So, let me get this straight (please be patient with my intended sarcasm):
That which created me is concerned with my genitalia? Concerned and ready to attack me if I don't use it "right"? If I have a child without being married, it's not a fully blessed child? And I might expect a scorching hell fire in my afterlife because I had sex out of wedlock in the first place?
C'mon, son...
We have no choice but to accept people's opinions or long-held beliefs, but why is it that we humans put religion or even non-religious spirituality on such a pedestal, higher than anything else we do in life, when everything we do is sacred—especially the sexual act? Are we afraid of what might happen if we dare explore higher levels of thinking and pondering, and even experiencing life?
The idea that we are dirty sinners is a disgusting one; and I am uncomfortable with even pretending I feel that way. It literally does not feel good. We all know that. I invested in those types of painful and limited beliefs for years; many of us have. I didn't know what it was to truly love myself, or to summon power through my solar plexus to propel me to freedom and purpose in my life, until I truly let these kinds of ideas go forever.
If having children within a structured relationship was required by "God's law for us," why does it not always occur? Why does anything that is outside our current realm of understanding occur? The answer is because it should. When you visit the market for food, you never buy every single item; you buy what you need. You buy what suits you, and you leave the rest on the shelf for those who want it. You don't stop by the customer-service desk, ask to see the manager, and tell him or her that there are items that you don't use, that your mom, dad, or grandparents never used and so they need to be removed from the shelf so that no one else will discover said items. In other words, you get yours and push on. Sometimes you may even try new items that your family never used, and you love them! And now they're staples of yours. Hmmm...
We all can agree that when children are born into families with two parents that are committed, the children will most likely be off to a good start in life. It will be easier in some aspects, but mostly the married-versus-unmarried-with-children issue is highly cultural. Our society dictates what we are supposed to do. Our families do a certain thing in a certain way, and this is how it should be done, so we follow. But does that always work for us?
Nobody really talks about how important it is to play, have fun flirting, and look forward to growing as two people, as individuals. It's usually more about the "worthiness dance" surrounding how the groom asked for his wife's hand in marriage, and showing off the ring. "Bridezillas" behave as if they will never matter again in life after the ceremony. Well, I was born acceptable. And I had the pleasure of seeing beyond all of these points of contention. I was married on a Monday morning, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. My father gave me away (which was lovely and fed a little of my desire to have some tradition involved). My dress was from Sears (Grandma would have been proud). And our children were in charge of the music. It was absolutely wonderful. No hooplah, no "should sh**," and we nailed it. And I am glad that neither of us were virgins, because like a comedian said, "You don't want to save yourself for the right guy; you want to practice for him."
Theses ideas are not for everybody, and that is cool. However, people are starting to understand that they can do whatever they want. That's beautiful. Sex would be a lot more beautiful if we would allow it to be the natural art, beauty, and sacred ritual that it is. Granted, I would not be happy to know that my husband was desiring the hot young thing at work or across town, and wanted my permission and blessing on him "hitting that" for a while. Yeah, I'm not that evolved. But many people are, and to them, sincerely, more power. I think it's hot. Not for my life ... but hot indeed.
I think that is the point. You find out what you need out of this life and do that. And that idea goes double for the process of dating, mating, and partnerships—gay, straight, or in between. I always find it interesting that the people who claim they really want loving companions don't have them. It may be because they are in love with a worn-out and stale idea of love and togetherness. Usually, it stems from some sort of fear-based religious context, which, if thoroughly researched historically, scientifically, and even intuitively, they would find that the ideologies they are following were created to control the masses, instilling and producing people who are afraid to truly lead their own lives. Indeed, dating, or whatever we call it, can get messy, and it has nothing to do with a sadistic overlord monitoring your junk. It is at this point that we examine our consciousness about the situation. Remember that you cannot attract anything unlike yourself, so if your mate cheated, that is more of a reflection of your belief in loss at the hands of another. STDs may be due to the deep, hidden hatred of the self or of the mate, which of course comes back to hatred of the self. It's preposterous to think that the very act (sex) that brings forth bliss, closeness, and new life is wrong, dirty, or can be sanctioned. We create structures like rules, laws, and time itself to help us make sense in a day, organizing the life process. For example, we know that time does not actually exists. I mean, it does—we all use it—but it doesn't. We also know that the greatest unfolding of events occurs when we are not keeping track, score, or time.
