Effecting great change was never accomplished by the meek. It takes the heart of a lion.
This Explains It
And people look at me like I’m Big Bird, when I try to explain the “Great Awakening”.
Heart Sounds
Do you ever get a song continuously playing in your head? I’m sure it happens a lot, I know it does for me.
We’ve been watching some reruns of the Johnny Cash show. It was a musical variety show that ran from June 1969 to March 1971. I remember watching it with my grandparents when I was a child. We all loved it. What’s not to love about Johnny Cash? A country music icon and original badass. He delivered rockabilly with all the attitude it deserved.
One of episodes featured Neil Diamond, another music legend. He performed “Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show”, one of my favorites. This song has been swirling through my mind for a couple of days. Not such a bad thing.
Those early memories remind me that my love of music has been with me my entire life. Music pulls emotions to the surface, enhances them, releases them and even heals them. Truly a divine gift from Spirit. With the variety of genres, we have many choices that we love or just can’t abide. But some forms of music speak to our heart. I call these Heart Sounds. Music so rich and powerful that you can almost feel your heart responding to the rhythm. Music that creates a deep, peaceful wave within our soul.
Music is for enjoyment, but it can be used for healing purposes. The didgeridoo was invented by the Aboriginal peoples and has been played near sick people to help them heal. It has since been researched and used next to the body. The instrument produces a low frequency vibrational sound similar to our brain waves. Perhaps this is why some music feels to me like heart sounds.
Our bodies have a vibrational structure. This has been researched in the field of bioenergetics, the flow of energy through the body. This subject is beyond the scope of this article.
However, when someone says to you “will you turn that music down”, it might simply be that it does not resonate with their heart sound.
Halloween Week 2
If you read my post Halloween Is Coming!, you will know that I love to transform my front yard into something entertaining. The theme for this season is “Woodstock, err Bonestock”.
The first week featured “Jimi Hend-Rex”. Well, on Thursday evening Jimi was singing “All Along the Watchtower” and just as he sang “the wind began to howl” a big gust blew in and Jimi took a stage dive. I think he may have O.D’d. Poor Jimi. R.I.P.
So today, a new lineup took the stage. “The Boo” have made a special appearance, however as just a 3 piece. Mr. Entwistle was unable to make it.
I hope you enjoy my Halloween fun just as much as I do. And stay tuned for Week 3.
Rock On!
A Whiter Shade of Gray
In the last several years, there has been growing popularity in older women and men being chic, fascinating and featured in magazines. Well, why not? Older people have this “been there, done that” attitude and are going to continue doing what they want. Old does not mean slow, stupid or even about to die.
Our bodies are aging, each and every day. We know that. Yes, our brains do too, but that does not equate to being senile. We have a wealth of experiential knowledge that helps us to make quick and powerful decisions. We are no longer burdened by the “image” society has picked for us. We can sky-dive if it so pleases us. We can get married when we are in our 90s. If we want to wear florals, stripes and sequins all in the same outfit, so be it. “Insta-Grannies” are all the rage now. I won’t list them, because by now you will have seen, read or are following most of them.
Is this a fad that will slowly fade away as many of these icons pass on? A fad is something that gets worn out and loses its appeal. If we are all aging, then we are all fads. So why not be so individually cool that you never outlive your time?
What these ultra-cool elders are really showing us is that you must keep going and growing in order to live your best life. Having your 60th birthday, or whatever age you deem to be old, is not an automatic indicator that you must now move to an assisted-living facility and wear Velcro shoes. A continually stimulated brain will spur you into stimulating your body. Walk, dance, climb, hike, swim, sky-dive, whatever challenges you want to place upon your body – just go for it. Be safe; just because you can do it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care for your body. Our muscles don’t recover as quickly as they used to, and our bones aren’t as strong as they used to be either.
Are you a widower and think that because your spouse of 50 years is gone, you should just sit alone in your tiny new apartment? Au contraire, my friend. Loneliness will kill you faster than your one martini with dinner. Why not a companion to share that martini with? There is no social demand that you be married. Living in sin, if you call it that, is far more fun than withering away by yourself.
Many seniors become entrepreneurs. Done with the working-for-someone-else world, many active adults start new businesses built upon hobbies or passions. We have a lifetime of skills and workplace savvy to make it lucrative.
How about a little Botox, sculpting, or other cosmetic enhancements? False eyelashes and eyeliner aren’t just for the 20-something set. Whatever you choose to make yourself look and feel better should be just to make yourself feel better, and not about what anyone else says.
Growing older isn’t an easy thing. The changes in your body can be very frustrating. The lapses in memory are annoying. Don’t let them overwhelm you. Be kind and loving to yourself. Use them as opportunities to slow down and savor the moments of each day. You now have time to do all the fun things you put off while you were working and raising children.
You might even have time to go sky-diving with your grandkids while wearing your new purple-sequinned jumpsuit.
