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Showing posts from May 28, 2010

Magical Moment 119, "The First Step"

They say the first step to overcoming a problem is to identify it. I am the queen of psyching myself out. I can talk myself into circles and make the most microscopic problem into a catastrophic ordeal. There. I identified it. Actually, I’ve known for quite some time. It’s been my life long struggle. Since I was a child, I remember correlating two unrelated issues and tying them together to make them absolutely causal. If I didn’t memorize this one verse (out of like a thousand), I would never win the Timothy Award in Awanas. If I never won the Timothy Award, I would let down my parents, Mrs. Brooks, and myself. Therefore, if I didn’t memorize that one verse, everyone I cared about and looked up to would be disappointed in me, I would never earn their respect, and I would live my life sorry and alone. My first year in ROTC, if I didn’t max my physical fitness test (obtain the highest score possible), I would be a horrible officer when I was commissioned three years later. Being in th

Magical Moment 118, "Maria"

A true story.... (to hear recording, scroll down) "Maria" by Elizabeth Grimes, Copyright 2009 Vs 1: "Mi esposa bonita, te amo," he told her. And she cried with joy for she believed it was true. To prove his love for her, he endured the pain. On his right arm he showed her the fresh green tattoo. Te amo, Maria. Te amo, Maria. One day she found his lies. And he chose another. And she cried with grief as she watched them both leave. Oh, but his young, new chiquita won't let him go with out his pancho for when he takes it off she just can't bear to read, Te amo, Maria. Te amo, Maria. And now he must live wearing that sweet angel's name. Te amo, Maria. (Now he's missing Maria.) Te amo, Maria (He dreams of kissing Maria.) Te amo, Maria. (Now he's missing Maria.) Te amo, Maria (He dreams of kissing Maria.)

Magical Moment 117, "Surfing"

Gray, stormy clouds eventually gave way to torrential rain fall. For hours we remained trapped in the tiny, confined space. We wondered when we would be free from our aching backs, headaches, and discomfort caused by the cramped area. There was no end in sight. Every sleeping position was tested, then rejected. It was hopeless. There would be no sleep. No comfort. Not even a nice view to enjoy. And with hours to kill, there was only one thing left to do. Go surfing. Music surfing of course. On a ten hour car trip to pick up our little Goose (Eddie's cousin) from North Carolina, we made the best of a looong trip by rocking out to the iPod. By the time we were on the Garden State Parkway, we had choreography, back up harmonies, and microphones. No one can do Aretha Franklin like 2 mezzo sopranos and a baritone who halfway know the words to "Chain Chain Chain," but man, can we milk those high notes! We scanned the 8 kilo bites for the perfect tunes to lift our spirits and

Magical Moment 116, "Remember"

Four notes were never so powerful. Slow, fluid, and pitch perfect. The short tune freezes us in our tracks, sends chills up our spine, and brings a lump to our throat. Taps. It pierces the dead silence at the grave of a fallen Soldier and when we hear it, we respect, give thanks, and remember. Today we remember in other ways. As I look out my window, I see the neighbor children splashing in a wading pool, their parents grilling hamburgers, all on a perfect summer day with the American flag blowing proudly above the front door. The perfect picture of Americana. We fly our flag today to remember. We hang wreaths today to remember. We tie a yellow ribbon today to remember. We say a prayer, look at an old photo, or visit a gravesite today to remember. And tomorrow, we’ll remember in other ways. Service members, wear your uniforms with pride. Brasso your buttons for Lt Gaspers. Iron your uniform for Senior Airman Goodman. Mothers, say a prayer for 2Lt Perez’s family. Fathers, take y

Magical Moment 115, "Magical Moments"

I’ve written lately about my incurable case of writer’s block. You’ve seen song lyrics and videos that I’ve posted in order to buy me a few days in hopes that inspiration will strike me and my idle fingers will spring to life, clicking away with words of motivation and hope. I considered cutting back on my blog, from one magical moment per day, to one magical moment per every other day, or something to that effect (only a more poetic title, of course). When I mentioned that consideration to my older sister, I was met with an unexpected reaction. A resounding “No!” was her response. As I began to argue my case, “…I’m busy, it’s hard to think of something to write every day, I’ve done so many already…” I thought of all my past blogs. And then my mind rested on my very first post . I felt like giving up. I was tired. But I only needed one person in the whole world who believed in me and I was able to carry on. When I wanted to quit the most, was when I needed to persist the most. And

Magical Moment 114, "Two Fools"

"The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too." ~Samuel Butler, Notebooks , 1912 When I sit down at my piano with a pen and notepad, I banish Eddie from the house for fear of feeling inhibited in my "creative process." When I record an audition video, or just a video for fun, I go so far as to close all the windows in the house so that not even the neighbors or passers by can hear me. But of all the hours I spend experimenting, practicing, and making awful noises in my small music room, I have one audience member who is supportive, attentive, and constant. Joy, my dog. She patiently endures my out of tune screeching, repetitive mistakes, and frustrated yells. She was my comfort when Duchess passed away. She is my companion when I feel alone. She is my running partner, my traveling buddy, my amusement, and my friend. She is one of the few in the world that I

Magical moment 113, "Brain Storm"

Is there anything more terrifying to a writer than staring at a blank, white page with an equally blank mind? That’s how I’ve been feeling lately, not just with my blog, but also with the articles I write for an internet company that recently hired me as a freelance writer. Despite my endless thoughts about music and the military, writing a daily article about each topic is not as easy as it may seem. And my blog? It appears that after one hundred and eleven days, I’ve run out of happy things to write about. So today, you’ll bear witness to the brain storming process. Let’s see. Magical Moments. Inspirational thoughts. Nostalgic memories. Happy things. Rain drops on roses, whiskers on kittens. None of those really do it for me. Bright copper kettles? Ugh, cooking. I often stare out my window waiting for inspiration. I’ve written about too many birds. The wind. The trees. Heard it. Been there, done that. Wait! Across the street, a FLAG waiving in the breeze displaying gallant patrioti