Eternal Flame

I had previously written about the songs that say something about my life. Today I realized that I had omitted a very important song in all that. As I was driving home from taking my son to jazz band practice before school I heard playing on the radio Eternal Flame by the Bangles.




The significance of this song goes back a little over 20 years...at a dance on April 14, 1989.

On March 31 of that year I was at a dance at the student union building on the University of Utah campus. I had just broken up with a guy I had been dating for a couple months or so, but rather than feeling heart broken I was now free to find someone new. On the way to the dance I had told my friends that I would indeed meet someone that night.

Knowing the guys who ususally show up to these dances the group of girls I was with found it more entertaining to form a big circle and just dance. But as I was dancing in that big circle with the girls a thought came to me, "you won't meet him dancing with the girls."

I left the circle and walked to the other end of the ballroom. I was asked to dance by some guy I don't remember much about. At the end of that number I didn't make it back off the dance floor before another guy asked me to dance.

This guy, I quickly learned, knew enough of the swing that he had my attention. We danced and talked the rest of the evening.

A little less than a week later he gave me a poem he had written for me**.

When I saw you on the dance floor
The rest just faded away,
I asked if you would dance with me
Afraid of what you would say.
We talked and danced the night away,
And had a lot of fun.
I never thought I'd fall for you
Before the night was done.

The feel of your hand next to nine
Is like a dream come true.
No matter what I'm thinking of
It ends up being you.
My heart's been tugged on once or twice,
But never quite like now.
You stole it right away from me.
I don't know why or how.

I never knew the simple joy
Of sitting down together,
And talking with each other
Regardless of the weather,
Or looking through a picture book
Of friends and places past
And seeing how those friendships
Are something that can last.

There's something deep within my soul,
A flame that's burning bright.
It makes me smile as I think of you
Every day and night.
I've heard that strong fires burn out soon.
I hope that it's untrue.
I also hope that what I feel
Is also felt by you.

A week and a half later I had prayed to know if this was the guy I should be with for the rest of my life and eternity. The next evening at the dance in April of 1989 the words of his poem ran through my head as we slowly danced to Eternal Flame...and I knew.

We were engaged a week later.


**(A side note to this: he had shown the poem to his sister who warned him that it might scare me away.)


Also: he has since written many poems to me. Life is good.

Life's Mantra

A friend of mine teaches at Utah State University. He gave his students an assignment to come up with some songs that they would consider their "life" trak and write it. They also included with their paper a CD of the songs that were chosen.

I decided to do it as well.

These are songs that mean something to me in a real way. At some time or another most of these songs have been written about by me on this blog. I believe that the first song has not been used, but that is a mere oversight. So, I include in here the posts that describe these songs, and where necessary, a bit more about them and how they apply.

Collin Raye--In This Life

Though I have not written about this song in the past it does not mean that it has any less significance in my life. I have met many people in my life who may not be present in my daily life yet have previously been a significant part of it.

For every mountain I have climbed
Every raging river crossed
You were the treasure that I'd longed to find
Without your love I would be lost

Let the world stop turnin'
Let the sun stop burnin'
Let them tell me love's not worth going through
If it all falls apart
I will know deep in my heart
The only dream that mattered had come true
In this life, I was loved by you

I cherish the memory of their love...whether present or not.

Miley Cyrus—The Climb

I wrote of this most recently.

There's always gonna be another mountain

I have never been a fan of Hannah Montana. In fact, I have been known to roll my eyes when the youngsters around here get giddy at the sound of her name. But my heart has been tugged on by a song by the very same Miley Cyrus.

I think about my oldest son. I think about the mountains he seems to have in front of him. I think about the mountains I keep climbing. I think that perhaps when I have completed the task before me that I will be able to relax or to take it easy. But there will always be something else...not because someone else puts it there, but because there will always be another mountain I'm gonna want to make it move.

The Climb lyrics
Songwriters: Alexander, J; Mabe, J;

I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on

...

Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa

John Denver--Country Roads

Almost Heaven

One night while watching and listening to some music videos on Youtube I was taken back, as I often am, to some place in the past. I have been accused of being nostalgic and even hopelessly romantic. I am likely guilty of such. There are previous blog entries right here on Paperclippings as evidence--especially when music is involved.

Such was the case that night--as I listened to John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads. I was transported to a hill in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia--a mere rocks throw from West Virginia. It was the summer of 1988 and I was among a small gathering of people in the backyard of some local folks when someone pulled out a guitar and began to play. As the lyrics filled the air, I was swept up in the moment.

Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze.

All around me were those mountains and I could feel the antiquity of the land as the wind blew gently through my hair. I felt like I belonged to this place.

Country roads, take me home
To the place, I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, Country Roads

Ahh... Life is good!

Lee Ann Womack--I Hope You Dance

This one reminds me all the time of getting out there and just doing...being active and living life. I once asked my husband how it was that he knew how to do so many things. His response was that he just did them. I have taken that to heart. But I also realized that I had already started to do that to a degree.