Think about it. Maybe it is different than what you thought. Maybe it is more expanded than your current view.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Love the First Time
One day, I was on the 10 East freeway, transitioning to the 110 South. As we merged, I heard a horn but I was doing everything right: falling into formation, going an appropriate speed, etc.; so I felt that the person could not be blowing at me. A few seconds go by, and I notice a tattered bucket of a car to my left, and I could not believe that the driver was not honoring the "you go, I go" system. More than that, I was in front of her already, and apparently she was going to change that. She edged up, edged up some more, and I quickly got her message. So I looked to really see the face of the person who was asserting his/her will in such a way, and I found a female driver with absolute conviction on her face, gaining her position and not looking at me at all in the process. I realized that, um...she was going to "strongarm" her way into the formation. I also knew I could try to resist, but why?
Once she was in front of me, and I was in the midst of asking the "appropriate" questions, "Really?! Seriously?!" ... I realized that one tire on her car was going flat; the car sat way too low on one side; and the driver's side mirror was hanging on for dear life. There may have even been some smoke coming from the car. I immediately felt like an ass. I started thinking that I could have been more patient. I started thinking that merging on to the freeway was not a big deal; and since we were all going to get to our destinations eventually, what was I upset about?
Although all of those sort of nice things after the fact are valid, how come I didn't apply that level of reasoning, that love, to the situation in the first place? Did I really need to see all of the needed repairs...the flaws...before I could deem her worthy of a pass? I notice that many times people are rude, sometimes even mean and vicious to others in the heat of a moment; but then when one shows vulnerability, we then gain some level of understanding. The tears start "a-flowin'," and then we are ready to open our hearts and minds. How come? Why do we need to see a level of weakness to allow ourselves to study war no more?
When we are in full balance, living as the light bearers we are, we have no other way of be-ing than to love the first time. I used the word reasoning a few lines ago, but even reasoning is on a lower level than be-ing. We can train ourselves to only focus on what is good, and what our goal is in any given moment; and they all might change in any given moment. The idea is that as long as your goals are clear, you will find yourself at your destination. Everything that occurs in a moment is perfect, based on the previous moments that built it. There is only reason to love. That is the only reason to do anything. Let's do that first. Everything seems to fall in place after that.
Once she was in front of me, and I was in the midst of asking the "appropriate" questions, "Really?! Seriously?!" ... I realized that one tire on her car was going flat; the car sat way too low on one side; and the driver's side mirror was hanging on for dear life. There may have even been some smoke coming from the car. I immediately felt like an ass. I started thinking that I could have been more patient. I started thinking that merging on to the freeway was not a big deal; and since we were all going to get to our destinations eventually, what was I upset about?
Although all of those sort of nice things after the fact are valid, how come I didn't apply that level of reasoning, that love, to the situation in the first place? Did I really need to see all of the needed repairs...the flaws...before I could deem her worthy of a pass? I notice that many times people are rude, sometimes even mean and vicious to others in the heat of a moment; but then when one shows vulnerability, we then gain some level of understanding. The tears start "a-flowin'," and then we are ready to open our hearts and minds. How come? Why do we need to see a level of weakness to allow ourselves to study war no more?
When we are in full balance, living as the light bearers we are, we have no other way of be-ing than to love the first time. I used the word reasoning a few lines ago, but even reasoning is on a lower level than be-ing. We can train ourselves to only focus on what is good, and what our goal is in any given moment; and they all might change in any given moment. The idea is that as long as your goals are clear, you will find yourself at your destination. Everything that occurs in a moment is perfect, based on the previous moments that built it. There is only reason to love. That is the only reason to do anything. Let's do that first. Everything seems to fall in place after that.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
People Die
Staring death in the face is horrible. Sad. And just no fun at all. What does that mean exactly, though? Because if we notice, we have known about this death situation for as long as we can remember, right? A lot of people were brought up with the "Shhh...don't talk about that" type of attitude. Still others are just plain afraid of it.
The reality of death is quite flexible, as are most things in life. Biological sciences simply say you die when all life-supporting involuntary activity cease to operate. Metaphysics says that you simply leave the vessel and resume life in another dimension, on another realm. Physics states that theoretically we may not even understand the "life process" as well as we think we do, and that theoretically we should be able to live forever with deeper understanding of the laws of physics. And last but not least, there is the promise of hell fire after you die, if you "weren't right with God."
