Really, they tell me I’m living in the past. Yes. I’m re-living parts of the past I overlooked and threw away before I was mature enough to understand their value. Our modern age distresses me greatly. This is not the normal plaint of every middle-aged man who says “Things were better in my day.” And it isn’t merely and only nostalgia, though there’s of course some of that. We’re losing our institutions, our families, our friends, our society. Schools are pulping books written in anything other than Ingsoc.
I found several Anne Murray albums in the "album holder" of my mom's Zenith stereo console when we moved it to my daughter's apartment. We eventually gave the albums to my now daughter-in-law who covets old music albums for her vintage record player. She loves music that is, well, "musical". A ballerina and self-taught pianist, she loves music that "speaks to your soul".
And now I'm remembering my mom and the amazing voice she had. The nuns trained her well. My mom's voice was unmistakable during the singing of hymns at church. I miss her. You never know how or when you'll run across something that stirs up good memories. Thank you for writing this, for sharing parts of you, Josh.
Narcissistic mothers do tend to be good with babies and small children, from what I’ve read. My own experience with a borderline, narcissistic mother supported the theory, as well. The turn started happened when I turned 7... the age where children start breaking away from mom to explore their environment and get to know Dad. It got WAY worse when I started going through adolescence. It makes sense when you consider that narcissism cannot tolerate any difference, right? I wasn’t going to grow up to be just like HER, so I was a problem that needed to be fixed. Heaven forbid I be anything like my dad, lol. She used that as an insult when she was frustrated: “You’re just like your father!” (Yes, he was still around. He just wasn’t “allowed” to interact with me much. That marriage is it’s own story)
AAAAANYWAY... sorry, tangent.
I know it’s dark now, Josh. I get depressed about it too. Anyone with genuine emotional depth has got to be suffering right now. Meanwhile big, fake displays of histrionic nonsense are expected to be taken at face value. It’s a very unfunny joke. All that said, though, it *is* getting better. You know that, because you spend as much time online as I do. I’m not saying the work is done, or even that we can back off a little. I’m saying that people are waking up and they are confused and angry. They are looking for information now, and we have the opportunity to inform them. Already I’ve gained so much support in the small circles I’m in on FB, and there has been incredible gratitude from both strangers and friends (not the idiots that abandoned me, but I didn’t and don’t expect them to ever apologize or seek me out again, out of embarrassment. Fine with me).
It *is* happening. I know you feel it. Trust that feeling, but don’t stop doing the work. I’ll be right beside you. We can do this. We *are* doing it.
Thanks for sharing this - gorgeous song, always makes me cry. I like the Kenny Loggins version too. I'm with you about what's going on in the culture. My solution is to flee to an older culture, by moving abroad to my ancestral country. I know not everyone has that option, but if I didn't, I think I would try to create our own older culture around me as much as possible. Kind of like what you do with the oil lamps. I would take that spirit and just build my life out of it.
It's a "good voice" day for me. Wish I knew what makes that happen. I just sang along to this (one octave lower, of course) and I can produce the lowest note clearly without cheating or warbling. Yesterday I couldn't.
I just thought of something that might help: Medieval art was generally crap.
No academic art historian would want to say it out loud, but it REALLY was. SO BAD. In fact, I don’t even need to describe how bad it was, do I? You already know, because humans have an aesthetic sense. That sense can be pretty broad, especially amongst artistic types themselves, but doesn’t easily forgive bad anatomy or bad perspective. You can explain the choice of style (they were more concerned with telling a story) but it’s still bad.
Or was it? Could it be the case that *survivorship bias* colors our perception of Medieval art?
My point (and I do have one) is that it wasn’t the end of good art. In fact, the Renaissance produced a significant proportion of the artworks we consider classics today. Someone had to be making the good stuff, right? It’s just that the vast majority of the art we have from the period was religious, and was meant to be functional first, beautiful second, and accurate last. A population of illiterate serfs and their families needed things kept simple and easy to follow; the art on the walls of churches depicted Biblical events, like a comic book. The focus was on *actions* rather than likeness or realism.
A lot of the really good artwork being produced right now is in video games, believe it or not. I watch playthroughs all the time, because I’m an artist myself and I really enjoy seeing what people are creating. I feel confident saying that, just like with visual art, good music is being made, it just doesn’t enjoy the promotion that the boring, derivative, untalented shit does, because the mainstream music industry are cowards, along with most other entertainment industries. They are so scared of anything that isn’t a guaranteed blockbuster that they keep pushing stuff that is either subpar or thoroughly played out. That doesn’t mean there aren’t better options.
As an aside, I do love me some good easy listening love songs from the 70s and 80s, though. My mom was a musician and played music pretty much everywhere, all the time. Wherever she could, she added a soundtrack to our lives. So I have a head full of older music (and show tunes). That might have bothered some kids, but I enjoyed it.