Bird Dance Beat
Boppa-oo-mao-mao. If you are familiar with 60s music, then you know that line from “Bird Dance Beat” released as a single in 1964 by The Trashmen. My aunts had the 45 record and I loved dancing to that iconic tune.
The song has filled my head as I watch the annual spring mating dance of birds. Sunday morning we ate breakfast at a retro diner downtown. We were seated in a booth next to large windows. There were juniper bushes next to the building, but trimmed back so they created somewhat of a shelter for some sparrows. I kept noticing a bird fly back and forth and another preening on a branch of the bush. The flying bird finally landed on the branch and then I realized that the mating dance was on. The little girl bird had her back turned, but coyly looking over her shoulder to see the display. The boy was turning on the charm, white chest puffed out, head bobbing and wings flipping up and down. [I think he could have been dancing to “Bird Dance Beat”.] Girl bird didn’t seem too impressed so he flew off. She turned back around and proceeded to clean her feathers.
Before long, the male returned with a twig in his beak as though to demonstrate “hey baby, I will build you a house”. That must have won the date, because they flew off together into bird love land. Or so I assume.
Spring is a glorious time to remind us of the continuation of all species. Birds dancing, cats meowing, squirrels winding themselves around tree trunks, and humans stripping down to summer clothes. Biology demands that all creatures seek out the prime specimens to perpetuate the herd. Creatures do what they do, but humans have a choice and so they should as we have a much greater life span than many creatures. Many of our non-human creatures won’t make it past the hour of their birth. That is a sad thought, but might be why they continually reproduce without thought.
Or maybe it is just because they want to “bop to the bird dance beat”. Boppa-oo-mao-mao.
A-Dior-able
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On February 12, 1947, Christian Dior launched the “New Look” collection from his Paris couture house. The world was recovering from World War II, and its austere, masculine clothing. The New Look returned the feminine silhouette with a full bustline, tiny waist and curvy hips. I believe that it reminded the world that the feminine, nurturing energy was returning. It was criticized as being a wasteful luxury when times were still lean. Thus is the power of the feminine energy, to create, to nurture, to honor the need to pamper our souls.
Today, my Sweetie and I attended the Dior exhibit at the Denver Art Museum. The show is in its final tour, ending on March 17th. The exhibit included dozens of beautiful gowns and suits, beginning with the classic “Bar Suit” categorized by a creamy fitted jacket and a black, calf-length full skirt. Think Lucille Ball in her heyday. From the simple suit to fabulous gowns of detailed embroidery and gems, lean silhouettes to curvaceous sweeps, all stunning in this gorgeous collection.
I, myself, enjoyed the blatant outrageousness of John Galliano. Highly satirical, if you studied the garments closely. One fabulous gown, that I failed to take of photo of, (God knows why not), which I dubbed “Queen in Bondage”. Bejeweled red satin, the bodice was a tightly fitted corset style with the seeming intent to expose the breasts, although there was a bit a fabric tucked in to keep it decent. Or so I assume. The skirt flared out from the knees, mermaid style, looking almost impossible to move in. The entire garment was capped by an innocuous-appearing crown. Luxurious, over-the-top, this gown defined Galliano’s evil genius. Too bad he couldn’t limit his antics to design instead of running off at the mouth.
Like all art, fashion is beauty in the eyes of the beholder. For women in general, it is the living expression of our soul. You can wake up in the morning ready to deal with what is likely going to be a sh*tty day, and instead, choose to arm yourself with a great outfit. Fake it ‘til you make it, or so they say. Dressing in your favorite outfit, because you know you look fabulous in it, will change the day into something great. And I hate to disappoint you guys, but women don’t usually dress for men unless they are hunting for a husband or boyfriend. As designer Betsey Johnson said “if girls dressed for boys they’d just walk around naked at all times”. Just notice when you are in a public place, most of the women are looking at each other and often commenting about shoes and handbags.
Why? Because we are just f-ing adorable.
The Day The Music Died
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Last week when I was in Target, I found this cute little hat with Sgt Pepper patches on it. I bought it, of course, but it took me back to my teen years and listening to the album until I knew every word by heart. The album, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, was released May 26, 1967. I didn’t get interested in it until about seven years later.
Some say that when John Lennon was killed on December 8, 1980, the music died. However, we know that Don MacLean’s 1971 hit “American Pie” was intended to be about the plane crash that took Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper on February 3, 1959.
We all have our interpretation of when the music we love met its end. For me, it was the ending of the 80s. I am a die-hard rock-n-roller and am very grateful that Denver has a classic rock station, playing songs from the 60s thru the 80s. But what has happened to rock music?![wallpaper.wiki-Classic-Ac-Dc-Wallpaper-PIC-WPC003516[1]](https://lovingyoursht.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/wallpaper-wiki-classic-ac-dc-wallpaper-pic-wpc0035161-e1511061693773.jpg)
Sorry, millennial friends, but your music sucks. We don’t need any more Pop Tarts with a wall of sound backing them up. And the hillbilly chorus line. . .that’s just awful. Apologies again, but where are the rockers?