For the record, everybody is perfect and right with their God.
Whatever the case, whatever we decide is our own brand of truth. We need to become one with it and live as such. How dare I say "need"?
I said it and meant it. We play too much. We know there are impending events that will come, but we ignore them without fail.
We don't keep our affairs in order in case the unexpected occurs. We fight over our families' belongings, because we live "numb" and can't help but be greedy. Or we fight over the principalities, material goods, etc. because we are hurt and have no real idea of how to cope. Or simply because we are assholes.
So death has occurred; it hurts like hell. Then we start blaming the person that seems likely to have caused it: the child who gave Mom a hard time, the husband who may have secretly beat her, the job he worked for years and did not get his full credit after dedicated service.
None of those things are to blame. We leave the stage of life when we are finished playing our parts—and we all play a part. Sometimes people die of illness, which usually reflects imbalanced thoughts being nurtured. Emotional pain, anger, resistance, fear, resentment, and the experiences that they produce are revisited in the quiet of a person's mind on a regular basis. Eventually, you either create more of it or you create a way to get out of it.
When people die of an "accidental" nature, it actually is much of the same, with overtones of adventure, ego, or even violence. There are no accidents.
What we experience in life is a unique blend of consistent thoughts and emotions, which all emit vibration frequencies that strongly influence our "outpictured," manifested life. The seemingly concrete experience we take part in as our life, is, for intents and purposes, created by us.
And the same is true when we die, and for the ways we die. There is a television show called 1,000 Ways to Die. I noticed that in each scenario, the people acted out of fear, jealousy, anger, or otherwise unbalanced views of life where nobody matters but themselves. If the reason a person died is not apparent, then it may be found in the deepest thoughts, which are hidden. When we really want to live, we do.
Personally, I want to grow old, live to be 102, and still be pretty (a loving and radiant temple). I'll still walk or run my few miles a day, get up early and stretch my muscles before sunrise, clean my home, and conduct my business effortlessly. And when I'm ready to die, I want to get in my big fluffy bed and go to sleep, knowing in my heart I lived my own fairy tales in real life, and have received all of the good I hold within and without, and there is absolutely nothing else I want or need to do.
I know that we don't care to talk about death, but we should. When we ponder our own mortality, it beckons us to live—to really live.
I pondered Michael Jackson's life when I was about 8. I was concerned for myself and the world if we were ever to lose him. When he died, I was walking the halls at the school where I worked and heard a woman say to someone else, "You know Michael Jackson died." The person was aware. The woman went on to say, "Shoooooot, 'cause when Jehova calls you home, it's time to go home!" She actually had a vibe like she was celebrating something she was looking forward to for herself. I continued down the hall, thinking, Wow, really? You just up and died? Why would he die? I don't mean who killed him. Why would he die?
Generally, we should be able to stay in bodies longer than 50 years. I wondered where he was energetically. He had children we know he cared about who were young. He had a career that was coming back ... right? I also know that M.J. wanted to please his audience more than anything else in life, and he did it better than anyone else ever has in history. I do not believe he would have ever reached those heights again; and personally, I remember thinking that Las Vegas is wonderful, but not for Michael. He's not the same type of artist as the rest. Everybody who gets to Vegas has done so because of their talent. But they are no Michael Jackson. I think he knew he could not bring the performance he was known for, and that being the dedication of his entire life, I think he chose to move on. The name of his last tour was "This Is It." Within the the last appearance to promote concert, he said he loved us and this was it. And then he was gone. The way he left was a reflection on some level of how he lived, as it will be for all of us. The doctor involved may have had concerns that turned into guilt or fear that were not addressed in his work with Michael, and unfortunately manifested as a moral and legal issue for him and his family to face. Whatever the case, I wish him well. More importantly, I see him as an actor in the play, only present because of his alignment with that particular energy.
