Dust and Joy and Sandwich-boards

I remember when I was younger, the same message was repeated every year on Ash Wednesday: "From dust you were made, and to dust you shall return." The ashes on the forehead were a sign of our mortality, of the finite nature of our existence... Today, it was a different blessing of sorts. Today, I heard "I invite you to turn away from sin and live the gospel."

It felt odd, that new message. I'm so used to the slight doom and gloom of entering into Lent. Such a dark time of year, cold season, bleak really... And you're staring down 40 days of giving up something you love (well, hopefully not love, maybe giving up something you crave). And to start the party, you are reminded that you came from nothing but ash and dust and one day, you'll be straight back there. I never felt it was condemning, almost comforting. Only certainty in life: Death and Taxes. Life is certainly limited. There is an end point. But... BUT that's merely the physical life. Your body, your belongings, your clothes, your books, your trinkets, your hairstyle, your photos, your computer, your (i)phone, your things, your STUFF... That is made of dust. It's all transient. It is not what matters. What matters is what is inside, what matters is your thoughts, your beliefs, your faith, your soul, your love and your joy. I liked the old message - marking the body for where it was headed while entering a time to whip that soul into shape...

That being said, I don't dislike the new message. I find it quite... happy? "I invite you to turn away from sin." Who doesn't like an invitation?! I hear invitation, I think party! And living the gospel... Hell of a party! Maybe I'm a traditionalist. I'm a creature of habit. I don't like changing things I find comforting. But I think the Church often needs a positive message, especially now. And if a simple blessing can be the linchpin in conversion than who am I to question it?

The homily we heard this evening was a bit of kick in the pants. A call to action of sorts. And one of those homily points that hit home, and hit home hard. The focus of the question was, "How does your life inspire?" It was broken into bits of, "How do people know you're a Catholic?" and "What sacrifices are you making for Lent?" But the message was clear. You should be inspiring. People should want to be you. People should want to know you. (You should be cool, eh?) But what are you doing? How are you inspiring? How are you challenging others around you? How do you live the gospel? ... How are you a good Catholic when it seems so counter-cultural to be even remotely Christian? Think about it. It's a tough question.

Last thing: Sandwich boards. Not a topic I'd expect in a homily. But love the imagery. Why do you wear a sandwich board? So the guy walking up the street and the guy walking down the street both get the message! They're bringing back sandwich boards as a form of cheap advertising. Sweet. Do the same. Be a sandwich board for your message (whatever it may be). Make sure that everyone can read it, no matter if they're coming or going, if they're in front of you or behind you, if they agree or disagree...

So what's on my board then? Good question. Off hand, only one thing pops to mind - - Joy. Forget happy and sad, they're transient feelings. Joy is a way of being, a way of living, a way of loving. So that's it, my message is simple: Joy... and maybe an anti-smoking message too.

"I do it for the joy it brings
because I am a joyful girl
because the world owes me nothing
we owe each other the world
I do it 'cause it's the least I can do
I do it 'cause I learned it from you
I do it because I want to
because I want to."

Music for the New Year - 2010 edition

So I know this is mucho delayed. As some of you know, Lappy (my trusty MacBook) has been in the shop with a series of minor hardware problems. Turns out that most of the hardware was fine, but the motherboard was having a small meltdown causing everything else to malfunction. Well, Lappy is now home, programmes papers and music are re-installed, and he's happy as a little white mac clam.

I put together a playlist for the new year. Most of it is stuff I've been listening to, some on heavy rotation while studying for exams... don't worry, I've spared you the Glee Soundtrack, but only because I couldn't pick and I'm not allowed to just use a single cd (PS: Thanks Mom, Awesome Christmas Present!!!) I've a few comments for the songs that are on there, so here goes:

1. Farewell Ride - Beck
   [dedicated to my RCSI Final Med class... it is our farewell ride, let it be a good one]
2. Coyotes - Jason Mraz
   [I had trouble picking from this album, as I'm sure you can see. Everything had a different sound and I really dig it. It's hard to say why exactly I like this song, but it's new, it's different, and I think it's brilliant]
   
3. Crazy (James Michael Mix) - Alanis Morissette
   [For my girls! It's so true... we're a bit crazy, perhaps me more so than others, thanks for letting me be crazy]
   
4. Flame - BellX1
   [Never understood why Mark loved BellX1 until I heard this song. Frankly, I first copped onto this because of the line "and toast marshmallows on a cold dark night." But the more I listened, the more I liked. The beat is great, the lyrics are subtle but also great.]
   
5. Say When - The Fray
   [First time I heard this song, I latched on. Anyone ever through a rough patch can feel this. With all the stress and intensity of this year, I just found this to be so apt. We all need to know when and how to "Say When."]
   
6. Dig - Incubus
   [I hadn't listened to Incubus in ages, so when someone handed me Light Grenades it was like a flashback to freshman year of college. But strangely, the songs I'd rocked out to then sounded different. And Dig really really stuck out. Oil and Water is another good one from the album, but Dig won out. Mostly because I feel like I've been dug out from a pile of crap that's been weighing down my life.]
   
