Some of the things I want to do in life

• Travel the world with a backpack and some money
• See a sunset on the beach
• Write a song that becomes my own personal favorite and makes it to #1 on the charts
• See a sunrise on the beach
• Walk a marathon
• Fall in love
• Learn to play the drums
• Be a great mother
• Buy a Nikon D80
• Edit a music video
• Have a discussion with Jason Mraz
• Help the less fortunate
• Lose 10 pounds
• Find true friendship
• Go stargazing
• Stay up for 48 hours
• Take a 10-hour walk around Washington, DC
• Own a house
• Be the best person I can be
  

Music

I once heard someone I knew describing why she likes absolutely loves the band The Fray. She said:

Their songs have meaning, you know? Like it actually came from somewhere and they experienced it!

She said this as if this were a novel concept in the world of music, and that this is what makes them totally unique in the large world of musicians. Funny, I've been listening to lots of music that came from somewhere; is this part of a new wave?
Unfortunately, all we have these days in the way of popular music is the neverending cycle of "Love you so and never wanna let you go" songs. Or those horrid breakup songs which we all know have no emotions behind them, because really, you have to be some kind of douchebag to write a song to your significant other about how you no longer want to date them so that they don't know how you really feel until the song is on the radio. Everyone thinks Miley Cyrus's "The Climb" is just so damn deep, and that "Fall For You" by Secondhand Serenade is just so touching. "The Climb" took a bunch of studio writers to help Ms. Cyrus write, and it was a product of a movie, so it's all fake; and "Fall For You" portrays hardly any emotion, if you listen to it. It's nice, but it's not what people think it is.
I think that music these days has been severely diluted. To find someone like Jason Mraz or John Mayer is almost rare now. To wedge oneself in the music industry is all too easy: look good, sing decently, be very friendly, and you're in. The funny part is that looking good is the most rigorous part. Take a look at Cassie. All looks? I do think so. It's especially a hint when the songs are spelled in text message language.
My favorite is "Soulja Boy"'s song that all the kids dance to and is really freaking disgusting. I won't deny it, I know the dance, and it can be fun. But in the song, "Soulja Boy" is rapping about how pissed he is that his girlfriend didn't give him any last night, and so he's so blue-balled about it that he's going to rub one out and make sure the ensuing fluid lands all over her while she's sleeping. And the kid was 16 when he recorded it. Corruption? I think so. But that's another issue.
The point is that music can be used so well to portray emotion, to touch people, to express what words can't dare to do, to take the artist and listeners to another world where everything is what they want it to be. And yet, it's being further and further reduced into a tool for enjoyment, and a mood enhancer, like a drug. People will play music because they're sad and want to be happy again. In this function, it is no more than an antidepressant. Others will play music so they can dance. In this function, it is no more than Ecstasy. Some will just play it as background noise. In this function... wait, this makes it have no function.
I remember when I was younger, I thought that this was what it was. How when JoJo was 13 years old when her single "Leave (Get Out)" was on the radio, and a bunch of critics went up in arms because, first of all, it's another breakup song, and second of all, she was just too young to sing about such things. How I was her age and thought, It's just a song; who really cares? Because this is what I had gathered that music was. Entertainment. Who cares where it came from? It's just a nice sound.
I have since discovered that music does have genres for nice sounds: Ambience. Techno. Dance.
But then there are those other genres that we primarily use as expression and inspiration for others: Rock. Easy listening. Pop. Rhythm & Blues. Soul. Jazz. Funk.
Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. I think I'm being a little bit pompous here, since I'm so young and haven't even experienced much in the way of music. But it just frustrates me a great deal to see such a wonderful art be brought down to such a low sometimes.

