Everything's all messed up.

Musica

So, one of my Lighthouse students emailed me last night asking me what some of my favorite music of the semester has been. I responded with this and thought I should turn it into a blog post.

(Anonymous Student)-
First, let me apologize for the fact that I've just received this email while working at the Jumping Bean for the afternoon with little business and no work to do. Thus, I've got nothing but time to respond to this question I'm sure was asked, expecting a short response. So, here we go.

Let's start with individual songs thus far in the semester:
(Song Title - Artist)
Dear Prudence - The Beatles
Sissyneck - Beck
Lost! & Violet Hill - Coldplay
Medication - Damien Jurado
Dogs 0 Damien Rice
Marching Bands of Manhatten - Death Cab for Cutie
O Valencia! - The Decembrists
The Blood - The Frames
Wake me up when September Ends - Green Day
One Man Wrecking Machine & Keep It Together - Guster
Weary Memory - Iron & Wine
Wrong Turn & If I Could - Jack Johnson
New York Not My Home - Jim Croce
Gravity - John Mayer
Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
Under the Weather - KT Tunstall
Grace Kelly - MIKA
Missed the Boat - Modest Mouse
The Long Day is Over - Norah Jones
Right on Time - O.A.R.
Drunkard's Prayer - Over the Rhine
New Shoes - Paolo Nutini
Hang on Little Tomato - Pink Martini
Summer in the City - Regina Spektor
October - Rosie Thomas
English Girls Approximately & Avalanche - Ryan Adams
Those to Come - The Shins
Heart - Stars
Romulus - Sufjan Stevens
This is My Story, This is My Song - Thelonious Monk
Ball & Biscuit - The White Stripes
Either Way - Wilco
Warrior - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Albums:
(Artist - Album Title)
Anathallo - Hymns
The Beatles - White Album (Disk 1&2)
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Damien Jurado - Ghost of David
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is not a Cold Dead Place
Format - Interventions & Lullabies
Guster - Ganging Up On the Sun
Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
The Killers - Hot Fuss
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Modest Mouse - Good News for People who Love Bad News
The Postal Service - Give Up
Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
The Shins - Chutes too Narrow

Significant Days

These days are significant. This election was significant, maybe for the political, but especially for the symbolic. I heard someone say that there hasn't been such large electoral college support for a president since Lyndon Baines Johnson in the 60's. His acceptance speech last night... ...inspiring. Our natural response to the sight of our highest elected official at a podium, in front of a microphone should not be cringing or reaching for the remote to turn down the volume. I am excited about the American President, again possessing the ability to elicit feelings of respect and thoughts of hope from those who hear his words. I think this quality exists outside of the the partisain political arena; having little to do with tax plans or government programs. Though such thoughts and feelings can be had in these areas as well, I think that an American President should be able to excell at the symbolic nature of his role, as well as the poltical one. I hope he can bring about even some of the changes he's spoken of, but at least as important to me... ...inspire me! Inspire my students! Inspire my parents about the oportunities and possibilities present in their lives at this time and in this place if we consider a paradigm shift toward serving others before ourselves, and serving together instead of on our own. In his own words, "So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other."

There are certainly more and higher places to which I look for hope, value, significance and meaning in my life. However, for as much as an imperfect man who's authority and leadership we submit ourselves to is capable, I hope that you were inspired last night, even a little bit. And I hope that he is able call us to more unity, compassion, and selflessness through his inspiration in the months and years ahead of us.