sucker for a good, but not sappy, love song.

Demons by Imagine Dragons 

Not to be overshadowed by their popular hit Radioactive, this song is better. I am not sure why I like Imagine Dragons, I learned about them from my son. I do not know if I was forced to like them because he blasted Radioactive over and over again. Or, it might be the powerful beat and haunting tunes. Either way, I really like Demons.

Please Come In by Blackstone Cherry (2008)

This is one of my 2013 discoveries, but the album was actually released in 2008. My husband is much better at excavating new musical choices through iTunes radio and other tools. He is more likely to go looking than I am. Though he does not enjoy music across as many genres as I do, he definitely has an ear for finding rock bands. Black Stone Cherry was such a find, they had enough of an old sound to feel familiar, but was new enough to add something fresh to my playlist. The lead singer has a full deep voice and can actually sing, which for me is important yet hard to find in hard rock bands. This has the power of a rock song, but the vulnerability of a love song- it is not a power ballad. This song is on their album Folklore and Superstition, but their self titled album released a year earlier in 2007 has some really good music too. For me it is nice hard rock, just shy of heavy metal. That is why it sounds new to me.

These three albums, all with 2012 release dates, likely did not get much play until 2013, and I think that is why they dominated my playlist for a good part of the year:

King Animal by Soundgarden- favorite song, Halfway There

Long awaited by fans of this band, which broke up and got back together, he album was worth the wait. Sound (no pun intended) music and the bellows of Chris Cornell. Great purchase.

Uncaged by Zach Brown Band- favorite song, The Wind 

All of the songs on this album are great. I love it. I saw ZBB in concert this year and was impressed with their range and their authenticity. They sound just as good, if not better live. The Wind sounds like a jam session, and the band gave one Country Bear Jamboree style at the show. This album is just fun! Island Song and Jump Right In remind me of my Jamaican vacation this past summer. The island feel to several of these songs provide the perfect backdrop for beaching or vacationing.

Born and Raised by John Mayer- favorite song, Love is a Verb

You are really either a John Mayer fan or not. If you are, this does not disappoint. It has a stripped down feel like his first album, and I like it. I try to block out all the entertainment media news about him, because it seems he might not be the kind of guy I would like to hang out with. But so be it, all I need is his music. I already have enough friends.

I do not fancy myself a music critic, just a writer sharing what was new on my iPod this year. I continue to revisit old music, downloading old forgotten favorites and developing new appreciation for artists I set aside log ago. One of my recent new old artists is Van Morrison- not the overplayed Brown Eyed Girl, but old greats like Into the Mystic and Tupelo Honey. As far as I am concerned, you can never have too many good tunes on your iPod. It is definitely one of the benefits of the MP3 player era.