Trent, Beale and other random thoughts

I haven't blogged in a long time and I apologize for that. Tonight I enjoyed a great concert from Trent Tomlinson. I am not a big country fan, but unlike most performers that don't sound anything like their records in person, Trent was great. I couldn't tell the difference.

I really do like almost all kinds of music. People are stunned sometimes when they look at my ipod and see Johnny Cash next to FloRida and Bryan Adams. I don't normally care what kind of music it is, as long as it moves me and sounds good.

Most of the best moments of my life are set to music. Some people can remember the smell of grandma's house the beauty of a sunset or a feeling they get when they walk into the old high school after 10 years. My life has always been set to music. I am from Memphis and I was constantly surrounded by music. I started going downtown as a teen and experienced many artist on the street and in different settings. When someone tells me they hate a certain type of music, mostly rap, and they don't understand why I listen to this or that, to me it is like saying you hate sunsets, or that feeling you get when you see an old friend.

Music is as much a part of me as anything else including Memphis. This will likely be my last trip to Memphis for a while and I am glad I got to spend it with my best friend Jeremy listening to some great music.

When I hear people talk bad about Memphis, certain types of music, or sunsets, I kinda take it too personal, like they are talking about me. The life I have lived up to now made me the person I am and I will never forget who I am or where I came from and nobody will ever change that.

I remember Smashing Pumpkins and Alanis Morrisette the first time I went out with my wife. The country song I hope you dance when my daughter Faith was born and Eminem's album when he rapped about the love he had for his daughter Haley.
When John Derrick was born I was listening to Avril Lavine Kelly Clarkson and Fabolous. Now and forever more, when I hear those songs, just for a moment I will be back in that place, that time, remembering how I felt

I am amazed at how alike we really all are. I see people listening to rap trying to prove how "hood" they are, country folks trying to see how big of a pickup and belt buckles they have have or top 40 people trying to be popular. It is all the same.

I am who I am, I am happy with everyone and all music as long as it creates an emotion in you. I have learned just in the past few years that life really is short and I really care less and less each day about the approval of others to my life, to my music, or to my interests. Save one, my wonderful wife Mary Anne who I value her opinion more than any other.

I will impress upon my children the calm spirit they can have if they would just be themselves. That life isn't as black and white as we are taught and everyone has a reason or motive behind everything they do. To not go along with the crowd, to walk a different direction and dance to their own beat.

I have travelled many miles with my job and met so many wonderful people from different walks of life, in different situations, different places. I am amazed at how quickly someone will judge someone because they go to church or because they don't or which church they go to, they are missing the point. Many times it becomes just another race. The rapper tries to prove how hood he is, the country boy tries to prove how country he is, the Christian tries to prove how Christian he or she is. People are so focused on an image they forget who they are and how much fun life really is.

Go hug your family, hang out with old friends, listen to some music, and for once do something unexpected that makes you happy.