Don’t despair. The artists aren’t gone. Once we get through this current attack on our reality, or at least stabilize enough that “trans” aren’t allowed to bulldoze over everyone else, I bet we’ll see some truly deep and meaningful works. Artists generally don’t produce much under stress, but that same stress produces some amazing things once the artist feels stabilized. I predict (woo woo) that even now, people are forming alternative means of getting works out to the public. So much of our infrastructure and or media has failed us, and in so many stupid and avoidable ways. People are working to fix it. You’re already part of that.
Wow I forgot about this one! I first heard it in Wet Hot American Summer as a teen so I used to associate it with humor but obviously as an older person, it’s a totally different experience.
I am not a self-promoter in the least; in fact, I almost never share my music. I just feel the same way you do concerning today’s so called music, so I would like to share a cover I recently did with some of my favorite harmonies ever. Music is so healing and human, something lacking these days when machines are doing more work than people. Singing this was healing for me, so I hope listening to it brings peace to someone else 💙
I've really been feeling this lately. I've started buying copies of favorite books (mostly childhood ones, but others as well) when I find them at Goodwill or other thrift stores. I want to get a record player and start buying records, too. And I love this song - thanks for sharing it.
There are a couple of Anne Murray songs that I haven't been able to listen to since my Mother died three years ago. Her music ties me to a time when Mom was young, happy, and whole and I'm just not ready. Nonetheless, here I sit crying listening to this one. What a beautiful voice.
Had lunch today with a couple of women friends. We talked of how fortunate we were to grow up when we did-the freedoms we enjoyed. One says she doesn’t watch any new tv. Instead she watches Leave it to Beaver, Donna Reed, Andy Griffith-fantasies of life back in the day. We all listen to the music of our youth. Are we living in the past? Sometimes. And those times make us happy.
Thank you for sharing that song. It has been ages since I listened to it. I will now add it to my playlist.
I too have noticed that women with PDs are often great with babies. I wonder if it's just biology keeping them on the straight and narrow for a temporary period of time.
I went back to listen to Anne Murray’s beautiful rendition after reading your post, Josh. Thanks for urging us. What heavenly harmony and melody. We forget, sometimes, and need the gentle push back to beauty.
Songs like this bring about nostalgia from the 1960s as a small child standing on the floor of the front seat of my mom's car looking over the dash as she drove around on errands listening to the radio. While this song was from 1972, when I was 9, and thus had graduated to sitting in the seat (but without a seatbelt!), every once in a while I'll hear a song from the 1960s and there I am again a small child hearing a song for the first time. Honestly, I can't think of any artist other than Taylor Swift that has produced beautiful music in the 21st century.
"People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one"
I found several Anne Murray albums in the "album holder" of my mom's Zenith stereo console when we moved it to my daughter's apartment. We eventually gave the albums to my now daughter-in-law who covets old music albums for her vintage record player. She loves music that is, well, "musical". A ballerina and self-taught pianist, she loves music that "speaks to your soul".
And now I'm remembering my mom and the amazing voice she had. The nuns trained her well. My mom's voice was unmistakable during the singing of hymns at church. I miss her. You never know how or when you'll run across something that stirs up good memories. Thank you for writing this, for sharing parts of you, Josh.
Narcissistic mothers do tend to be good with babies and small children, from what I’ve read. My own experience with a borderline, narcissistic mother supported the theory, as well. The turn started happened when I turned 7... the age where children start breaking away from mom to explore their environment and get to know Dad. It got WAY worse when I started going through adolescence. It makes sense when you consider that narcissism cannot tolerate any difference, right? I wasn’t going to grow up to be just like HER, so I was a problem that needed to be fixed. Heaven forbid I be anything like my dad, lol. She used that as an insult when she was frustrated: “You’re just like your father!” (Yes, he was still around. He just wasn’t “allowed” to interact with me much. That marriage is it’s own story)
AAAAANYWAY... sorry, tangent.
I know it’s dark now, Josh. I get depressed about it too. Anyone with genuine emotional depth has got to be suffering right now. Meanwhile big, fake displays of histrionic nonsense are expected to be taken at face value. It’s a very unfunny joke. All that said, though, it *is* getting better. You know that, because you spend as much time online as I do. I’m not saying the work is done, or even that we can back off a little. I’m saying that people are waking up and they are confused and angry. They are looking for information now, and we have the opportunity to inform them. Already I’ve gained so much support in the small circles I’m in on FB, and there has been incredible gratitude from both strangers and friends (not the idiots that abandoned me, but I didn’t and don’t expect them to ever apologize or seek me out again, out of embarrassment. Fine with me).
It *is* happening. I know you feel it. Trust that feeling, but don’t stop doing the work. I’ll be right beside you. We can do this. We *are* doing it.
Much love, brother. Trust that your voice is reverberating around our collective consciousness and you will have many children.
Thanks for sharing this - gorgeous song, always makes me cry. I like the Kenny Loggins version too. I'm with you about what's going on in the culture. My solution is to flee to an older culture, by moving abroad to my ancestral country. I know not everyone has that option, but if I didn't, I think I would try to create our own older culture around me as much as possible. Kind of like what you do with the oil lamps. I would take that spirit and just build my life out of it.
