Life of Late

Sometimes taking life too seriously is a disease that eats away at your soul. Fortunately, only about a quarter my soul was gone this time before I decided to take antibiotics.

The Second September

A September ago now I had a wonderful trip. There must be something magical about that little ex-church in the center of Nashville... it somehow pulls you and throws you into a place somewhere quite far away actually. Last September, it was away from the hell of a new life that I had found around me. From the groans of my soul and the constant lump that burrowed in my throat. And then he came out, dressed in those colorful wings, as if he knew exactly where he would take all of us and was merely toying with our sense of stability. "What the water wants is hurricanes," Sufjan humbly spouted to the crowds on his opening lines. "I have a red kite; I'll put you right in it. I'll show you the sky." And that's exactly what happened.

This September another escape occurred, though one of slightly different dynamics. My soul was not rotting; my times have not been hard. My times have just been nonexistent. I sit here and I honestly cannot remember the last time I had the ability to sit and think, not worrying about a meeting I had in five minutes or a paper that was waiting to be written. But yesterday, a Irish man once again used the Ryman as a portal to access another world. It was a world where time didn't really seem to flow at all, where my busyness was drunken away. And it was incredible. What an experience. Even without his beloved Lisa, his vocals that soared from one extreme to another made up for the difference. Clocking in at an hour and 45 minutes of straight playing time, unsupported, it was a gem of a night. The famed drunken "Cheers Darlin' " finale couldn't have been done better, and I don't think I've ever seen an exit from the stage as masterfully executed and as appropriate to the evening as the one that played out before my eyes there, bringing me back to the present world a new and freed person.




Two different Septembers and two different circumstances, yet the same effect. September at the Ryman has brought me into the year once again. I wonder what will greet me for the next one.

Bongo vs. Smile

As much as it has felt like home, upon returning to Belmont a few weeks ago, that is, I have realized that I have been deceived. But as I finish up my first (of many) Bongo porch happenings of the year, I realized that I am now, truly, home. Belmont could not exist without this quaint porch, as so many of my friends have earlier stated, probably in ways much more eloquent than myself. But this Bongo trip was marked by a peculiar occasion. Smiles. Yes, I was quite taken back really. Not that I was never given smiles by the wonderful baristas and such, but the overwhelming "I don't give a (fill in expletive as according to your degree of hard core-ness)" attitude is a hallmark at this place. And now, I stand at the coffee prep table getting all the my precious toppings with which I am about froth my coffee, and smiles are invading my personal space from everywhere. From all the employees -- one of which are even humming and another even taking the time to ask my how my day was thus far. Just now one came up to me, offered to take my plate, and then had a conversation with the chap sitting next to me about how he loves his dog. To top it off -- wonderful friends that give some the best good morning hugs I've known just made their presence known as well. I really don't know what just happened. I am not sure to be happy at the sudden turn of happiness or not. Peculiar dilemma. humpf

Summer 07, A Playlist

Uh-hum.. *clears throat*... My summer playlist is finally here. A little late, but hey, it's only Labor Day, right? I thought about pulling out a quote from each of the songs like I did last semester, but quite frankly, I'm too busy and tired to do that this time 'round. Let me know if you wanna hear the songs and I'll figure something out. Hope you enjoy. Your thoughts would be much appreciated.