The mysterious workings of the world

I stuff envelopes in my mom's office sometimes. Today was one of those times. And while I was doing that, I noticed some addresses that I routinely walk by on my nice walks around the city. So, of course, the next time I walk by these, I'm gonna be like, hey, I sent you that memo from my mom's office. You are a part of that organization. Cool.
But the people inside that house are totally not going to notice. Sure, they might see a vaguely sweaty female strolling by their house and kinda peering at it, but they'll be used to it, since they're in a nice neighborhood and all. They will not realize that I work at the office of that one of many organizations they subscribe to, and that I actually know them, because in their world, I don't exist.
I know I have said something like this before, but the subject completely fascinates me.
(Plus I am on a roll, but that's beside the point.)
My momentary fangirliness over Jason Mraz kind of reminded me of all this. Because here I am, with a blog based on the fundamental concepts of one of his songs, practically worshipping his sage advice, and he doesn't even know. Because he doesn't know who I am, this person with a whole army of words that she lets out every now and then. He leads a completely different life, doing one of the coolest things out there (inspiring people with what inspires him and just sharing his gift with the world), while I can only dream to do so and am at the training stage to the marathon he's won.
So fascinating.

Talk about putting people on pedestals...

Jason Mraz.
*waves*
So he has a blog.
I think I knew this before, but I kind of just wasn't a blog person then. And now that (duh) I am, I read it, and I was even more inspired by him than I was before. He writes such awesome stuff and really I can't say anything that will do it justice so go read it yourselves, whoever you are that actually care.
That's the one.


GO, what are you waiting for?! The good stuff's over there!

Details in the Fabric.

I named my blog after the song, I have talked about the song, and yet I have not discussed just why this song is so imperative to my existence.
To my understanding, Jason Mraz uses fabric as a metaphor for life.

Calm down, deep breaths
And get yourself dressed
Instead of running around
And pulling all your threads
And breaking yourself up

As in, get on with your life; dress yourself in that fabric, that's what it's there for. Don't start pulling it apart just because there's a little snag.

If it's a broken part, replace it
If it's a broken arm, then brace it
If it's a broken heart, then face it

Everything in our life is going to break sometime--and each one has its solution. There is no problem that just stays a problem, and it's up to you to replace the broken part, brace that broken arm, or face that broken heart.

Hold your own, know your name, go your own way.
And everything will be fine.

You are in control of your life. Don't let anyone tell you who to be or what to do, and stand up for what you think is right.
And everything will be fine.

All the details in the fabric
Are the things that make you panic
Are your thoughts results of static cling
Are the things that make you blow
Hell, no reason, go on and scream
If you're shocked it's just the fault of faulty manufacturing

The little nitpicky things in life, the things that make you panic, are all results of clinging to other people's ideas and not just going in your own direction. And if they frustrate you once in a while, let it out, don't suppress your emotion. And if your emotional breakdown is actually traumatic and bad for your health, well, your life was pretty messed up to begin with, and it's not really your fault...

Everything will be fine
Everything, in no time at all
Hearts will hold...

People will understand. You don't always have to be your composed self.
Everything will be fine.

There are no coincidences.

I had the scariest thing happen to me over last weekend.

Let's just say two things happened to me in the same place and same time within 2 days of each other involving the same type of vehicle.

If ever I doubted God, I now don't question His existence at all.

There is no way that I and approximately 40 others could have all survived two accidents in the same place at the same time within two days of each other without any sort of heavenly interference. There was a whole lot surrounding the circumstances, but we all made it out, and most of our stuff was able to be salvaged. I have absolutely no damaged or lost possessions, thank God.

And guess which song automatically popped into my head at each scene of crisis and continually pops into my head whenever I think about it?

"Details in the Fabric" by Jason Mraz.


Calm down, deep breaths
And get yourself dressed instead
Of running around and pulling at your threads
And breaking yourself up
If it's a broken part, replace it
If it's a broken arm, then brace it
If it's a broken heart, then face it
And hold your own, know your name, go your own way
And everything will be fine
Hang on, help is on the way
Stay strong, I'm doing everything
Are the details in the fabric
All the things that make you panic
Are your thoughts results of static cling?
Are there things that make you blow?
Hell, no reason, go on and scream
If you're shocked it's just the fault of faulty manufacturing.
Everything will be fine, everything in no time at all
Hearts will hold.

