Monday, November 11, 2013

Sounds and sights.

Another day, another day behind.  So today I will be thankful for three things.  It's just as well; when I was younger I used to keep a diary and every day I wrote down five things I was grateful for.  Sometimes I'd get super trivial, like "I am grateful for mustard."  But think about it, a giant soft pretzel without mustard?  Boring.  It makes you think about how much we take for granted on a daily basis and much there really is to appreciate.

Music has always been a part of my life.  When I was a child I was, of course, subjected to whatever music my mom and older sisters listened to.  There are videos somewhere of me singing "Make Me Lose Control" by Eric Carmen and "Sign Your Name" by Terence Trent D'arby.  Then there was Warrant.  At 5 years old, I had a crush on Jani Lane and would almost constantly be listening to my "Heaven" single.  I went through a country phase, then as I got older I fell victim to the radio, which I mildly regret.  At 18, I discovered emo, alternative, and indie rock.  My Chemical Romance got me through one of the toughest times of my life, and what's incredible is the amount of people who feel the same way.  This was my first interaction with "the scene," and I began meeting some great people at the shows I was going to.  From here I could get way off track, tell stories about Monty and Something to Fight For, but suffice it to say I had some pretty amazing times that never would have been possible if I had not immersed myself in music.

Strangely, I did not start playing an instrument until a couple years later, when I taught myself guitar, piano, and enough bass to struggle through a few songs.  Nothing I ever played was terribly good, but I enjoyed it and I don't think I have ever felt more creative than when I was sitting at a piano.  I miss that.

 




I have always had an appreciation for photography.  I used to tear through rolls of film and those disposable cameras that kids nowadays wouldn't even know existed.  I would take pictures of anything and everything, without thinking about the lighting, background, or really much at all for that matter.  When I was a teenager I got my first digital camera (a Sony FD Mavica) that I would bring everywhere with me.  I took a LOT of pictures of horses, and eventually became the horse show photographer at the barn where I rode.  Aside from the fact that I've never owned a very nice camera (some of those DSLRs frighten me), I would like to think that I've gotten pretty good at freezing tiny little moments in time.  Or at least I love it enough to keep trying. 



Another one of my loves is the written word.  As one who is not always well-spoken, it's comforting to know I can put words on paper and make them make sense.  I lean towards poetry and memoirs, but I keep saying one of these days I might venture into fiction.  Seeing as how I don't have a picture to represent my love of writing, perhaps you would like a giraffe.

 
 
Not good enough?  Here's a picture of me violating Walt Disney.  Enjoy.
 





1 comment:

  1. Love this post. I had no idea that you played the piano or guitar. I could never get a hold of the bass... Probably because I didn't have one. There's nothing like sitting down to bang out a song on the piano and getting it perfect. Especially when you can play as loud as you want and sing along when no one's home!

    ReplyDelete