I heard that the artist Nate Dogg died the other day. It immediately took me back to 1993, when I was underage and in a club where I met a really nice guy named Omar. He bought me a drink (which was soda) and made sure it stayed full. He made sure we got a place to sit and talk. He was really sweet and handsome. At the exact point where I start thinking, Do I like this dude? I glance over and see Nate Dogg. I was never a groupie, but I had the instinct that I would be good one, and I couldn't go out like that; so when I saw him, my only intentions were to dance with him, just get that in real quick, and come back hang out with Omar. What ended up happening was that Omar watched as I danced and talked and played stupid like I didn't know who he (Nate Dogg) was. I mean, I couldn't just start asking about his career, right? But what really took up time was the fact that I needed to keep looking at dude, because throughout our dance and my pretending not to know who he was, he started to not look so much like Nate Dogg ... and that really makes sense, seeing that it wasn't Nate Dogg. Oh. But I did say I had planned all along not to get caught up, 'cause I was really feelin' Omar, right? Well, Omar disappeared. :-( It was cool though; I learned my lesson. I found the man of my dreams a few years later.
So when I heard that Nate had moved on, I smiled. I thought about my hair-brained scheme and how it had crashed and burned, yet it was in his honor. I was never a serious fan of his, but of course I knew his music from the beginning, and I had respect. It was interesting how it all turned out. It was sad that his family lost him, and then there is the question of why. Whatever your view about the passing of life from this realm, remember that there are no victims and no mistakes; that theme is constant. Another constant theme is that your "afterlife" will in some way mimic your life and being that exist now. If you believe deeply that you will be punished and paid back for mistakes in life, you may very well have that continued wish or belief fulfilled. If you maintain that you must suffer because of yours sins, then suffering will be your companion.
For me, I am pretty content in the idea that we have a lot more to say about this subject, and that it is far more expanded than we ever thought possible. We may never know for sure until our time. What I am sure of is that the more I learn about any given subject, the more I evolve in my thinking about it, which changes my being in and around it, and that brings me incredible peace.
Elizabeth Taylor died today. I feel honored in this moment because it usually takes a week or two or more to complete a blog post. I had been wanting to post ideas about death for some time, and today was the day for editing and finally posting. I am honored to include her in this post because Elizabeth was a woman that represents all things good, luxurious, and glamorous ... and let's not forget beautiful. She was voted hands down one of the most beautiful women in the world. She enjoyed and gave the very best that Hollywood has to offer, and I am privileged to truly know of her work and contributions to life. I am thankful that she stood as a firm support for Michael Jackson during his life and times of need. People with H.I.V./ A.I.D.S. needed her support and friendship as well. Her life produced higher levels of thinking and understanding for millions of people, for decades; this is an extremely important achievement. Thank you, Elizabeth. You truly are a lady, American royalty. I am thankful for your presence.
I wish peace, comfort, and love to all of us for those we have lost, and for the life that death inspires us to live now in this world, and every wonder-filled world hereafter.
The reality of death is quite flexible, as are most things in life. Biological sciences simply say you die when all life-supporting involuntary activity cease to operate. Metaphysics says that you simply leave the vessel and resume life in another dimension, on another realm. Physics states that theoretically we may not even understand the "life process" as well as we think we do, and that theoretically we should be able to live forever with deeper understanding of the laws of physics. And last but not least, there is the promise of hell fire after you die, if you "weren't right with God."
For the record, everybody is perfect and right with their God.
Whatever the case, whatever we decide is our own brand of truth. We need to become one with it and live as such. How dare I say "need"?
I said it and meant it. We play too much. We know there are impending events that will come, but we ignore them without fail.
We don't keep our affairs in order in case the unexpected occurs. We fight over our families' belongings, because we live "numb" and can't help but be greedy. Or we fight over the principalities, material goods, etc. because we are hurt and have no real idea of how to cope. Or simply because we are assholes.
So death has occurred; it hurts like hell. Then we start blaming the person that seems likely to have caused it: the child who gave Mom a hard time, the husband who may have secretly beat her, the job he worked for years and did not get his full credit after dedicated service.
None of those things are to blame. We leave the stage of life when we are finished playing our parts—and we all play a part. Sometimes people die of illness, which usually reflects imbalanced thoughts being nurtured. Emotional pain, anger, resistance, fear, resentment, and the experiences that they produce are revisited in the quiet of a person's mind on a regular basis. Eventually, you either create more of it or you create a way to get out of it.
When people die of an "accidental" nature, it actually is much of the same, with overtones of adventure, ego, or even violence. There are no accidents.
What we experience in life is a unique blend of consistent thoughts and emotions, which all emit vibration frequencies that strongly influence our "outpictured," manifested life. The seemingly concrete experience we take part in as our life, is, for intents and purposes, created by us.
