Unexpected day off

Today, when I checked into facebook,  I found that my friend Larry had entered the Wayback machine and went to 1984. So, like a good lemming I went too. When I travel back to that year the first stop I like to make is A-ha's house. So I know have a time travel playlist of A-ha's greats. Well, what I call the greats; because even though the physical music has been gone for 25 or more years, I can still remember the words. These were the sentiments that I programmed into my head on purpose because I never dreamed that the future would let us go back in time for real to relive our glory days. I did not want to lose these songs when the cassettes broke. And I knew they would. Though Captain Picard could call up any piece of music from the ships library in the mid 2300s, i did not think it possible to tap into a vast cultural library in my lifetime. So I stored it all in my head for safe keeping.

Granted the videos are newer performances. But the feeling from my first listen are still there, ready to go at the first note. It is comforting. And inspiring. As I listen, I find myself tapping into the fearlessness that I had at 15 when my life was so open before me that there were endless choices. Of course for my personality type that isn't always a good thing. I want to do everything. Can you say daVinci? I knew you could. But it was wonderful because I did not fear the possibility of failure like I do now. I'm not guaranteed to fail at my endeavors. And neither am I guaranteed to succeed. And at this juncture, with fiscal concerns looming like some Sendakian monster in my closet, the lack of a guarantee of success tortures me with immobility.

Last night I spent some time at Borders. I found a book that has given me some hope. It tells me there is a lot of footwork to get where I want to be. But there is hope. I just have to have some support. The best support comes to us when we fight against self doubt and our fears. We have to put on the armor that will protect us. For me that armor comes foremost in the shape of music. Not faith in God, you ask? To which I say who do you think gave these artists the talent to sing, play and perform but most of all to distill our human experiences into 3:05 minutes of back patting and handholding? And why do you think God did that?

Right after music, because it is portable and essentially on-demand, are the people who know that everything can be overcome, who don't try to hold you back out of jealousy and false competition and who won't let you be less than what you could become because you are taking the "safe" route and working a dead-end job.

So as I listen to the music that has always uplifted me and propelled me forward, I sort through the supportive people and the ones who hold me back, I formulate a plan and I write you to tell you that you too can do anything you want to do. Armor yourself, gather your troops and go forward to conquer the enemy at your gate be it self-doubt, jealous co-workers or the fickle finger of finance.

Go! Be! Do! But most of all... enjoy what you love and do what you enjoy.