Life has been strange lately. I've been very, very bright and cheery for weeks, then today, for the strangest reason, I felt down in the dumps. Now, as I sit here singing along with Coldplay's "Everything's Not Lost" at the top of my lungs, speakers blasting, I can feel the happiness returning.
It's amazing the power that music has to affect your spirit. Those of us with a deep attachment to music know this better than casual listeners. Music, like no other art form in the world, has the power to move you; the power to touch your soul for better or worse. Whether you're happy, sad, angry, apprehensive, or whatever, there is a song for every emotion. There are songs that will make you feel better, and songs that will make you feel worse if you're looking for that sort of thing.
I suppose I should mention that the reason I haven't been making many posts lately, either here or at the other blogs, is because I have been busy more than anything. I just haven't had the time or the desire to sit and write for an hour or so to do a review, make a funny little post, or give an update about my life. My friends all know what has been going on lately, and it has been mostly good anyhow. I've made some amazing strides in the last few months and I truly feel like I am a very different person from who I was at the start of the year. That's not to say it has been all good, but a few failures aside, the good has definitely outweighed the bad.
Between a deluge of concerts I've been going to (My Morning Jacket, The Silent Years, and Coldplay, with another Silent Years and Margot show in the coming weeks), a long night out at my friend Chris' party, and playing Fallout 3 as much as possible, I just simply haven't had a whole lot of time to post. Rest assured, it is not a depression or anxiety thing. I think that's a chapter of my life I can just about close the book on.
It really has been an amazing journey for these last few months. Those who have seen me more frequently have noticed a change. I have become a much more open, and far less shy person and it all started with one simple act of kindness by a coworker, a lovely girl named Michelle. It's incredible what one small gesture can do. It's like my irrational fear of speaking to strangers has dissolved and I have been a much happier person for it.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the election. As I discussed with several friends of mine earlier today, it is a remarkable time to be alive. Stop and think about the things you have experienced in your lifetime that no other generation will be able to say they did as well. Only those of us alive at this very moment will be able to say they watched the first African-American President in our nation's history get elected. A hundred years from now, Barack Obama will be a name in our children's children's children's history books, but they will never truly understand the magnitude of such an historic event.
The horrible events of September 11th will no doubt still be remembered in that time as well, but all future generations will have is footage. They'll never experience the shock, fear, and sadness those of us who witnessed it happen live with growing horror did. Some may argue that's a good thing, and indeed if future generations never have to witness such wanton murder and destruction, they will be better for it, but the fact still remains that it's one of the defining moments of our generation. Who among us does not remember in explicit, vivid detail where they were and what they were doing when they first heard about the World Trade Center being hit by the first plane? Much like my parents remember watching John F. Kennedy's assassination, while all I have is footage that carries no real emotion attachment or weight. Tragic? Sure, but certainly not as defining for me as 9/11.
I must congratulate Obama on his victory. Though I voted for him, I was afraid he would lose. I was afraid this country would fall victim to the politics of fear and revert back to the closed-minded, conservative views that have all but destroyed it over the last eight years. Make no mistake, only those who are brainwashed partisans still believe George W. Bush did a fantastic job during his tenure in office. And before anyone accuses me of being a "liberal" or a "Democrat," I would like to point out that I have never in my life subscribed to any political organization, organized religion, or any other sect.
I believe that labelling oneself inhibits your ability to think as an individual. You become part of the flock, and you believe whatever your party believes without question, and I refuse to limit myself. Do I lean left? Of course I do. I am a very live-and-let-live type of person. I won't bother you; don't bother me. Do I agree with everything the Democrats do? Definitely not. I am all for the death penalty and my only complaint is that it isn't used more often. I don't believe in prison rehabilitation. I don't believe it's just as inhumane to carry out a death sentence on someone who brutally, callously murdered another human being in cold blood. It's far more humane than the treatment their victim received.
However, I simply cannot subscribe to the ugly, ignorant hatred of conservatives who believe that their religion will save them from spitting on all those they deem wrong. I hate to break this to you, but burning down an abortion clinic is not the Lord's Good Work - it's a crime and we have laws in our society to prevent such things. Preaching that those of us who do not practice the same faith you do will end up in Hell is exactly the type of behavior that will reserve you a seat right next to mine, for only God (if such a being exists) has the right to judge any of us. Those of you who see Barack Obama as a threat to American values are nothing more than closed-minded imbeciles. The man's life personifies the American Dream.
He came from nothing. He worked hard to achieve his goals. His parents sacrificed a great deal so that he could go to good schools and make something of his life. He wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He didn't inherit wealth or power, like so many of your "safe" candidates who have become corrupted by their entitlements. Barack Obama is living proof that this country IS indeed the land of opportunity our forefathers meant it to be, and it is now up to him to prove that our trust and faith in him was not misguided and that we can turn this country around.
Let's face it: race relations in this country have a long way to go. If Obama had run at any other time other than after eight years of George W. Bush, I don't think he wins the Presidency. While it's true that many African-Americans, Hispanics, Asian-Americans, and people of all races offered him additional support, many voting for the first time in their lives, Obama could not have won without the support from much of white middle-class Americans as well, and had Bush not done such a terrible job for the last several years, I don't know that enough voters would have been willing to vote for a black candidate.
However, it is still uplifting to see that we have come as far as we have. You will never change the minds of the ignorant Southerners who grew up in a culture of hatred and racism, but those voices are no longer strong enough to speak for us all. It was a stunning sight to watch the crowd in Chicago's Grant Park last night. People of all ages and races stood side by side chanting "Yes We Can!" If having a black President makes southern states want to secede, be my guest. You all can have your own country of hate, ignorance, intolerance, and inbreeding while we smart folk live up north. And don't y'all come back now, y'hear?
Yes, it is a fantastic time to be alive. When I started this very post I still felt down, but here at the end of it I feel my spirit has lifted. Thanks to some Coldplay, Orbital, and Rage Against The Machine, life is good again.
