“There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled.
There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled.
You feel it, don’t you?”
―
Been on a bit of a tear through Rumi Quotes and thinking about things few will discuss with naked honesty.
Still listening to this song because it requires me to think in two languages and to expand my thoughts in ways I don’t always do.
If you don’t speak more than one language you probably don’t recognize there is some effort required in trying to express yourself in whatever isn’t your native tongue.
Reminds me of someone who told me they were disappointed I never cooked or baked for them.
I said it would happen eventually and was told later on that eventually met never and I said to never say never.
The longer I live and the more I see the more reason I have for recognizing there are few things that I can apply never to because just when you think something is impossible life kicks you in the mouth.
A Long & Winding Road
Count me in as a Dave Grohl fan for a host of reasons that start with his coming across as nothing more than another 50 year-old member of Gen X.
This is in spite of his having had a pretty damn successful music career, noting that I have never liked Nirvana much, if at all.
What has gotten my attention are his skills as a writer and the interviews I have seen him do.
But what really pushed it over the top is I know three or four people who have run into him at the Ralph’s supermarket back home.
It is the older one in Encino, off of Ventura and Zelzah. You know the one that was built after the older one burned down.
That reference will weed out those who are new comers cuz that fire happened more than 40 years ago, but the blessing/curse of age is being able to look back a few years.
So I give you a live video of Times Like These that demonstrate some of his Springsteen like storytelling and a link to an interview that I appreciate where he refers to his band as Dad rock.
Hell, I’ll grab an excerpt that I really appreciate.
“We’ve just never been hip or cool; we just really haven’t. I think that the reason why we’re still here is because we do kind of disconnect ourselves from the popular stuff that’s going on, but also because, what the fuck do we care? I just want to fucking play music.”
A couple of dad bloggers asked a few months ago why I haven’t done more of the brand ambassadorships and blog sponsorships.
“Because I haven’t been particularly good at playing the game. I could be better at it if I wanted to. I could do things to get the right attention, but I haven’t.”
The biggest advantage Grohl has over me is presumably a bank account that provides enough support to focus on being an artist and not be tied to the whims of others.
I could do more and maybe my not doing so is interpreted by some as not wanting it badly enough.
Or maybe it is proof of my walking my path because I don’t need to prove anything to anyone besides me.
Some of you already know I am capable of long term focus and follow through if something interests me.
Heck, some of you have told me more than once you don’t understand the hows and whys and I am cool with that too.
It’s a long and winding road.
Sources Of Strength
One of the boys told me that I am like David Bowie and that I ought to be excited about the latest version of myself.
I thanked him for comparing me to a guy who died 3.5 years ago.
We both laughed and asked how time passes so damn quickly.
“Careful brother, you sound like one of those old men.”
“You’re older than I am.”
“Yeah, wiser too.”
He snorted and we moved the conversation onto other things like being the father of teenage girls.
It is a wild ride parenting teenagers.
There are moments when you know your teenage daughter is talking to you about something because she has already gotten a no from her mom or anticipates getting one.
And then there are moments where you wonder what she is telling mom that she isn’t telling you.
Some of it isn’t of particular importance because there are female things we will never be able to talk about from personal experience and that is ok.
But you hope the other stuff gets shared with you and that you are considered a trusted source.
These teens don’t realize they have witnessed our growing up too just as we have seen them grow up.
They don’t know about the sources of strength we pull from and that sometimes we can teach them how to reference those same pools.
While it is true you can’t screw an old head on young shoulders there are skills you can share and teaching moments you can both benefit from.
****
Some friends and family say I ought to be grateful I haven’t gotten the full experience of dealing with teenagers in love.
“Josh, they act so damn stupid. They are idiots.”
I remember laughing when I heard it and getting yelled at.
“You won’t be laughing when your kids act like fools.”
“No, I might not but I won’t forget lust and love make everyone act like an idiot. If we are lucky by the time we get to be this age we’re better at managing it. But that is questionable.”
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