Thank you 🥲 I love this version for the same reasons and now I need a tissue!
Hit me right in the guts in a good way, still strum this song on guitar.
It's a "good voice" day for me. Wish I knew what makes that happen. I just sang along to this (one octave lower, of course) and I can produce the lowest note clearly without cheating or warbling. Yesterday I couldn't.
I just thought of something that might help: Medieval art was generally crap.
No academic art historian would want to say it out loud, but it REALLY was. SO BAD. In fact, I don’t even need to describe how bad it was, do I? You already know, because humans have an aesthetic sense. That sense can be pretty broad, especially amongst artistic types themselves, but doesn’t easily forgive bad anatomy or bad perspective. You can explain the choice of style (they were more concerned with telling a story) but it’s still bad.
Or was it? Could it be the case that *survivorship bias* colors our perception of Medieval art?
My point (and I do have one) is that it wasn’t the end of good art. In fact, the Renaissance produced a significant proportion of the artworks we consider classics today. Someone had to be making the good stuff, right? It’s just that the vast majority of the art we have from the period was religious, and was meant to be functional first, beautiful second, and accurate last. A population of illiterate serfs and their families needed things kept simple and easy to follow; the art on the walls of churches depicted Biblical events, like a comic book. The focus was on *actions* rather than likeness or realism.
A lot of the really good artwork being produced right now is in video games, believe it or not. I watch playthroughs all the time, because I’m an artist myself and I really enjoy seeing what people are creating. I feel confident saying that, just like with visual art, good music is being made, it just doesn’t enjoy the promotion that the boring, derivative, untalented shit does, because the mainstream music industry are cowards, along with most other entertainment industries. They are so scared of anything that isn’t a guaranteed blockbuster that they keep pushing stuff that is either subpar or thoroughly played out. That doesn’t mean there aren’t better options.
As an aside, I do love me some good easy listening love songs from the 70s and 80s, though. My mom was a musician and played music pretty much everywhere, all the time. Wherever she could, she added a soundtrack to our lives. So I have a head full of older music (and show tunes). That might have bothered some kids, but I enjoyed it.
Don’t despair. The artists aren’t gone. Once we get through this current attack on our reality, or at least stabilize enough that “trans” aren’t allowed to bulldoze over everyone else, I bet we’ll see some truly deep and meaningful works. Artists generally don’t produce much under stress, but that same stress produces some amazing things once the artist feels stabilized. I predict (woo woo) that even now, people are forming alternative means of getting works out to the public. So much of our infrastructure and or media has failed us, and in so many stupid and avoidable ways. People are working to fix it. You’re already part of that.
Wow I forgot about this one! I first heard it in Wet Hot American Summer as a teen so I used to associate it with humor but obviously as an older person, it’s a totally different experience.
I am not a self-promoter in the least; in fact, I almost never share my music. I just feel the same way you do concerning today’s so called music, so I would like to share a cover I recently did with some of my favorite harmonies ever. Music is so healing and human, something lacking these days when machines are doing more work than people. Singing this was healing for me, so I hope listening to it brings peace to someone else 💙
https://on.soundcloud.com/chmtK1RbJVVSs8QZ6
I've really been feeling this lately. I've started buying copies of favorite books (mostly childhood ones, but others as well) when I find them at Goodwill or other thrift stores. I want to get a record player and start buying records, too. And I love this song - thanks for sharing it.
There are a couple of Anne Murray songs that I haven't been able to listen to since my Mother died three years ago. Her music ties me to a time when Mom was young, happy, and whole and I'm just not ready. Nonetheless, here I sit crying listening to this one. What a beautiful voice.
Had lunch today with a couple of women friends. We talked of how fortunate we were to grow up when we did-the freedoms we enjoyed. One says she doesn’t watch any new tv. Instead she watches Leave it to Beaver, Donna Reed, Andy Griffith-fantasies of life back in the day. We all listen to the music of our youth. Are we living in the past? Sometimes. And those times make us happy.
Thank you for sharing that song. It has been ages since I listened to it. I will now add it to my playlist.
I too have noticed that women with PDs are often great with babies. I wonder if it's just biology keeping them on the straight and narrow for a temporary period of time.
This was my mother’s song.
I went back to listen to Anne Murray’s beautiful rendition after reading your post, Josh. Thanks for urging us. What heavenly harmony and melody. We forget, sometimes, and need the gentle push back to beauty.
Songs like this bring about nostalgia from the 1960s as a small child standing on the floor of the front seat of my mom's car looking over the dash as she drove around on errands listening to the radio. While this song was from 1972, when I was 9, and thus had graduated to sitting in the seat (but without a seatbelt!), every once in a while I'll hear a song from the 1960s and there I am again a small child hearing a song for the first time. Honestly, I can't think of any artist other than Taylor Swift that has produced beautiful music in the 21st century.