I'm obviously on a Capital Cities kick right now, but can you blame me?
I love this song, but I had never seen the video until today.
STONEY SUPERPOWERS ENGAGE!
The song I put aside for a moment and look at just the video itself.
It's a multi-generational, multi-cultural time warp dance off. The content of the song doesn't really matter, it's just the song that everyone is dancing to.
Downbubble 47...
I believe that music is proof of intelligent design. It is the one thing that connects all humans everywhere from the time music was invented or discovered or whatever to now, and the intellectual aspect of human music separates us from the other inhabitants of this planet. Yes, birds sing, but do they compose? Do they experiment? Do they try over and over, failing until they get it right? (I'm going to have to look that up. Maybe I just found my doctoral thesis.)
I think this video is a celebration of our connections to one another, across the globe and throughout time. It is a happy reminder that even though we are all very different, and although change is inevitable, we are all connected, and really the same in the end.
The video looks like heaven (the Christian one) to me. Maybe Nirvana (the Buddhist one). Everyone accepting everyone else, enjoying each other's company and experience. Just getting along and gettin' down.
And the song just kicks ass. A song about a deep, unshakable connection to another human being. Not necessarily romantic, but not NOT romantic, either.
It's all about connection, man....
So, music is the one thing that connects us all.
Humans are pretty fucking amazing when we're not busy being dickheads about shit that doesn't matter.
That's enough waxing philosophical for one morning.
The last few weeks have been pretty stressful and incredibly depressing. After a long drive in the mountains the other day, I decided that I needed to put more effort into positive thinking, more focus on what makes me happy rather than what's making me miserable.
So what makes me happy?
Right now? Opiates. HA. I'm a little loopy.
Riding my bike in the rain. Daffodils. Standing with my toes in the mighty Pacific, feeling small. The smell of strawberry fields in the morning. Holding hands. Fresh picked blackberries, warm from the sun. Taking a 4 hour bubble bath and reading a book. Lightning storms. Hiking slowly, taking time to experience it. The smell of lavender and chamomile. Slipping between clean sheets when I'm fresh from the shower. Maps. Listening to music and singing and dancing to it like a fool when I'm alone. Dreams of the sea and of sailing away. Sitting quietly and watching birds. The way he makes me feel. Beachcombing. A good whiskey and a fine cigar. Petting Princess Voldemort. The way my mom smells. Spending the day at a coffee shop, reading a book and ignoring the world at large. Fresh caught, field dressed trout cooked over a campfire. Holding my loved ones close. The way my body aches after a day of hard work. Learning. Always learning. Morning sex followed by orange juice and croissants. And a shower. Traveling as far and for as long as possible. And as often as possible. My favorite sweatpants and hoodie, fresh from the dryer. Puddlejumping! Warm, sweetened milk with vanilla and nutmeg. Spending time with Calamity, especially outside. Art, in all its many forms. Mexican culture. Listening to marimba and mariachi bands while eating tortas cubanos in el zocalo in Oaxaca. Mezcal. The way music beats through my veins. Burying my face in spring's first rain kissed lilacs. Justin Timberlake. Lifting weights. The austere beauty of the Aleutian Islands in midwinter. Sleeping, preferably not alone. Sketching. Snowflakes so big you can see each one clearly. Creating meals for people I care about. Mediterranean food. Sipping mimosas while getting a spa pedicure in a massage chair. The miracle that is the human body. Running on a treadmill. The hum of bike tires on pavement. Making things evolve from sheets of metal, especially copper. The moment the solder starts to flow. Sunrise. Drinking my own beer. The burgeoning of spring. Baking pies. Driving fast with the windows down and the music up. The way cherry blossoms fall like pink snow in Portland. Flying a kite. Yoga. Planning a trip to Finland to stay at an ice hotel and watch the Aurora Borealis. Hats, bags, and shoes. Trying new things, eating new foods, seeing new places, smelling new smells.Cheese. Working the dirt with my hands, making things grow. The smell of diesel exhaust.Volunteering. The kindness and generosity that surprises me on a daily basis. Muscle cars. Finding cool shit at thrift stores and yard sales. Independence. Watching the sky. Freedom. Spreading lovingkindness around the universe as much as I possibly can. Plaid flannel shirts.Following the Eight Fold Path.Realizing the Four Noble Truths. Belt buckles and tooled leather belts. Doing absolutely nothing at all.
Wow. That was an interesting experiment. I actually feel a lot better! It took hours longer than I thought it would, but when you're writing down the things that make you happy, the longer, the better, I suppose.
(heh...heh... Shut up, Beavis.)
As a part of my "aggressive self love", I have given my little super magnifying mirror and my good tweezers to my roommate and asked her to hide them from me. It is a difficult but necessary step away from that particular neurosis. I think healthier skin and less visible forehead space will be the most severe side effects. Just another bad habit to break. Going to have to spend more on waxing, though.
Just a little while longer... then I'll be all fixed up and ready to take on the world!
But for now, the drugs are wearing off and it's past my bedtime,,, I'm overdue for some very sweet dreams!
There have been many instances in my life when I have relied heavily upon my faith. My faith has carried me through loss, tragedy, and hardship, and some days my faith is all that gets me out of bed. That's not to say I have never suffered a crisis of faith. Quite the contrary. There was a point in my life when I lost my faith altogether. During that time, I learned a lot about Buddhism, and found that by applying Buddhist practices and concepts to my life, I was a better Christian. These days, I follow the teachings of the Buddha and Jesus Christ, both bodhisattvas in their own right, to help me through. I do not worship the Buddha, I am simply and deeply grateful for his teachings and guidance.
In following the Buddhist path to enlightenment, the first things I learned were the Four Noble Truths:
1. Life means suffering.
2. The origin of suffering is attachment.
3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.
4. There is a path to the cessation of suffering.
That path is called the Eight-Fold Path:
1. Right View - To realize the Four Noble Truths;
2. Right Intention - Commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement;
3. Right Speech - Do not lie, slander, or engage in meaningless, idle chatter;
4. Right Action - Don't steal or harm sentient beings and abstain from sexual misconduct;
5. Right Livelihood - Earn one's living in a righteous way, legally, ethically, peacefully;
6. Right Effort - Use your energy for positive change, not negative change;
7. Right Mindfulness - Actively observe and control the direction one's thoughts take;
8. Right Concentration - Concentrate on wholesome thoughts and actions, one at a time.
Right now, I am working on Right Intention and making changes in my life that will help me continue my self-improvement. In the past, I worked on improving myself because I thought if I was a better person, better things would happen to me, that if I followed the path, it would lead me to fortune. Even now, it may seem that all this is leading up to some monumental gain, and that I am simply following the rules until I hit the jackpot. In a sense, I am, but not for what I hope to gain. Now I am working to be a better person simply for the sake of being a better person. For nothing tangible nor of monetary value, but for that which is invaluable to me:
The greatest achievement is selflessness.
The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with the world's ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.
The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.
-Atisha (11th century Tibetan Buddhist master)