Just before my senior year in high school began I decided that I was going to enjoy that year. I was going to make it a point to say hi to everyone in the halls and to find some way to compliment them as I passed them. I gained so many friends and had the most enjoyable year. It does not mean I was free from heart ache, but I was living life to the fullest.

As an adult I have made it a point to be involved. I have been a PTA President at a local elementary school. I have served on the board of the Salt Lake Mothers of Twins. I currently serve on the district cub scout round table staff and am the Council PTA President over 9 local elementary PTAs. People ask me how it is that I know so many people. I know so many people because I have served along side them.

When opportunities come my way, I do not hesitate to jump right in and dance.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',

Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

Mike and the Mechanics—The Living Years

When given the opportunity, you might say, to say one last thing to someone who was once a friend, this song came to my mind very powerfully. I had only one chance and I had to get it right.

Crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thoughts
Stilted conversations
I'm afraid thats all we've got.

You say you just don't see it
He says it's perfect sense
You just can't get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talking in defense.

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye.

So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It's the bitterness that lasts.

So don't yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different day
And if you don't give up, and don't give in
You may just be okay.

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye.

It was with these words that I realized I no longer held any hard feelings. It was about forgiveness.

Mike and the Mechanics— All I Need is a Miracle

http://paperclippings.blogspot.com/2005/06/music-and-memory.html

In the mid to late 1980s a young 13 year old girl in my neighborhood was found dead in some bushes not far from her home. Her throat had been slit. When the news hit the next day it didn't sink in much. I wasn't paying much attention to the story and didn't recognize her name.

Later that day I was watching the news when they showed her picture along with the story. Not only did I know her, but she was the younger sister of a girl who had gone to school with me. It was then that I was hit with a powerful feeling of grief for the girl and her family. This was just too close to home.

Sometime in the next couple days I heard a song on the radio that seemed to speak to the occasion. I heard Mike and the Mechanics singing "All I Need is a Miracle".

I said "go if you wanna go,
Stay if you wanna stay"
I didn't care if you hung around me
I didn't care if you went away

And I know you were never right
I'll admit I was never wrong
I could never make up my mind
I made it up as I went along

And though I treated you like a child
I'm gonna miss you for the rest of my life

All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you

I never had any time
And I never had any call
But I went out of my way just to hurt you,
The one I shouldn't hurt at all

I thought I was being cool
Yeah, I thought I was being strong
But it's always the same old story
You never know what you've got 'til it's gone

If I ever catch up with you
I'm gonna love you for the rest of your life

All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you

From that day on whenever I heard that song on the radio I was swept back to that day when I saw that young girl's face on the TV screen. I can totally forget about her and about the song. Then I will hear the song on the radio and I see her face and remember.

Michael Buble—Lost

For me, this song speaks of the need to be there for one another. We are not alone. If you want to have friends...be a friend.

Can't believe it's over
I watched the whole thing fall
And I never saw the writing that was on the wall

If I only knew
Days were slipping past
That the good things never last
That you were crying

Summer turned to winter
And the snow it turned to rain
And the rain turned into tears upon your face

I hardly recognized the girl you are today
And god I hope it's not too late
It's not too late

'Cause you are not alone
I'm always there with you
And we'll get lost together
Till the light comes pouring through

'Cause when you feel like you're done
And the darkness has won
Babe, you're not lost
When your world's crashing down
And you can't bear to fall
I said, babe, you're not lost

Life can show no mercy
It can tear your soul apart
It can make you feel like you've gone crazy
But you're not

Things have seem to changed
There's one thing that's still the same
In my heart you have remained
And we can fly, fly, fly away

'Cause you are not alone
And I am there with you
And we'll get lost together
Till the light comes pouring through

'Cause when you feel like you're done
And the darkness has won
Babe, you're not lost
When the world's crashing down
And you cannot bear to crawl

I said, baby, you're not lost
Mmm yeah yeah, yeah yeah
I said, baby, you're not lost
I said, baby, you're not lost
Ooh yeah yeah,
I said, baby, you're not lost

and finally,

Tim McGraw-- Live Like You Were Dying

This song goes back to the thoughts associated with "I hope you dance". In early 2006 a good friend had just learned she had breast cancer. She had just turned 40.

In the words of Tim McGraw---

"He said I was in my early 40's,
With a lot of life before me,
And a moment came that stopped me on a dime...."

My mantra for life is to live life to the fullest, forgive everyone, be a friend and don't forget to
appreciate God's wonders. Life is short.

There's always gonna be another mountain

I have never been a fan of Hannah Montana. In fact, I have been known to roll my eyes when the youngsters around here get giddy at the sound of her name. But my heart has been tugged on by a song by the very same Miley Cyrus.

I think about my oldest son. I think about the mountains he seems to have in front of him. I think about the mountains I keep climbing. I think that perhaps when I have completed the task before me that I will be able to relax or to take it easy. But there will always be something else...not because someone else puts it there, but because there will always be another mountain I'm gonna want to make it move.

The Climb lyrics
Songwriters: Alexander, J; Mabe, J;

I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa

© HOPELESS ROSE MUSIC; VISTAVILLE MUSIC;

I Married a Redneck...

