LT and the 405

While driving down the 405 the other day, a thought occured to me.

For one, I have surpassed the Novice level at evading bad drivers on the freeways. I feel like an expert in the way that I dodge the swervers and lackluster lane-changers; kind of like what I'd imagine an NFL running back to feel when he's jetting between defenders who're paid millions to bring him down.

As far fetched as this might seem, I drew a correlation on my dashboard the other day, linking myself to LT with the way that I seem to slip through the cracks and out of the grasp of other cars. And then I thought: Well, if I'm this good, I wonder what he's like behind the wheel?

Imagine this. You're driving down the freeway, and then suddenly, like Tom Cruise in Day of Thunder, you run your car into a wall of already-crashed cars. Only to find that the car behind you was able to dodge everyone, including you. (Yes, I know. Later in the film, Cruise manages to miss the cars...yada, yada.) You would be stunned to see someone else miss shoving his or her fender into your bumper, right? It's that competitiveness that runs your blood.

But all of that vigor would fade once you realized someone like LaDainian Tomlinson was behind the wheel of that car, wouldn't it? You'd just draw a long breath and realize that the only reason he was able to miss you was because of that God-given eye-sight of this; the vision that makes him one of the best running backs ever to strap on pads.

I know what you're thinking because I'm just like you. Certain people were meant for certain things.

bjork and ratatat at the nokia theater

The air inside the Nokia Theater carried something magical on Wednesday night, and it wasn't weed. Although many of the concert-goers were probably under its influence, the potency rode on the voice of Bjork and the sounds of Ratatat.

In all my years of going to larger venues for shows – albeit a rock show or musical – Radiohead’s performance at the Hollywood Bowl in 2004 is the only group that comes to mind when I think of a live setting in which I felt lifted off my feet. The greatest part is that I could tell I wasn’t the only one fueled by this experience. One could even be blind and still realize how the rest of the fans were being so positively affected by what stemmed from the stage.

From the lights to the free-spirited movements, from the ambient sounds to the harder-hitting beats…everything that came towards us was doing so in the most positive way. On this night, negative vibes were not present, which is the exact way it should be at a live performance.

As one person expresses herself through music, the rest of us feel their art and embrace it. There is no other way for me or my comrades.

In life, we’re given these opportunities to experience certain things that can change us for the better. Whether it’s through a feeling we’re receiving for the first time or just the sheer joy of watching someone celebrate life through their own music.

And I was changed on Wednesday night. Entirely for the better.

change is change

Certain songs put me in particular moods. Does that ever happen with you? Like this Peter Gabriel song called “I Grieve.”

Instantly, you might begin to feel like this is the beginning of a downer blog, but I can assure you it’s not. Because while that song does wield minor chords, there’s this ethereal reasoning that spreads its wings throughout the seven minutes and twenty-five seconds of continuous melody. And it’s brilliant.

I first heard it while in the audience at my friend’s show. She’s a dancer, and a really great one, too. Along with her dance company, she performed a rhythmic and emotional accompaniment to that song, and it lit me up. I felt like I was rising above everyone else while sitting in my seat. It’s that kind of presence, a very precise feeling, that push me through difficult days.

And tonight, that song hit me again, but in a completely different way. I was sitting at my desk, looking through old photos when I came across a thought that eased me. I was looking at older and newer pictures of people, and I saw an intuitive difference while reflecting upon each still memory. When you think about it, the power of a picture is really amazing.

Although faces rarely change over the course of a few years, certain internal elements do, and I wonder if that’s the reason I found differences in people while comparing them. To me, it can’t be good or bad when talking about change. Just different. I understand the phrase “changing for the better,” but I also realize that you can change just to change. You know what I mean? It’s not for better or worse; you’re simply evolving throughout your experiences.

This song picks up after five minutes, changing from a slower mood and moving into something more upbeat. Is it for the better? That’s subjective. What really matters is that it happens at some point. It lifts the song because it fits as a part of it.

It’s a natural change.

i erased a better title

with tomorrow's sunrise,
you'll wake in a comfortable bed
surrounded by security.

someone else will ready your breakfast.
someone else will shine your shoes.
someone else will write your speech.
someone else will fight your war.

if rain is unleashed from the sky,
you'll steal someone's umbrella
and keep your freshly pressed suit from leaking.

meanwhile,
someone else will take the hits.
someone else will have to defend themselves
without protection.

after accepting an invitation to a dinner party,
someone else will drive your limo
to a nice, respectable place
with a solid roof and plenty of food.

elsewhere,
many will converge around out-dated pictures,
racking their memories and trying to move those photos.

elsewhere,
many will wait in line for an hour for
four minutes of dialogue with their loves.

today, it was announced that tours of war will soon become
15 months instead of 12. 90 extra days of war
while our president plays on his ranch and
conducts tea parties inside a large, white house
too small for his ego.

maybe it's time we stop pampering
those in charge.

how long ago would the war have ended
if bush's daughters took part?