I'll be honest, I am not a big Beatles fan... yet. This isn't because I'm unaware of their brilliance as a musical group; nor is it a matter of being unaware of the wide variety of great music in the world. I'm just a little late, thats all. Of all the days in my life I've never taken enough time out of my day to truly sit back and just chill out while listening to a few tunes from various musicians. I usually hear something by accident in a movie, commercial or on a game I've purchased and conduct an occasionally elaborate search to find it for sale. I'm thankful that a solo trip to the local movie theater last summer produced my desire to see "Across the Universe" once it was released. I missed its cinema debut, but waited patiently for the DVD to finally arrive. Once I began to watch I wasn't immediately blown away by the story, but as it went on I found myself enamored with the overall beauty of everything put together. Of course the music stood out above everything else, but the images seriously started to put me into a trance. I could've stopped watching at any moment, but I found myself singing along with every single one of the songs, without even knowing all the words. This isn't a review, just an expression of how much this movie made me realize I loved music. It can make us feel sad, happy, excited, even ecstatic in my particular case. I'll tell you another thing; I've toyed with the idea of studying the craft of acting, but its movies like this that make me not want to do it and I'll tell you why. Because, movies like this make me realize just how beautiful life can be with all its pains, pities and perks. I used to be quite rebellious about this sort of thing, seeing everyone living "normal" lives, having "real" jobs, the house, the car, the big television and asking myself and them if they've ever tried to chase any of their dreams from their youth. I took a deep, long look into myself and at the individuals around me and was surprised when I discovered just how beautiful a "normal" life can be. All you need is love.
"I'm cleaning up and I'm moving on, going straight and choosing life. I'm looking forward to it already. I'm going to be just like you: the job, the family, the fucking big television, the washing machine, the car, the compact disc and electrical tin opener, good health, low cholesterol, dental insurance, mortgage, starter home, leisurewear, luggage, three-piece suite, DIY, game shows, junk food, children, walks in the park, nine to five, good at golf, washing the car, choice of sweaters, family Christmas, indexed pension, tax exemption, clearing the gutters, getting by, looking ahead, to the day you die."
-Mark "Rent Boy"/"Rents" Renton, from Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting as adapted by Danny Boyle
1 comment:
Truly some introspective stuff. My greatest love, aside from gaming and critiquing, is music. The only problem is that there are never enough people to discuss it with. There are not enough people who can understand the beauty of a subtle lyric or fathom a complex, multi-layered arrangment. Simply put, there are not enough people that know what music is. Hear that stuff on your local radio station? I have a secret: That's not music. My personal belief is that everyone should go on their own personal journey and discover what truly moves them. Once you start the journey, you won't find an end, but you will be constantly rewarded with all of the different things you discover. I began my musical quest many years ago, and it has enriched my life ten-fold. Because music is so powerful, you feel enlightened to different emotions that are normally not felt on a regular basis. You discover corners of your mind that have been dark for your entire life. In essence, you sweep away the cobwebs and begin to appreciate a new way of thinking: conscious analyzing combined with the all-powerful emotions of the human mind. This cocktail and combination of rational thought and feelings is like an addictive drug euphoria; once you feel it, you NEED more.
Anyway, music makes you realize and appreciate even the smallest things in life. Having a "normal" life isn't so bad as long as you remember to feel. Don't just eat, sleep, and work. Remember to explore and continually stretch the boundaries to find what makes you feel. Live through the power of music and you can discover just how incredible and powerful the mind really is.
Glad you found your soul. :)
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