Love letter to my siblings

[2 minute read]

Do you love someone for how they make you feel, or for who they are themselves?

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…” Our Dad loved Shakespeare. I have tried; for the result, “love” would be too strong a word:) Are these words the bard’s? I’ll leave that to you to discover the surprise. It leaves you an out—-a nonsentimental way to reply to my overbearing mushiness.

Do I love you each of you by the compulsion to conform to social morality that says an upright man properly loves his family? A sort of ego peer pressure? A sort of aversion to shame which would accompany not loving my siblings?

Do I love you as reciprocation of that for which every human heart pines—unconditional love? You have accepted me — or are sort of forced to — by the social norm of good people loving their family, warts and all, with no luxuries of choice, no convenience of cafeteria love. You too would be shamed if you didn’t love your brother.

Do I love you in the way that people who share common experiences love one another?

Do I love you because I see in you motives and sentiments that I see in myself, by virtue of our common upbringing? And because it is easier to love another than one’s self?

Do I love you selfishly because I have voids and needs, and each of you pours something into them? Because in times of deepest need you have been for there for me, I am not alone, and you will not abandon me?

Do I love you as a reflection of self love, because perhaps I’ve been there in your times of need, and that makes me feel good about myself?

Do I love you because you have challenged me — knowing my buttons and triggers like only lifelong siblings can — and thereby made me a better person, more capable of self love?

Or, do I love you for who you are, as beautiful persons regardless of your relationship to me?

Respecting and revering mystery has a rediscovered primacy in my heart. Why I love you is a mystery. And isn’t it supremely evident that all true love is mysterious? Why do I love thee? It matters not. It matters that I do. It matters supremely. I do. Love lived and learned. Love mysterious and simple. I love you. Each of you. Truly. The deepest truth I know.

Neil D. 2020-04–26

Bob in Artillery

Noah rolled his eyes next to me on the couch when I settled on the movie. “Dad, you know I don’t like old movies…”

“But Noah, this was the Forrest Gump before Forrest Gump…”

No matter where you are and what you’re doing, you are reading this right now, likely on some device that can play music. Play your favorite song. Now. Don’t think about it. Thinking is only one of your soul’s faculties. Stop. Cease thinking of all the reasons you can’t play your favorite song right now. Feed your soul. The appetite of the soul is never bad.

Sad? Play a sad song.

Play anything… Even if you can’t “Just play it loud, ok?” [Bob Fever, artillery]

Related: A 6-second dare

Archetype of American Psyche: THE origin of rock ‘n roll?

Who cares? Try my 6-second dare here.

Oh Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
You’ve started back doin’ the things you used to do.
As I was motivatin’ over the hill
I saw Mabellene in a Coup de Ville,
A Cadillac arollin’ on the open road.
Nothin’ will outrun my V8 Ford!
The Cadillac doin’ about ninety-five,
Bumper to bumper, rollin’ side by side.

The Cadillac pulled up ahead of the Ford.
The Ford got hot and wouldn’t do no more.
It then got cloudy and started to rain.
I honked my horn for a passin’ lane.
The rainwater blowin’ all under my hood,
I knew that I was doin’ my motor good

The heat went down, the motor cooled.
And that’s when I heard that highway sound.
The Cadillac asittin’ like a ton of lead,
A hundred and ten half a mile ahead.
The Cadillac lookin’ like it’s sittin’ still,
And I caught Mabellene at the top of the hill.

My favorite performance
(Related: When I think back…)

Excerpts from the song written by Chuck Berry (of the smash hit “Johnny B. Goode” fame; in his older years, he jams with The Boss (Bruce Springsteen), his first single and his first hit, a pioneering rock and roll song. Rolling Stone magazine: “Rock & roll guitar starts here.”

In Berry’s 1958 live TV performance of the song, his signature guitar solo and leggin starts ~2:17. But,…

Who cares?

In this short 3-minute video, 2017 tribute from The New York Times music critic says he created the American archetype of rock ‘n’ roll (archetypal psychology embodiment), and points out that The Beatles did his songs, The Beach Boys copied him, and The Rolling Stones themselves said, “We stole every guitar lick we ever heard Chuck Berry play.”

More about the song:

Here’s A 6-second dare…

.

When I think back…

When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school, it’s a wonder I can think at all.
And though my lack of education hasn’t hurt me none, I can read the writing on the wall.
[Smartphone cameras…] give us those nice bright colors.
They give us the greens of summers.
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day…

My favorite performance

More: A 6-second dare

Related: Archetype of American Psyche: THE origin of rock ‘n roll?

My Love Letter to You II

[1 minute read]

I feel light, free, and strong this morning. Blaring my favorite spiritual music, and singing along.

A platitude came in my head as I shook off the fog of sleep in bed this morning. “The moment you raise your head from your pillow in the morning, you have all you need…”

Some spark inside me added, “… because it has been given to you.”

I’m not as lucky as evangelical preachers who hear voices from God:) But, like them, I like to write because I am conceited and like to hear my own voice and read my own words. It organizes my thoughts and expresses my feelings. I think that is a fundamental function of prayer too. Talking to God is talking to the divine spark within. The soul.

I bet Jesus did a ton of listening. I bet he did way more listening than he did talking. Each ear that listens to my conceited voice is the ear of Christ. Thank you for reading, for listening. You make me feel light, free, strong; all that I need comes from that. From Christ. From you.

Related: My original My love letter to you, My love letter to you PS, My love letter to me

Neil D. 2020–04–24