My hubby has a work shop in our back yard. It is equiped with various power tools and sundry pieces of wood.

I recently gave him a wood lathe as a birthday present. Since then he has spent some quality time out in his shop. Yesterday I went out there to see if he was ready to go, as we were meeting with friends that evening. I saw that he was covered in sawdust. His reply to my inquiry was that he was just about ready.

I pointed out that he would need to get a shower before going. He said that he would be ok and pulled out a hose--not a water hose, but an air hose attached to an air compressor. He then proceeded to "shower" himself with this hose.

In the end, he did go into the house and change his clothes.

I guess there is hope...

Almost Heaven

Last night while watching and listening to some music videos on Youtube I was taken back, as I often am, to some place in the past. I have been accused of being nostalgic and even hopelessly romantic. I am likely guilty of such. There are previous blog entries right here on Paperclippings as evidence--especially when music is involved.

Such was the case last night--as I listened to John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads. I was transported to a hill in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia--a mere rocks throw from West Virginia. It was the summer of 1988 and I was among a small gathering of people in the backyard of some local folks when someone pulled out a guitar and began to play. As the lyrics filled the air, I was swept up in the moment.

Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze

All around me were those mountains and I could feel the antiquity of the land as the wind blew gently through my hair. I felt like I belonged to this place.

Country roads, take me home
To the place, I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, Country Roads

Ahh... Life is good!

See Lifestops Music posts

They're just words...or are they?

One of my middle school age sons rates his school day on how many of certain words he hears on a given day. The less he hears, the better he rates his day. As he hops in the van for his ride home from school he gives me his tally for the day. On particularly bad days he is near tears as he tells me the tally for the day.

My niece, who is the same age, complains to me that the words spoken while she stands at her locker make her ears hurt.

My oldest son was given an assignment in his high school English class to read a certain book. Within this book appeared many of these same words. He told the teacher he would not read the rest of the book. It caused no small stir with the teacher. Even with the threat of a failing grade he held his ground. Eventually, with the help of the administration's involvement was able to get another book assigned to him and then transfered out after the end of that term.

Another son was given an assignment to read a book that contained different sort of words, but equally offensive. These words were racial slurs. It was an historical book that looked at the civil rights movement in the United States. Yet, my son still refused to read it, even after we explained the context of the words.

What is it about these words that bring such a response? Words are just words...or are they?

What is it about certain words that makes them so offensive?

They are words that carry very unpleasant meanings and messages. But it is beyond merely being unpleasant. There are many things we say that carry such meanings yet they are not considered swearing, cursing, vulgar or profain.

1: Has an emotional impact

People learning a new language often learn its swearwords first or learn and use swearwords from a variety of languages. Anyone who learns through immersion rather than in a classroom tends to use more swearwords and colloquialisms. People who speak more than one language often use swearwords from different languages, but feel that the words from their primary language have the most emotional impact. For this reason, some multilingual speakers will switch to a second language to express taboo subjects.How Swearing Works

2: Is considered by some to be unfit for polite conversation

The degree to which a profanity is offensive relies upon how the use of the word affects an individual. Some will consider the original meaning of a word (for example, the sexual act) to be offensive or a subject not fit for polite conversation while others will have no objection to these subject matters. Some will feel that certain words, having an established social taboo are simply offensive, regardless of any context; others will find profanities offensive mainly when used in a way deliberately intended to offend. Wikipedia

3: Is considered blasphemous

Profanities may cause offense, regardless of context, if they have some religious meaning which may cause their use to offend those who follow a particular religion. The original meaning of the term was restricted to blasphemy, sacrilege or saying the Abrahamic God's name (or an identifier such as Lord or God) in vain, such as "Jesus Christ, that was close!". Such religious profanity is referred to as blasphemy. Wikipedia

These are just a few of the examples of why such words are considered taboo and why they elicit such responses like those I have listed..


Recommended reading:

Why We Curse By Timothy Jay

Our Nut Dispenser

We discovered that we have a nut dispenser in our freezer. Actually, we had a nut dispenser. It all started when I was defrosting our upright freezer to make room for some meat we had ordered. I was putting everything I could inside our freezer that is part of our refridgerator unit. I put things where ever I could...including on top of the ice in the ice maker.

After I defrosted the freezer I put everything back in the upright freezer...well, almost everything. Everything except one bag of nuts and dried fruit that that had been put atop the ice maker.

This ice maker is one of those that allows us to get the ice by pushing a lever on the door. It has a setting for crushing the ice as it comes out.

The forgotten bag was still there when my oldest son woke up the next morning and got himself a drink of ice water. He put water in his cup and then set the ice to come out crushed. As he started to take a drink from his cup he discovered something foreign in his drink.

"Mom, " he said, "there is something wrong with the ice maker. It is putting something funny in my drink."

It was then that I remembered the bag of nuts in the freezer. I spent the next half an hour cleaning bits of plastic, nuts and fruit from the coils of the ice maker.

NOTE to self: This would make a great April Fools joke....or maybe not.