Back In The Saddle

I don't really like the concept of resolutions. Let's call them "resolutions" because they deserve the quote marks. You shouldn't need the act of hanging up a new calendar to find inspiration for making yourself better. It's a constant process. We are fluid entities, we shift and change. Some things are wired in but we as beings are capable of growing and changing and expanding. We don't need to be stuck in a rut.

One of these said "resolutions" is to write more. According to this blog, I last made that resolution at the start of 2016. It did not last long. Sigh. What a waste. OK, done with the looking back, let's look forward. I'm gonna stick to it this year. OK, I am really going to try to stick to it.

Another one is to see more rocknroll shows. That's a big one for me. I have wimped out farfarfar too many times over the years, missing great shows, letting opportunities slip by. That's another sigh, so let's not belabor it. For me, music is as important as air. If god wanted to fuck with me he would take my hearing away. My band has been trying to kill my hearing but I am fighting back these days with dreaded earplugs at rehearsal. Some of the time, at least. So, dear reader expect to see many more show reports here over the coming months. And if you don't you have my permission to call me a loser.

Other "resolutions" aren't quite musical related. Continue to eat sensibly. Go to the gym at least 4 times a week. Start doing yoga and meditation. That one can help with the creativity. I have anxiety but I have no reason for anxiety. I have a smart, funny, beautiful, and loving wife; I have a good job that has a positive impact on people's lives; I have a kick-ass band with three genuine friends. That should be another one, see friends more often. The anxiety I have is self-flaggelation and it fucking sucks. It isn't necessary. I think Trump has a part of doing it. That asshole is bringing my shakes and twitches back. Hell with him, he's not worth the additional characters.

So change is in the the air.

Why now...why today. I watched the new teaser video for Titus Andronicus' new album. And now I am listening to their masterpiece The Monitor. What a fucking record. I saw them when they toured behind it and it was rocknroll at it's most....well, rocknroll at it's most. Energy, passion, the catharsis you get when you just yell "fuck you!" I drifted away from them, saw them again a couple years later but the crowd was bigger and the energy at the back of the room is never like the front of the room. They'll be back in town in April and I will be there.

My advice is put a record on. Or a CD. Or if it's the only thing you got then put your earbuds in and listen to something you love. Something that breathes life into you. Something that makes you want to shake the pictures off the walls and hug whomever is standing next to you. Something that makes you forget about all the hate and all the anger and all the pain and all the fear we have in this country and all across the world. We all have one heart and one body (thanks, Call Me By Your Name). Don't fucking waste it.