After School Unwind Session: “People are strange…”

*ORIGINALLY POSTED NOVEMBER 18, 2020*

On this very chilly day, I need some good, classic music to warm me up. Today I was in the mood to listen to The Doors. I have a few of their albums, so it took some time to decide which one to go with. 

Now Spinning: 
The Doors – Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine (1972)
Record Store Day Limited Edition on 
Translucent Amber Vinyl (5,500 numbered copies)

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What pushed me to this album today?

• The warm amber color of the vinyl
• Some of my favorite doors songs appear on this 2LP 
• It’s been a while since I played this one

Honestly, I couldn’t have gone wrong with any Doors album I chose. For me, the key tracks to this album are as follows:

• The Wasp (Texas Radio & The Big Beat) – there’s just something about the beat to this song that I can never get enough of
• The End – talk about a goodbye song! Powerful and deep that may have many meanings
• L.A.Woman – this song is like a rollercoaster; I literally have to put the car in cruise control if it comes on because I’ll end up speeding, then slowing down, then back to speeding again.
• Riders on the Storm – last song Morrison recorded, which makes it even more eerie

With only 4 men in the band and the use of only 3 instruments (guitar, keyboard, drums), they made it work! They didn’t need a ton of instruments to give their music the depth, beauty, and complexity that we hear. It seems more often than not with today’s music, bands need and want many members on a variety of instruments. Don’t worry, I’m not knocking it! Some of my favorite bands have a long list of musicians and instruments on the stage and their music is amazing! But somehow, these 4 guys made a huge impact with simply a guitar, keyboard, and drums. That should speak volumes about their talent.

So where am I going with all of this? Well, I’m listening and reflecting as I write and a thought came to my mind:

They kept it simple with their instruments and created beautiful music, becoming successful. Can we apply that same concept to our everyday lives?

In today’s society, it is so easy to get carried away with things. Need proof? Just look at social media! Everyone posts all of these wonderful things going on in their lives and they try to beef it up as much as they can. Gone are the days of simply taking a picture and praying it comes out nicely and not cutting off someone’s head. Now, it is more like a competition to prove that our lives are better than anyone else’s. I know, I know…most of us don’t actually consciously think that. But think about it: why are people filtering their pictures, cropping them, and using other editing techniques? They want to fluff it up to make it seem as perfect as possible. By the time we are done fluffing it up, it looks almost NOTHING like the original! The same can be said about written posts with no pictures.

WHY do we need to fluff things up?

My opinion…society is making us that way. And that makes me very sad. Why can’t we be happy with simple things? Please don’t think I’m judging and throwing everyone into one big group. But do me a favor and scroll through your Instagram, SnapChat, Facebook…whatever you have. You will see more “fluffed up” and “bedazzled” posts and pictures than authentic and natural ones. For me it is mentally draining to scroll through anymore. It’s either all bragging (which subconsciously makes us feel bad about ourselves) or it’s tearing others apart (which just throws negative energy into our lives).

“Whoever controls the media controls the mind.” 
– Jim Morrison

Back To The Basics

As a whole, I think we need to be more comfortable with who we are and what we do and be proud of every part of it…flaws and all. That’s what makes us human. We need to have the confidence and the courage to be real and raw, like The Doors with their stripped down music (minus the drugs and addictions). That is where the real beauty is…not just with physical appearances, but in everything that we do.

So with all of that being said, I want to really start keeping things simple and real in my personal life and at work. I want to be more true to myself. I don’t want to make myself crazy biting off more than I can chew, get attention, and try to live up to these horrible social media standards. I’ve already taken a giant step back from social media, which is a huge step and the first step in the process. Now I need to just take pride in who I am and focus on the simple things that make me happy, create positivity, and spread love and joy. 

That’s it. The bare bones. The simple and raw me.

I hope that all of you will also appreciate the simple things as well and be proud of yourself for who you are and everything that you have accomplished in your life. You deserve it.

Love yourself…flaws and all.