I’ve written about this many times, but I think people are rotting their brains with electronic devices. I don’t see an ounce of creativity in anyone anymore. Graffiti artists, maybe. Most of creative effort I see these days is doing the same thing over again. There is no desire to be innovative. Hell, there is no desire to work. And playing in a band takes work. Serious work and serious on the road travel to make it. I suppose the record companies (do they even call them that anymore?) have something to do with it. It is all about making money after all.
Most people seem to be moving through life in a daze, just getting by, rushing thru everything with too much technology and sucking down coffee. (I love coffee, too.) But no one FEELS. You have to feel to create. You have to bleed out of your soul to bring to life beautiful artistry, music, design, and words.
Most people are afraid to feel.
If you look back at music, many of the musicians struggled. They lived in vans and ate cheese sandwiches. Yes, I know they drank or did drugs too. Some things never change. But they weren’t afraid to pour out their life into guitar, drum and keyboard.
So I am tossing out this challenge to the musically – talented: I double-dog dare you to open your heart and pour it into some earth-shaking rock. Just so I can feel it again.
Act Your Age
Photos Courtesy of Pixabay
How many times in your life have you heard this? Add that to the prevailing attitude of retaining your youth and it is no wonder we don’t know how to act.
There are aspects to both of these that have truth. To live your best life, you should adopt an attitude of joyful exuberance in whatever stage of life you are in. Joyful exuberance is happiness and acceptance of self no matter your age.
Trouble comes when we get stuck on a particular number or phase in our life. Have you ever noticed people, maybe you are one of them, who constantly talk about your teenage or college years as though that is all there is or will ever be? I’m not a psychotherapist nor profess to be one. These are things I have learned in my own healing journey or observed in others. I believe that when we get stuck in a particular time frame of our life is the point where we have experienced some level of trauma or loss of self.
I once worked with a woman close in age to me, who constantly talked about her teenage years and her ex-husband/boyfriend-at-that-time. Even her appearance reflected that of a teenager. I especially noticed her liberal use of super-shiny, super-sticky lip gloss. I use lip gloss, but her use was similar to that of young teens. She rarely ever spoke of her present life, except to complain about her three children and all the troubles they were in. She had her oldest child at nineteen and now that child was repeating the pattern. She also went to school with her youngest child just to make sure the kid would go! What trauma and life-changing event occurred in her teenage years that put a hold on her life growth?
Where do you find yourself stuck? What time in your life seems all-encompassing and your last best years? There is so much in your life that you are missing out on by keeping yourself stuck in the past. Your present life is what is important as it is where you create your best future. Stop being stuck. Heal your past, make friends with it and put it behind you. Find the self within you that you stopped being. Reinvent who you are. Adopt the attitude of joyful exuberance.
And act your age. Whatever that is.
Noteworthy news: Older women being featured on style magazine covers is rapidly growing. Check out some of these beauties: Maye Musk (Elon’s mommy); street style babes Lyn Slater and Sarah Jane Adams; former Playboy Bunny Dorrie Jacobsen; and the grande dame of all, Iris Apfel. There are countless others being added to the influx of fabulous older women. The fashion industry is finally taking note that beauty has no limits. Rock on!
A Classic Beauty
One beautiful Saturday afternoon, my sweetie and I were sitting at an outdoor café enjoying a nice lunch. Someone driving a fabulously restored classic car – probably late 50s, early 60s, I don’t remember the model – pulled into a princess parking space right in front of the café. An older couple got out of the car and were seated at a table as close as possible to the car. We all know that when you have a car like that you want to keep an eye on it. However, the intriguing thing was that the man looked at the car almost the entire time they sat there. Now his companion was very attractive, but the car captivated his attention.
I’m not going to speculate on the status of their relationship or his profound interest in the car. That WOULD be purely speculation. I am focusing on the Classic Beauty of the car. In years, it is old. So are we. But someone took the time to restore the car and accentuate the best features. I had a peek into it when we went to our car. The interior was beautifully restored; the original upholstery was intact as well as all the mechanical parts. Think facelift without the plastic parts. I’m assuming that the engine and all the working parts had been carefully reworked.
We can be that Classic Beauty, too. Restore our parts, keep our engines well-oiled, our bodies nurtured and maintained and love every inch. Maybe our rear fenders are too big. Maybe we don’t sport the latest technology. Maybe we don’t meet someone else’s standards of what we should look like. If you love every inch of yourself, who the f*ck cares?
But I bet when you go strutting past, smile on your face, someone or someones are going to stop and stare. . .
And just a hint ladies: a man’s first attractor is always visual.
Loving Your Sh*T 