And the same is true when we die, and for the ways we die. There is a television show called 1,000 Ways to Die. I noticed that in each scenario, the people acted out of fear, jealousy, anger, or otherwise unbalanced views of life where nobody matters but themselves. If the reason a person died is not apparent, then it may be found in the deepest thoughts, which are hidden. When we really want to live, we do.
Personally, I want to grow old, live to be 102, and still be pretty (a loving and radiant temple). I'll still walk or run my few miles a day, get up early and stretch my muscles before sunrise, clean my home, and conduct my business effortlessly. And when I'm ready to die, I want to get in my big fluffy bed and go to sleep, knowing in my heart I lived my own fairy tales in real life, and have received all of the good I hold within and without, and there is absolutely nothing else I want or need to do.
I know that we don't care to talk about death, but we should. When we ponder our own mortality, it beckons us to live—to really live.
I pondered Michael Jackson's life when I was about 8. I was concerned for myself and the world if we were ever to lose him. When he died, I was walking the halls at the school where I worked and heard a woman say to someone else, "You know Michael Jackson died." The person was aware. The woman went on to say, "Shoooooot, 'cause when Jehova calls you home, it's time to go home!" She actually had a vibe like she was celebrating something she was looking forward to for herself. I continued down the hall, thinking, Wow, really? You just up and died? Why would he die? I don't mean who killed him. Why would he die?
Generally, we should be able to stay in bodies longer than 50 years. I wondered where he was energetically. He had children we know he cared about who were young. He had a career that was coming back ... right? I also know that M.J. wanted to please his audience more than anything else in life, and he did it better than anyone else ever has in history. I do not believe he would have ever reached those heights again; and personally, I remember thinking that Las Vegas is wonderful, but not for Michael. He's not the same type of artist as the rest. Everybody who gets to Vegas has done so because of their talent. But they are no Michael Jackson. I think he knew he could not bring the performance he was known for, and that being the dedication of his entire life, I think he chose to move on. The name of his last tour was "This Is It." Within the the last appearance to promote concert, he said he loved us and this was it. And then he was gone. The way he left was a reflection on some level of how he lived, as it will be for all of us. The doctor involved may have had concerns that turned into guilt or fear that were not addressed in his work with Michael, and unfortunately manifested as a moral and legal issue for him and his family to face. Whatever the case, I wish him well. More importantly, I see him as an actor in the play, only present because of his alignment with that particular energy.
I heard that the artist Nate Dogg died the other day. It immediately took me back to 1993, when I was underage and in a club where I met a really nice guy named Omar. He bought me a drink (which was soda) and made sure it stayed full. He made sure we got a place to sit and talk. He was really sweet and handsome. At the exact point where I start thinking, Do I like this dude? I glance over and see Nate Dogg. I was never a groupie, but I had the instinct that I would be good one, and I couldn't go out like that; so when I saw him, my only intentions were to dance with him, just get that in real quick, and come back hang out with Omar. What ended up happening was that Omar watched as I danced and talked and played stupid like I didn't know who he (Nate Dogg) was. I mean, I couldn't just start asking about his career, right? But what really took up time was the fact that I needed to keep looking at dude, because throughout our dance and my pretending not to know who he was, he started to not look so much like Nate Dogg ... and that really makes sense, seeing that it wasn't Nate Dogg. Oh. But I did say I had planned all along not to get caught up, 'cause I was really feelin' Omar, right? Well, Omar disappeared. :-( It was cool though; I learned my lesson. I found the man of my dreams a few years later.
So when I heard that Nate had moved on, I smiled. I thought about my hair-brained scheme and how it had crashed and burned, yet it was in his honor. I was never a serious fan of his, but of course I knew his music from the beginning, and I had respect. It was interesting how it all turned out. It was sad that his family lost him, and then there is the question of why. Whatever your view about the passing of life from this realm, remember that there are no victims and no mistakes; that theme is constant. Another constant theme is that your "afterlife" will in some way mimic your life and being that exist now. If you believe deeply that you will be punished and paid back for mistakes in life, you may very well have that continued wish or belief fulfilled. If you maintain that you must suffer because of yours sins, then suffering will be your companion.
