I wanted to do something light and simple for today’s BeWoW post. I always get myself in the trap of trying to write something that is informative of inspirational as far as how I deal with my everyday health problems and putting a positive spin on things to keep going.
Well, one way to do that is, can you guess?
That’s right, don’t try to put a spin on anything. Just go with the flow and find something to make your day fun and frolicsome. Wow, that’s a word? Did I just admit I didn’t know that’s a word? I’ll blame it on the amnesia/concussion.
So one thing I do to have fun is Youtube. I can’t really watch TV but I can do little clips or interviews. So I thought of Natalie Imbruglia one day. One of the most gorgeous women EVER!
Okay, I’m good now. I can continue.
Anyway, I saw an interview with her and that led me to her song Torn. Duh, right? Well here is a different version. Awesome.
And now you know how I pass the time sometimes. When I can’t write I can at least have some fun.
My #BeWoW Inspirational Song to all of you. You can’t help but move and be uplifted by this. Saw her in concert a few years ago at WinterJam. Might have been the best part of the night.
Francesca Battistelli with Free to be Me
At twenty years of age I’m still looking for a dream A war’s already waged For my destiny But you’ve already won the battle And you’ve got great plans for me Though I can’t always see
‘Cause I got a couple dents in my fender Got a couple rips in my jeans Try to fit the pieces together But perfection is my enemy On my own I’m so clumsy But on your shoulders I can see I’m free to be me
When I was just a girl I thought I had it figured out My life would turn out right And I’d make it here somehow But things don’t always come that easy And sometimes I would doubt
‘Cause I got a couple dents in my fender Got a couple rips in my jeans Try to fit the pieces together But perfection is my enemy On my own I’m so clumsy But on your shoulders I can see I’m free to be me
And you’re free to be you
Sometimes I believe That I can do anything Yet other times I think I’ve got nothing good to bring But you look at my heart and you tell me That I’ve got all you seek And it’s easy to believe Even though
‘Cause I got a couple dents in my fender Got a couple rips in my jeans Try to fit the pieces together But perfection is my enemy On my own I’m so clumsy But on your shoulders I can see I’m free to be me
People often think they know a person. With celebrities we think we know every nuance of their lives from the fodder we’re fed through tabloid TV and media. No, this is not a hating on the media moment here.
I have gone through moments of vaguely liking or disliking Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. It seems you can only be in the camp of one and not the other. Two artists so linked by talent and artistry could be a force to reckoned with if they were to ever join together in a project. Perhaps.
But there is too much there at the moment to divide them. Today my focus is on Katy Perry. She went through this odd marriage to a man named Russell Brand. It seemed quite good for a time and then divorce. A great many people put the blame on Perry. Even those in this house are of that opinion. Or were until I stumbled upon this song a couple of weeks ago.
Some don’t know that Perry comes from a Minister’s home. That’s right, she’s a PK. A Preachers Kid. When you listen to this song she wrote you will hear the purity, the truth of her feelings. These aren’t just words. This is coming from a person truly understanding what she is singing about.
For one thing the song is about her marriage falling apart. She received a text message from Brand that they were divorcing. She thought of suicide. This is the one song about that relationship. She says any other lyrics you hear anywhere on other songs are coincidence. This is the one song that she wrote to get it out of her.
It’s a powerful song and has quickly become a favorite of mine. I am not a mainstream pop music listener normally. I dabble. After listening to this I listened to some of her other songs and she is truly a talent.
Was 27, surviving my return of Saturn
A long vacation didn’t sound so bad
Was full of secrets, locked up tight like Iron Mountain
Running on empty, so out of gas
Thought I wasn’t enough
Found I wasn’t so tough
Laying on the bathroom floor
We were living on a fault line
And I felt the fault was all mine
Couldn’t take it anymore
(Chorus)
By the grace of God
There was no other way
I picked myself back up
I knew I had to stay
I put one foot in front of the other
And I looked in the mirror
And decided to stay
Wasn’t gonna let love take me out that way
I thank my sister for keeping my head above the water
When the truth was like swallowing sand
Now every morning, there is no more mourning
Oh I can finally see myself again
I know I am enough
Possible to be loved
It was not about me
Now I have to rise above
Let the Universe call the bluff
Yeah, the truth will set you free
(Chorus)
That way, no
That way, no
Not in the name of love
That way, no
That way, no
I am not giving up
By the grace of God
I picked myself back up
I put one foot in front of the other
And I looked in the mirror
I like to wait before I move to make a rather in depth statement about an issue. My mind needs time to process AND to calm a bit. I like to find peace before I write. That way when I do write I can stand by what I write and not need to defend a rash tantrum.
The Grammy Awards show.
I am certain there has been quite a bit of griping around Blog Life regarding the behavior of one Kanye West who will be referred to as KW moving forward. No, that is not short for Kid Wino, or Kook Whiner, or Kid Weenie.