7. Turn to Stone - Ingrid Michaelson
   [I'm really liking music with piano as the lead instrument. Nod to the logic of speaking your mind, and more to the point, of speaking your heart. The more you keep it in, the tougher it is to get it out. So sick of choking on words that are never spoken.]
   
8. Love for a Child - Jason Mraz
   [Here's #2 from "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things." It's a lemons to lemonade type of song. Bittersweet, tad jaded, tad sad, and hopeful. Here's to innocence.]
   
9. Unplayed Piano - Damien Rice & Lisa Hannigan
   [Beautifully bittersweet. The piano is fantastic, the vocal duet is gorgeous... I want to learn to sing and play this. Anyone else for a duet?]
   
10. A Beautiful Mess - Jason Mraz
    [You know, there are these people that come into your life and leave such a mark on you that you could never ever be the same. And in spite of everything good and changing and strong about it, life can get in the way. Welcome to my life. This song is almost too close to home, and yet it's beautiful. "Like picking up trash in dresses."]
    
11. The End - Pearl Jam
    [Who can argue with Eddie Vedder picking up the acoustic and giving a slow jam? And such a dark, moody slow jam? Tribute to those who've left us this year. To the changes that are coming. And to taking the knocks on the chin and going forward anyway.]
    
12. New Soul - Yael Naim
    [Leaving the bittersweet for something very fresh sounding. Yes, I know this is the music used for the Mac commercials. I don't care. I've had a few moments of this feeling... feeling new, feeling young (and maybe a touch inexperienced), but hopeful. Very hopeful.]
    
13. Hey, Soul Sister - Train
    [I heard this song quite a few times before I had ANY idea it was Train. It reminds me of Michael Franti's "Say Hey." I like the rhythm. I like the upbeat key. I like that it's different from what Train tends to do.]
    
14. I Don't Know - Lisa Hannigan
    [Lisa Hannigan has one of those voices that is so beautifully haunting. I have to credit Thom for introducing me to her music (though I introduced him to her after the little concert). But when she sings live, it's totally effortless and engaging. And this is one of her fun, happy, a little silly songs.]
    
15. Crack the Shutters - Snow Patrol
    [I've learned the piano chords for this song. It's remarkably easy. But there's something about the crescendos in this song that absolutely catches me. I know it's a repeat from the summer soundtrack, but it was heavy play for exams as I was learning the piano. I also think the lyrics are hot. Sue me.]
    
16. Your Love Is a Song - Switchfoot
    [Switchfoot's new album, "Hello Hurricane" is like a throwback to the rock they used to do when they first started. They seemed to get stuck in the ballads (which are always good from them) and softened everything. Welcome back to Christian ROCK fellas, and this song was one of my favourites on the album. The feeling of all encompassing love, beautiful.]
    
17. Sunburn - Owl City
    [Ok, Owl City (aka Adam Young) is so sweet that dentists and endocrinologist have banned his music, but... Oh come on! It's adorable. Owl City has a tone of Postal Service, mostly major key songs, that are hopelessly naive and hopeful without any of the smutty leanings of what was Brittany/NSync/Backstreet Boys/Spice Girls teen pop of my high school days. A sort of cleanness that I've missed as of late. So mad props for being sincere and not bitter or jaded about life yet, Adam. And you're right, sir. Research does cause cancer in lab rats!]
    
18. Love You 'Til the End - The Pogues
    [A nod to the traditional bad boys of Irish music singing something a touch out of character. Mark this off as a song I'd love to be serenaded with sometime in my life. Clearly we're in the upstroke of happiness here on the list, but coming back to the beginning and the idea of moving on.]
    
19. Flowers in the Window - Travis
    [And a happier song for my class. It really does only seem like yesterday that we started here at RCSI, and oh my Lord did I fell like I was drowning in information. I felt like there was no way I'd (maybe we'd) make it through... And we're all getting ready to be real doctors... Flowers in the windows guys.]
    
20. The Night I Punched Russell Crowe In the Head - Gaelic Storm
    [And a tribute to the stupidity that has come from the 4 years here. With the Irish roots of Gaelic Storm, singing about how he punched Russel Crowe (true story), it's silly, it's funny, it's fast and ridiculous. So has been RCSI.]
    

Music for a new decade and all the change that's brewing in the next few months. So... That's where we are musically for the year. A little sad, a little crazy, the tiniest bit angry, and very very hopeful.

Profiles...

I am like the duck: calm, collected, indifferent on the surface, under the water, my feet are paddling like crazy, but the water (like insults) just roll right off my back. I don't have favorite things, only those that are currently on heavy rotation. Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly (for type-A personalities only). I am a human speedbump, a no-talent-ACE-clown, the short-stack. I hug. I pray. I jump in puddles and play in the rain. I think people are amazing and wonderful. I forgive others easily, I rarely forgive myself. I play with boys. Any sport is made better if there's contact. There should be pulitzer prize fighting. I bake whenever I can. I have a ridiculously inappropriate sense of humor. I giggle like a small child. I miss my pets back home. My brothers are crazy and I love them for it. I run, it's an addiction, it's my zen. Sanity is a subjective term. I dance all the time, whether sitting or standing, with or without music. There is always music playing in my head, the permanent soundtrack of my life. I'm weird... I know it... Learn it, Live it, Love it.