Until last week, I just didn't get it.
Why bother keeping an entire music album? Why not simply keep the tracks that I like the sound of on first impact and leave it at that? Now I think I get it.
It kind of relates to my lil write up about treating things with an equal purpose and value. Perhaps my former mentality was the product of a society driven by restlessness, choice, change, criticism and selectivity. Or perhaps it was the product of my own control complex. Either way, life ain't that simple. We don't get to pick and choose the circumstances life throws at us, rather we have the choice to react in a certain way under given circumstances. The same goes for an album that an artist has poured their heart and soul and hard work into. For us to say, keepers to this song and trashbag to the next takes away from both the artist and from ourselves. PLUS something that didn't click yesterday might speak to your heart today.
One of my favourite law profs constantly emphasized the importance of reading complete works of writing, from 300 page books, to a collection of essays or a short articles. Because it was only then that the class could have thorough, honest and constructive discussions regarding a given person's views of justice and the world. When someone releases a finished work to the public, whatever the medium, we ought to respect the fact that its content has been chosen and kept and shared for a reason. As in life, it is up to us to decide how to react from moment to moment, and of course our reactions may change, but to completely disregard some parts of the whole in favor of others is inconsiderate and also unrealistic...UN-holistic!
Was it Benjamin Franklin who said, "half the truth is a great lie"? To judge anything or anyone arbitrarily by its/his/her parts can thus be seen as a great lie. OH and speaking of judge ...I wish people would turn judgment inward before jumping at the opportunity to judge others. Haha but that's another blah blah for another time.
So, I confess, I was once a picker and a chooser of musical pieces. I still may have my favourites, but at least I will give the entire album (or perhaps even an entire life's work) a chance. Not such a revolutionary idea, I know...MANY of my friends and family members live by this philosophy, and I have them to thank for opening my ears.
Cheers, tschuss and love!
below: on tour with Woodpigeon goes east! performing my fave song, "And as the ship went down you'd never looked finer."
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