I did write a Haiku yesterday about his behavior, Dweebzus. Some of you may recall KW had an album called Yeezus. “Nuff said ’bout dat.
I will just say it plain. I have no respect for KW in any aspect whatsoever. KW decided he would take the stage when Beck won album of the year instead of Beyonce. Well he didn’t take the mic and complain this time. He did complain later to E! and even complained about E! having E! on their mics during the interview.
KW seems to think there is only one type of music that is worthy. Whoever he is friends with. No other artist is good. He looks at sales to determine if one album is better than another. I suppose if One Direction beats KW on the charts that means they are better than he is? What if Prince had won the award or Pharrell? Would he have reacted the same?
He complained about he’s never beat a white artist in all the Grammy awards he has won. So does that mean in the categories he won in there were no white people nominated? Perhaps there is something that should be said about that? Do I dare say that? Would I be deemed something I am not by even thinking that?
Just so you know, I’m good with myself. I know I’m not racist or a bigot or anything else negative like that. Just ask around. I may even think you’re an idiot but I am not going to hold that against you as far as if I like you or not. Although I do have a problem with stupidity. I really do. People that are just plain stupid get on my nerves.
You know, I don’t care what your skin tone is. If you are good you are good. And there is a difference between an album that is something that brings something to the table and something that simply hits the charts.
KW is a self important tick on the music world and gives those around him a bad name. Jay-Z actually was shaking his head no at KW as he went to the stage. Maybe that’s what stopped the guy. You may be Yeezus in your mind but Jay-Z is the head of the Hip Hop Illuminati, or so the honesty world of the internet would have you believe. Oh, I forgot, that’s the same internet that shows numbers of sales that said Beyonce should have beat Beck.
You ever notice how Jay-Z doesn’t seem to care about awards? His bank account rocks. He knows what really matters. By even reacting to the award outcomes you give them validation.
Sam Smith won because he ripped off Tom Petty. Ed Sheeran should have one. He has more talent than Smith ever will. No joke with this next part either, but does Sam Smith look like he could be Boy George’s son?
Sometimes you get inspiration from the strangest places. This one is the strangest of all. I didn’t even have to watch the Grammy Awards and heard about this one.
I believe I’ve spoken of a pastor friend of mine before who brought me fully into a love of studying the Bible. He has his own ministry now that he is retired in which he teaches Apologetics in Oklahoma. I greatly enjoy Apologetics as it goes so hand in hand with my love of History. One verse that is key to his ministry is;
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
I wanted to share this verse with you today as the final My Sunday Thought of 2014. I would like for you to look around at the world today. Look at what is popular on television and in the various forms of media.
Now take Fifty Shades of Grey and give it to your 10 year old to read. I know many of you are likely thinking this book is for adults only. I slip into that vein of thought at times when I write some of my poetry not that there have been many that could not be shared and yes, even in a Romance I’ve written there are scenes that are a bit much at times, not yet published nor revised by me. But does it make it right? Does the fact of the existence of something in a society make it right?
We should be able to hold ourselves up proudly at any moment and look at people and say “Do not throw me in with the swine you have made yourself to be.”
There is truly nothing of this world, the popular world that I care to be a part of. What do I want filling my mind? Do I want negativity and hatred or positivity and encouragement? Do I want skewed views of every single moment of life that is played out and inflamed according to media direction for the purpose of ratings when they could be trying to help a situation or do I want that which will give me hope and give me the ability to love every creation of God on this planet as a creation of God regardless of my dislike for who or what they are? Do I want to be an instigator or a mediator?
People don’t agree with my ideas. They believe they are a bit extreme. I believe we should not fill our minds with the trash that music has become, the movies, the literature. Don’t get me wrong, I believe everyone has the choice to do as they wish. There are a lot of aspects of life that should be portrayed in literature but done wisely. I simply believe that I have the choice to not fill my mind with some of it. I even suggested to people at my church, in ministry leadership positions that we should try to not support industry that supports all of the things that are a negative influence. We should not buy our fuel from stores that sell pornography. All I received from that was a nodding of the head with the “but” look to it. How could we ever possibly do that?
I am aware of the things, I just choose not to fill my mind and life with them. As the new year approaches give the idea of renewing your mind a consideration. Fill your life, your mind with positives so you may be a positive influence. Introduce the idea to your friends and family as well. Don’t be down on someone when they do listen to something or watch something. You just choose not to participate. Have your own music with you, a book. Or be like me and carry earplugs everywhere and then you don’t have to listen to anything or anyone you don’t want to. Yes, I have a medical excuse but so do you. You don’t want to be filled by the ill.
What you eat fuels your body. If you feed it junk your body will quickly lose energy. It stands to reason you think what you fill your mind with. What do you what fueling your mind?