And I'm really not just trying to be corny here or anything. That song is something to live by.

Viva la Mraz.

When life throws you a curveball, it's probably because you're at bat...

We all make mistakes, right?
So when we make a mistake, we tend to freak out a little, fix it, and move past it.
When others make mistakes, we tend to freak out a little, be mad for a few minutes, help fix it, and move past it.
Or so I wish.
While some simply win at life and have this kind of attitude, and while about a sixteenth as much as those people are saints and don't even freak out or get mad, most of us get seriously stressed when we or others make mistakes. If we make a mistake, we act like the world is ending and nothing's ever going to be right again... and then, what do you know, the next day does arrive.
And yet we learn nothing.
My favorite is when someone else makes a mistake and we mumble and grumble and yell at them all while doing the regular oh-no-it's-a-mistake routine; because then, it's not our fault, so the one happy notion we get out of this mistake is that we aren't the ones who did it. The only problem is, the fact that they did the mistake while life was SUPPOSED to be going on perfectly makes us twice as stressed out, so the joy of blaming another kind of dies.
To stay sane, here's something I preach and am learning to practice: just freaking DEAL.
I mean, really.
It's just a mistake.
See, I thought of (what I think, anyway, is) a pretty good illustration of mistakes: baseball.
People often refer to unexpected things as curveballs, right? So think of it like this:
You're at bat, bottom of the ninth, tied with two runs, bases loaded. From what you know about the pitcher, he only throws scary fastballs. You eat scary fastballs for breakfast. You're ready to hit a fastball when you notice that he's throwing a curveball! What the hell?! You don't do curveballs! What are you supposed to do?! He's not supposed to throw it! THIS IS NOT PART OF THE PLAN!
But WAIT--what's that you're holding? A... a bat? No way! And that's a ball! So you'll HIT IT! Oh wait--it's not even going to end up in the strike zone. "BALL!"
See? Crisis averted. You end up hitting a frickin' legendary grand slam on the next pitch, winning 6-2. It is allll good.
Now, let's pretend you're the coach, keeping an eye on your prize hitter when suddenly the pitcher turns and lobs a curveball at your head!
THAT, my friend, would be an issue. Not to mention the first time in baseball history that the pitcher got confused and thought the coach was going to somehow play, but whatever.
What I was trying to say throughout that whole weird baseball analogy is that even though you have your expectations about life, it's going to throw you things you didn't see coming. Thing is, it's still in the norm; just because it's different doesn't mean it's not life. (Just like it's still normal for the pitcher to throw the ball; just because he deviated from his usual plan doesn't mean you can't bat anymore.) These things are supposed to happen, and we're supposed to deal with them.
If life were just as we expected, it would be boooringgg.
So next time a mistake is made, try to just kinda face it...

If it's a broken part, replace it
If it's a broken arm, then brace it
If it's a broken heart, then face it

Well said, Jason. Well said.

So here I am.

It's 1:45 in the morning, and I'm up because... well, because I feel like it. =)
I had some work to do, but now I'd just rather chill. I feel like time is too short. I wish I didn't have to sleep. I could do so much without sleep; read those books, write that music, listen to those artists.
But no; God created our days so that we have to spend some of it resting.
Not that I mind too much. I like resting. Sleep is truly wonderful.
I just feel that I could live my life to the fullest if I didn't.

~~~~

So this is my first post.
Who am I? I know my own name; that much is enough.
Where am I? Location hardly matters.
What am I doing here? Same as you people. =)
How old am I? Let's not go there. ;)

~~~~

As Jason Mraz said:

If it's a broken part, replace it
If it's a broken arm, then brace it
If it's a broken heart, then face it.
And hold your own, know your name, and go your own way.
And everything will be fine.

(Details in the Fabric)

Lesson for life. ♥