For me, I am pretty content in the idea that we have a lot more to say about this subject, and that it is far more expanded than we ever thought possible. We may never know for sure until our time. What I am sure of is that the more I learn about any given subject, the more I evolve in my thinking about it, which changes my being in and around it, and that brings me incredible peace.
Elizabeth Taylor died today. I feel honored in this moment because it usually takes a week or two or more to complete a blog post. I had been wanting to post ideas about death for some time, and today was the day for editing and finally posting. I am honored to include her in this post because Elizabeth was a woman that represents all things good, luxurious, and glamorous ... and let's not forget beautiful. She was voted hands down one of the most beautiful women in the world. She enjoyed and gave the very best that Hollywood has to offer, and I am privileged to truly know of her work and contributions to life. I am thankful that she stood as a firm support for Michael Jackson during his life and times of need. People with H.I.V./ A.I.D.S. needed her support and friendship as well. Her life produced higher levels of thinking and understanding for millions of people, for decades; this is an extremely important achievement. Thank you, Elizabeth. You truly are a lady, American royalty. I am thankful for your presence.
I wish peace, comfort, and love to all of us for those we have lost, and for the life that death inspires us to live now in this world, and every wonder-filled world hereafter.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
My Grammy Experience, Part 2: Christina Aguilera
I saved this special area for Christina Aguilera. I want to give thanks for who she is and what she brings to the face of entertainment, to music, specifically. And I invite you in this moment to recognize her talent as a vocalist. I just watched a clip of her at the Super Bowl and I have the same reaction I had when I first heard it: She did a good job. It wasn't flawless, but she ripped that ish. I wasn't sure at first because I got caught up in the firestorm of "clownage" over how wrong she was. I don't really care for sports, but always watch the National Anthem. I remember thinking, She's tired. Then I thought, C'mon, Christina, you don't have to put extras on it; you already got it. I was thinking that she looked as if she was calculating each note before she hit it. But wouldn't you? I mean really, if most of the country—not city or state but country—were watching you do your job, wouldn't you want to bring it? So it was in these first few seconds that I realized I was resisting such a wonderful gift (the critical eye syndrome). So I decided to be present. I enjoyed her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner; and the fact that she yelled a bit and fumbled or forgot her words doesn't spoil the most important point: She is a veteran in her craft. She can sing and she did the job that day.
So why was there such a backlash over the mistake that was made? Do we care that much about our National Anthem? Do we know the words verbatim? You may say, "I don't need to know it; that was her job." Okay, so how flawless are we in our day with the teams of individuals that we work with? Are we being productive? Are we really "doing our jobs" when we check in and engage with the homies on Facebook on company time? What about our lunch and break? Do we always come back on time? Are we going to the bathroom 10 times a day just to get away from our desks and workload? Are we using the company phone to make personal calls, instead of using our own phones during our designated break time?
What about when we very smugly say, "That's not my job," when we know good and well we could have dropped that envelope of paperwork off at So-And-So's desk ourselves, and been a team player, maybe even made our co-worker's day?
Ultimately, it never matters what another person is doing, we are always really just experiencing ourselves. But to go one step further, artists bring forth their work with great love, and sometimes pain.Why are we so cruel to people when they don't fully please us the way we think they should? We are especially cruel to artists that emphasize beauty, peace, and love in our world.
"Music is the soundtrack of your life." ~ Dick Clark
This is true, even for music that you don't call your favorites. You know that song you don't care for oftentimes has you singing its praises (literally) all day. Secular music is what our church folks called it when they warned us about it. They called it the devil, not so much because it's bad, but because it's powerful. It sinks right in without us realizing it. There is something to that.
I would just like to point out that I am in no way Christina's #1 fan. I may never purchase a ticket to her concert, and I don't think I own any of her music. But in the grand scheme of my earthly consciousness, she has her place, and I appreciate her work. I found out after the Grammys that Christina was going through a divorce. I felt bad for a minute, and then I wished them both wellness and freedom if that's what they need. She is human, and every human needs a little support during trying times or moments when we don't quite make the mark. I mean, regarding the Super Bowl performance, I'm sure the people who love her told her that it was just a mistake; and at the end of the day, it's not a big deal. I think that is true. I bet her camp worked hard to move on and be over it, which brings me to another point I'd like to make. Celebrities are held to tight schedules because entertainment moves at the speed of life, so they get a lot done in a day. They do not have time to mull over mistakes.The show must go on. So if celebrities work to have a thick skin and get over stuff fast, why don't we in our daily lives?