In closing I am making my 2015 The Year of Renewal. A renewal of focus on those things that are most important to me and most important to my future. If you choose to travel along with me perhaps you will see that renewal playing out here in the pages of Ronovan Writes.
Each week I like to talk about a song. Sometimes it doesn’t happen, even months have gone by without my sharing, but as I was looking for a song last time to share I came across this one. I saved it.
I’ve never ran across a song where the first five lines were written about me quite so perfectly. Although the song is written about a man in his early forties seeing x-rays of his father, I take more as a autobiographical account through most of the song in regards to myself.
The Song
For Tim McGraw, the American Country music artist who had the number 1 hit of the year for 2004 with Live Like You Were Dying written by Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman, it was more personal as his own father, estranged as he was, professional baseball pitcher Tug McGraw suffered from a brain tumor and died in January of the same year.
The Moment
Life has moments in it that wake you up. Sometimes they wake you up after they knock you out. Why my particular moment decided to add Amnesia to the mix I’m not certain and I don’t question. I just move along and enjoy life as best I can.
Enter the Beatles
The other song I considered today was While My Guitar Gently Weeps by George Harrison and the Beatles. Harrison wrote the song after reading the I Ching.
“seemed to me to be based on the Eastern concept that everything is relative to everything else… opposed to the Western view that things are merely coincidental.”~Harrison, George (2002). I, Me, Mine. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
He went to his parents home and decided to write a song on the first two words he saw in a book he opened. Gently Weeps.
Harrison Mistaken
Harrison got it wrong. There might be people who believe in coincidences but this Westerner doesn’t. This Westerner in the sense Harrison was referring to in the Christian sense knows there are no coincidences. You see I know there are actions taking place in the world with a reaction to follow.
My ‘accident’ was no accident. I see it as something that was made to happen for a reason. No, I do not think God thought to do me harm, He does not do that. But what He does it take that moment and give one the opportunity to do good from it.
I haven’t done much good as opposed to before other than begin blogging. But a great many things have happened since then. Some have come to fruition already, and others are of the slow growing variety of tree of my life. Either way I will enjoy picking the fruit and enjoying the taste of it.
Is It Ever Too Late
Some people might read this and be angry because their situation is worse than mine and I dare to say that we are given the opportunity to make something out of it. Perhaps a person has days to live or months. Is a second to little to do something positive and leave this world with something of yourself that others might look to in an inspirational way? A squeeze of the hand between an estranged father in a hospital bed and his son is not too late to make a memorable moment.
I was in my early forties With a lot of life before me When a moment came that stopped me on a dime
I spent most of the next days, looking at the x-rays Talking bout the options and talking bout sweet time
I asked him when it sank in That this might really be the real end How’s it hit ‘cha when you get that kind of news? Man, what’d ya do? And he said
I went skydiving I went rocky mountain climbing I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu And I loved deeper And I spoke sweeter And I gave forgiveness I’d been denyin’
And he said, Someday I hope you get the chance To live like you were dyin’
He said, I was finally the husband That most the time I wasn’t And I became a friend, a friend would like to have
And all of a sudden goin’ fishin’ Wasn’t such an imposition And I went three times that year I lost my dad Well I, I finally read the good book And I took a good long hard look At what I’d do if I could do it all again And then
I went skydiving I went rocky mountain climbing I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu And I loved deeper And I spoke sweeter And I gave forgiveness I’d been denyin’
And he said, Someday I hope you get the chance To live like you were dyin’
Like tomorrow was a gift And ya got eternity to think about what to do with it What did you do with it? What did I do with it? What would I do with it?
Skydiving I went rocky mountain climbing I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu And I loved deeper And I spoke sweeter And I watched an eagle as it was flyin’
And he said, Someday I hope you get the chance To live like you were dyin’
To live like you were dyin’ To live like you were dyin’ To live like you were dyin’ To live like you were dyin’
I love a song. A beautiful song. It’s a remake of a Vertical Horizon song called Best I Ever Had. The remake or cover is by country artist Gary Allan. As with any song the lyrics can take on the meaning you give to them. I often focus on the title words Best I Ever Had. But the song is a painful song, and perhaps that is why I connect to it. I hear the loss in Gary Allan’s voice, the pain, the sincerity that only he could give to this song.
Gary Allan went downstairs to get his wife a Coke that she asked for because she said she felt sick. Minutes later he heard a pop. He returned to the bedroom to find she had removed a gun from his gun safe under the bed and committed suicide. I prefer not to go into the details.
It took Allan some time to get to a place where he could really deal with it all and this was the song he recorded. Some looked at it in the beginning as some strange change in his style and had issues with it. I did not even know who he was but the song hit me.
Best I Ever Had can be given to so many different things. The obvious being love.
