On Harry Chapin, music, and problem solving.

His lyrics are beautiful poetry. They are timeless stories that relate to the human condition in all places and times. Harry Chapin speaks words that are reality and applicable to most people in some way or another. This may sound like an obsession, but the truth is that music is one of my greatest releases. As clichéd as this may seem, music can take you to infinite locations in infinite worlds. There are no bounds to music, except for the imagination of the listener. My imagination is most likely too great at times, but that is a saving grace from my over critical, reason-oriented mindset. I remember in high school, my favorite t-shirt to wear was a Carlos Santana tye-dye shirt with a picture of him jammin' on the front with the words "Let the music set you free..." This rang true as my anthem in high school, through college, and even until now. Music is a part of a spiritual dimension that transcends this reality to a place where I am free, free to live and die as each note begins and gives way to another. Each note played can represent a whole life in itself with its own disappointments, victories, and struggles. Through a single song, there can be a multitude of lifetimes, each with unique outcomes, or each with the same outcome, whatever is the will of the listener. I love this part of music.

I want to shift gears a little from this, and talk about how music is a release. Music to me can take me away from life and all its troubles, and this is desirable because everyone needs some way of coping with the ups and downs of life. However, I often wonder is there any value in that? Take for example now, in reality I am in the process of buying a house, and it is the most frustration I have ever experienced in my life. I have told numerous people that I have so much pent up aggression that it is almost scary the amount of feelings that I have held inside. Even though I vent my frustrations via video games, music and sports, the fact still remains that I have to deal with the real problem, which is the home loan. No matter the amount of diversions I take part in, and no matter the venting that I do, these acts are done in complete uselessness because they do not affect the true problem. They deal with peripheral problems, for example any one day's stress, but do nothing to rectify the real problem. Therefore, what is the worth of "wasting time" with these actions if they do not contribute any real benefit?

Immediately, I can understand that from the questions I have posed that I myself see some answers. Venting activities alleviate stress levels that one incurs over a period of time, which can prevent a compounding effect of stress. To clarify, if one does not alleviate stress, new stress can interact with "old" stress and the combination of the two have a synergistic relationship that is worse than the accruing of new stress solely (which can subsequently be removed by some venting activity). I suppose this is the true benefit to venting. I would classify stress as combinatorial and synergistic, and as such, the accumulation of stress should be minimized whenever possible. As such, it is important to use venting activities as frequent as needed to minimize the negative effects of stress.

I don't know if I can come back full circle on this post, my peace has been spoken, and I feel that although venting activities are still somewhat insignificant, if they were not employed, we would simply implode with pent up feelings.

To finish, (and now for something completely different?) I want to state that even though music plays such an integral part in my escape from reality, at the same time, it reassures me that reality is not so bad. It is true that times are tough, and things may seem bleak, but in the long run things usually work out right. I would encourage you to listen to a Harry Chapin song called There only was one choice which embodies my feelings about life in general right now. It chronicles the story of a young man who completes his life only to see his son living his own life, but his life mirrors that of his father. Harry Chapin writes this as part of his conclusion, and thus it is fitting for a conclusion to my story...

"So I stride down sunny streets and the band plays back my song
They're applauding at my shadow long after I am gone
Should I hold this wistful notion that the journey is worthwhile
Or tiptoe cross the chasm with a song and a smile

Well I got up this morning -- I don't need to know no more
It evaporated nightmares that had boiled the night before
With every new day's dawning my kid climbs in my bed
And tells the cynics of the board room your language is dead

And as I wander with my music through the jungles of despair
My kid will learn guitar and find his street corner somewhere
There he'll make the silence listen to the dream behind the voice
And show his minstrel Hamlet daddy that there only was one choice"
-Harry Chapin

--DoE