Jerry Springer has been on the air for 20 years (doing it real big). Even his stage muscle Steve Wilko had a show for a while. Maury Povich has been doing his thing for sometime as well. Although I wish them all great and continued success, um...Jerry Springer and Maury Povich are not household names because of the upstanding dignity that we as Americans consistently express. A lot of that content isn't "right," so to speak. But we watch so that we can mock. It is funny sometimes. And it's okay. That's us "Americans." But when we know better, we must really do better. Let's try to either watch and appreciate all performances, all art, or let's not watch at all.
On Grammy night, I think Christina did a great job with her rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way." Her voice is a part of our soundtrack along with the other women that shared a stage with her that night. As they did their jobs to the best of their ability in that moment, they continued to manifest some of their dreams and express their art.
The next time you find yourself witnessing art move through another, keep your heart open and notice the profound beauty. If you are still and receptive, you may be inspired to become an artist yourself. At the very least, you will be encouraged to "be." That is what art is, in all of its glory—inspiration.
Let's allow that with love.
So why was there such a backlash over the mistake that was made? Do we care that much about our National Anthem? Do we know the words verbatim? You may say, "I don't need to know it; that was her job." Okay, so how flawless are we in our day with the teams of individuals that we work with? Are we being productive? Are we really "doing our jobs" when we check in and engage with the homies on Facebook on company time? What about our lunch and break? Do we always come back on time? Are we going to the bathroom 10 times a day just to get away from our desks and workload? Are we using the company phone to make personal calls, instead of using our own phones during our designated break time?
What about when we very smugly say, "That's not my job," when we know good and well we could have dropped that envelope of paperwork off at So-And-So's desk ourselves, and been a team player, maybe even made our co-worker's day?
Ultimately, it never matters what another person is doing, we are always really just experiencing ourselves. But to go one step further, artists bring forth their work with great love, and sometimes pain.Why are we so cruel to people when they don't fully please us the way we think they should? We are especially cruel to artists that emphasize beauty, peace, and love in our world.
"Music is the soundtrack of your life." ~ Dick Clark
This is true, even for music that you don't call your favorites. You know that song you don't care for oftentimes has you singing its praises (literally) all day. Secular music is what our church folks called it when they warned us about it. They called it the devil, not so much because it's bad, but because it's powerful. It sinks right in without us realizing it. There is something to that.
I would just like to point out that I am in no way Christina's #1 fan. I may never purchase a ticket to her concert, and I don't think I own any of her music. But in the grand scheme of my earthly consciousness, she has her place, and I appreciate her work. I found out after the Grammys that Christina was going through a divorce. I felt bad for a minute, and then I wished them both wellness and freedom if that's what they need. She is human, and every human needs a little support during trying times or moments when we don't quite make the mark. I mean, regarding the Super Bowl performance, I'm sure the people who love her told her that it was just a mistake; and at the end of the day, it's not a big deal. I think that is true. I bet her camp worked hard to move on and be over it, which brings me to another point I'd like to make. Celebrities are held to tight schedules because entertainment moves at the speed of life, so they get a lot done in a day. They do not have time to mull over mistakes.The show must go on. So if celebrities work to have a thick skin and get over stuff fast, why don't we in our daily lives?
Jerry Springer has been on the air for 20 years (doing it real big). Even his stage muscle Steve Wilko had a show for a while. Maury Povich has been doing his thing for sometime as well. Although I wish them all great and continued success, um...Jerry Springer and Maury Povich are not household names because of the upstanding dignity that we as Americans consistently express. A lot of that content isn't "right," so to speak. But we watch so that we can mock. It is funny sometimes. And it's okay. That's us "Americans." But when we know better, we must really do better. Let's try to either watch and appreciate all performances, all art, or let's not watch at all.
On Grammy night, I think Christina did a great job with her rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way." Her voice is a part of our soundtrack along with the other women that shared a stage with her that night. As they did their jobs to the best of their ability in that moment, they continued to manifest some of their dreams and express their art.
The next time you find yourself witnessing art move through another, keep your heart open and notice the profound beauty. If you are still and receptive, you may be inspired to become an artist yourself. At the very least, you will be encouraged to "be." That is what art is, in all of its glory—inspiration.
Let's allow that with love.
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