As I was finding a song to share today and came across this many old things came to mind. One in particular was the day I dropped the family off after church. It was the worst time of my adult life and the sermon that day hit me. I drove. I had no idea of what was to happen, but I needed to get away and be alone. I had not had time alone to deal with a situation that had occurred, a life changing situation.
The happy face
Had to be in place
An no one was the wiser
I went driving. I said I went to a local park but it was closed for that time of the year. I just drove. Finding an empty parking lot I stopped and sat there. I didn’t break down and release it all. Thoughts came to mind of failure, disappointment and how things would be better and solved if I just came up with the final solution. But then the little face came to mind.
When I was in the hospital this past year after a fall in my home, I remembered a little face. A little face that led me through all the strangeness and confusion. Small faces help so often to keep us in reality and force our selfishness away.
I still have those moments every day of failure. I have forgiven myself for the life changing situation but I have also given the message to never let me drive off alone when remotely depressed. I have a grasp on reality for now, I know it, I am okay with it, and thus I am fine.
This song as I’ve learned of its meaning for Gary Allan adds to the beauty of it. In this song Allan gives the Best HE Ever Had in a vocal performance. For me this song means every possible meaning, even in a way a happy meaning. Yes, you can give it that if you look at it that way, as that was my original intent in sharing it.
I don’t want people to think there is anything wrong or that I am looking for attention, I am simply sharing a story of my life with you. Hoping that part of me helps a part of someone that might be reading.
So you sailed away into a grey sky morning Now I’m here to stay, love can be so boring And nothing’s quite the same now I just say your name now
But it’s not so bad You’re only the best I ever had You don’t want me back You’re just the best I ever had
So you stole my world, now I’m just a phony Remembering the girl leaves me down and lonely We’ll send it in a letter Make yourself feel better
But it’s not so bad You’re only the best I ever had You don’t want me back You’re just the best I ever had
And it might take some time to patch me up inside But I can’t take it so I, I run away and hide And I might find in time that you were always right You’re always right
So you sailed away into a grey sky morning Now, I’m here to stay, love can be so boring Was it what you wanted? Could it be I’m haunted?
But it’s not so bad You’re only the best I ever had You don’t want me back You’re just the best I ever had You’re just the best I ever had
It’s been some times since I did what a song means to me and I miss those days.
Songs that make you pause, bring hope, peace, melancholy. Some look at melancholy as a completely bad thing, but often times it’s the only time you have to experience peace and reflective moments. No, don’t get me wrong, this is not to say I am in a state of melancholy. I am simply giving possible emotions a song may bring.
I had another song in mind when while glancing through the extensive list I happened to glimpse Let it Be, written and sung by Paul McCartney with the Beatles.
Paul has said in interviews when asked the meaning of the lyrics, if they have Biblical meanings, that those who listen are to take from it what they like. Much like we here in our poetry communities say. In other words, he wrote the song for himself as he needed to after a dream about his departed mother and as for the definition of lyrics he will simply . . . Let it Be.
For me the song was once a beautifully simple song.,back in my pre-Christian days of not knowing of the Let it Be reference to May and her response to the angel Gabriel about her pregnancy, only one interpretation of the lyrics.
For me now, Let it Be does bring a sense of peace as I deal with with my Chronic pain, Chronic Fatigue, Osteoarthritis, and Amnesia. I am given more medications than I have ever even looked at in my life, I am certain, well almost certain. A bit of amnesiac humor only I can poke at myself with, thank you very much. I lose things daily and gain some only to be lost again.
I lose the memory of friends from Blog World that I have the feeling are of some significance but things don’t click. One day there, and a hard nights sleep or battle with a flare up and they are gone. Fibromyalgia combined with Concussion has brought about some unusual results.
I write, I blog, I live, I love children, I love inspiration, and for all that I cannot control I simply . . . Let it Be.
For trivia minded:
Paul wrote the song after a dream of his mother, Mary who had died of cancer when he was 14, during the time around the recording of The Beatles (The White Album).
The song became the title of the album that was released after McCartney’s announcement of his leaving The Beatles.
There are numerous versions of the song recorded by the Beatles for films, singles, album, and anthologies.
I personally think it odd that the title track of the album is Let it Be and the band has broken up. I believe perhaps it was a message to the fans saying just Let it Be.
What does the song mean to you or what feeling does it bring? Jenna Willett of Jen’s Pen Dendoes a regular weekly post about music that inspires her during writing, what mood would this inspire for you?
When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
This could alternately be called Shortened Songs for Today’s kids. I mean seriously, the attention span of kids today is about as long as it takes Mario to die from one of those freaking little turtles…tortoises, whatever the things with shells that walk on land. You tell the video game people they are wrong! Sorry, I had a moment there. Conniptions happen, you know? (You know people really shouldn’t use words they don’t know the meanings of. I am not sure really what a conniption is. Okay I just looked it up. I used it correctly. We’re good to go.)
ronovanwrites 