Thursday, March 29, 2012

Love Rescue Me

Reprinted without permission. I don’t own these lyrics, and no copyright issues are intended.

It’s just a magical song that all need to know the lyrics to.

This is “Love Rescue Me” by U2.

Love rescue me
Come forth and speak to me
Raise me up and don’t let me fall
No man is my enemy
My own hands imprison me
Love rescue me

Many strangers have I met
On the road to my regret
Many lost who seek to find themselves in me
They ask me to reveal
The very thoughts they would conceal
Love rescue me

And the sun in the sky
Makes a shadow of you and I
Stretching out as the sun sinks in the sea
I’m here without a name
In the palace of my shame
Said, love rescue me

In the cold mirror of a glass
I see my reflection pass
See the dark shades of what I used to be
See the purple of her eyes
The scarlet of my lies
Love rescue me

Yea, though I walk
In the valley of shadow
Yea, I will fear no evil
I have cursed thy rod and staff
They no longer comfort me
Love rescue me

I said love, love rescue me

I said love
Climb up the mountains, said love
I said love, oh my love
On the hill of the son
I’m on the eve of a storm
And my word you must believe in
Oh, I said love, rescue me

Yeah I’m here without a name
In the palace of my shame
I said love rescue me

I’ve conquered my past
The future is here at last
I stand at the entrance
To a new world I can see
The ruins to the right of me
Will soon have lost sight of me
Love rescue me

Well...

So back on 12/20/11, I blogged about stepping away, and dreaming it all up again.  And to be 110% honest, I borrowed that quote from Bono, who said the same thing about U2 way back on 12/30/89.

And here I am, 100 days since that blog, and I have to borrow another phrase made famous by U2...I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.

Don't get all up in arms - again this is no cry for help or anything.  I'm totally cool with the reflection I see in the mirror everyday.  It's just I feel like I'm being a bit pulled by some unseen force to do something...more.

As I said in that December blog entry, I think I've gotten a little too comfortable.  But not in a good way - no, the being comfortable is more like tolerating it...or better yet, more like simply blending in.

Blending in ain't my bag.

Dare to be great situations - I'm sorely lacking these.  And that just sucks...I'm awesome, afterall...I thrive on those situations.

I think part of the problem is I didn't do what I said I was going to - actually take a step back and dream it all up again.

I didn't do that because I never really gave much of a thought to what the "it" I need to dream up again really is.

And that's the first step, I think. 

I've put myself out there - sometimes way too far and way too often - over the past 12-plus years...got burned plenty for it, too...and 110% deserved each and every time I did.

I've gotten a little reserved when it comes to that of late...going big, going all out.  Call it maturing (go ahead and laugh at me insinuating I'm mature, a'holes), but I really need a reason nowadays to put myself out there in any capacity again. 

I never did it to be popular.  I never did it to fit in.  If anything, I've put myself out there to be anything but trendy or mainstream.

But I think the initial phase of the "it" I need to dream up again is determining why I need to put myself out there again - and I'm pretty sure there is only one acceptable reason - do it for ME

Anyhow, I certainly can't and won't figure it out tonight.

But I intend to start figuring it out piece by piece, day by day, week by week...

I'll end with an appropriate quote that I need to take to heart...
The touch and feeling of free, In intangible technically, Something you got to believe in.  Connect the cause and effect, One foot in front of the next, This is the start of a journey...
Until next time...

Monday, March 26, 2012

Social Media Revelations, Ruminations, and Assorted Lagniappe

Ah yes, the modern day dilemma - can one slow things down and step away from the smartphone, tablet, e-mail, or various social media outlet of choice for even a day...

Face it - social media has 110% CHANGED the way we as people connect with one another...doesn't matter if you use social media to keep up with your friends and family or for business purposes...social media has made an enormous impact on all of our lives.

Back to the modern dilemma - can you (or any of us) survive without feeding our social media addictions even for a day? And would life's pace be "better" without the Tweets, status updates, tumblr posts, etc.?

In today's world, social media has become “mandatory”, a prerequisite to function in the daily hustle and flow. We can't call it a day before checking e-mails, looking for things to retweet, checking the latest business moves and adding people to our professional network on Linkedin, "pinning" the latest and greatest on Pintrest, and (who are we kidding) stalking people's Facebook pages to see what's what and to keep up with the Jones'.

We've become - as a people - “addicted” to social media...addiction, obsession, compulsion...the verbiage doesn't matter. We Tweet at work, check Facebook hourly from our smartphones, spend hours on Pinterest checking out pics and vids. We get stoked when our friends and followers number increases, and we lament when someone ceases our social media relationship. The moment news breaks, be it a celeb going nuts or dying, an earthquake, a storm, a political fiasco, etc., we reach for our smartphone or tablet or CPU and tweet about it and start a hashtag or incorporate it into our status update. Friends or family post pics that make us laugh, or make us jealous, and we stop whatever it is we're doing to post a comment on it.

Seriously, that can't be a healthy thing!

I say put the smartphone down and step away from social media - even if it's for a day. Who cares if you miss a funny tweet, or an invite to Johnny's Happy Hour. Your friends and family will survive without your witty revelations, ruminations, and assorted lagniappe on whatever social media outlet(s) you subscribe to.

Now let's not be silly - I don't think it'd be prudent to go cold turkey on social media and quit it all together. In today's world you'd be truly disconnected. But be it a camping trip, a kid's birthday party, or a date night with that special someone, it's okay to be disconnected for that moment. Give priority to the awesome people around you. Give priority to catching yourself enjoying the moment that you are living in - reality, not virtually.

Fight the compulsion, obsession, or addiction. Spend more QT with friends and family, hit the gym, go for a walk, read a book...it'll be good for you - for all of us.

And besides, a little break from social media will help your iPad or smartphone battery last longer. ;-)

Saturday, March 24, 2012

And At Once I Knew I Was Not Magnificent



Bon Iver.  "Holocene".  Amazingly beautiful song, and a stunning video.  Enjoy, from a rainy day in The Dena.

Friday, March 16, 2012

A Toast

Being that it's St. Patrick's Day Weekend, I find it only fitting to raise a toast to one and all who read The Beatdown Blog...
Here's to a long life, and a merry one.
A quick death, and an easy one.
A pretty girl, and an honest one.
A cold pint - and another one!
Happy St. Patrick's Day, Beatdowners!

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Something We All Need To Remember As We Stand At A Crossroads

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.