Thursday, March 05, 2009

New U2 and Goings On


It's one of the few purchases other than groceries or gasoline that I have made lately but I went and purchased the latest U2 offering. I've given it only one listen yesterday and am listening to it right now and I have to say that I like it very much. The music is uplifting, positive, melodic, thoughtful lyrics about being human and spirit, very well put together and sounds great. Many have grown tired of U2, most would specifically cite Bono and every spoken word he's let fly without having given it much thought. Still, these guys get away with wearing their hearts and beliefs on their sleeves in a medium that would otherwise ridicule and taunt them. My personal feeling is they can do that because it's difficult to argue their sincerity to their convictions. That's something you don't see much anymore. Of course, they are in a place where even if they do come off silly they don't need to worry about it, they've already made it and have a place in music history. But I don't believe that makes it easy. Throughout history people's 'convictions' change to meet the masses where they are and what they want. The whole 'give the people what they want' kind of thing. That's when things fall apart. U2 doesn't appear to feel obligated to offer what's popular to the masses. They went that route with a couple of albums (zooropa and pop) and have gone back to what they do best. Each album following has shown a deeper succession into maturity, something the kids might not get and the adults might not want to hear en mass. What a pleasure to listen to and follow though. There is without a doubt sounds of cathedral organs and gospel pointing to the 'Magnificent'. This is not the kind of album that you listen to to jump around the house. It does offer plenty moments of meditation and may just get a person up and moving on occasion. I like it. I recommend it. Without hesitation. I have to admit though, musically one of my least favorites on the album is the current single 'Get On Your Boots'. I may grow to like it after a few listens. I don't listen to music radio much anymore, at least nothing that plays new music. So if this song becomes WAY overplayed I don't have to worry about that unless I do it to myself.


Music has been playing a large part in my life lately. It's been quite painful at times and I've been intentionally choosing music that forces me to delve into who I am. It has also prompted me to make a commitment to try and read my Bible daily. It's been a long long time since I've done that. Last year I bought the one year Bible and that lasted about a month. I've pulled it out again and am hoping to be more diligent this time. In it I found a Christmas card from '07 from someone I had meant to write back and that too was lost until two days ago. It's funny, the Bible wasn't misplaced or lost, it was just in the back of my car sitting on the seat. That's where it's been for nearly a year. I had forgotten it was there though until I went to pick up some more wood pellets for the furnace the other day. While throwing 40 pound bags into the back of the car I noticed the green book cover and thought, "oh, that's where that went, I should start reading that again." Then it sat under 400 pounds of pellets, 10 bags, for the next two days. When I made the second trip to get another 10 bags of pellets (we're stocking up) I noticed it again and made sure to pull it out and place it on the front passenger seat before it was again squashed under hundreds of pounds of pressed tree dust. I read it Tuesday morning. I had to look but it's in Numbers right now. And there's going to be the 40 years in the wilderness and all of that. I missed reading yesterday so I have to make that up today. I will do that while the dishes are soaking.

I continue to look at jobs trying to see what's available out there. It isn't that I don't enjoy my work I just feel at a loss. It's as if we're going nowhere. I truly believe when we are dealing with kids in placement 9 times out of 10 the fight has already been lost. It's that 10 percent that keeps me going back to the house full of children with either no parents or parents that show no interest. I don't know how to explain a mother who moves to North Carolina to live with a man she's met only online, leaving her 10 year old child in placement in Michigan. I really don't understand. This is a child who isn't particularly likable to be honest but he could be. It's just not likely to happen with him knowing he's been left behind. She didn't have custody but that's where it was heading and she'd been taking the parenting classes and coming up clean on her drop tests. I feel for the kid. It's like the anti-Gospel. In this case the choice has not been given by the creator (lower case 'c') it's been taken away.

I'm eternally grateful for second, third, and 4th chances and more.

prayer: break me and heal me, have me become who I am truly meant to be in this world, this role not written in stone, lead me through the paths with stones, roots, mire, meanderings, call to me and let me have ears to hear, a heart to follow....and forgive me for faltering oh so often and predictably.


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