"All the wild horses/All the wild horses/Tethered with tears in their eyes/May no man's touch ever tame you/May no man's reigns ever chain you/And may no man's weight ever defrayed your soul/And as for the clouds/Just let them roll/Roll away/Roll away/As for the clouds/Just let them roll/Roll away/Roll away/"
I first heard Ray LaMontagne when I needed him. I had unnoticeably been searching and it wasn't until I found him that I realized. I could feel his music in my bones, feel it conjuring up humanity I'd lost or had been missing all along. It may be dramatic, over the top, but I had changed and I knew it. Not how. I can't quite understand why his songs move me, the complete reason I fall in love with them. Though it only took once. It was then I knew that I couldn't be the same since they had come into my life. I would not live the same way and maybe only I could tell the difference. Yet it still remained to me that I had been affected: given chance, given hope.
I cried for so long when I came upon this song, "All the Wild Horses." There wasn't really a reason why that I could grasp. I can't point out even now the emotions I feel when I listen to it. Musically, it is simplistic. There is no bridge, no chorus, no showiness of talent, no intent other than to communicate a motive. The melodic line has a very small range and the strum pattern is uncomplicated. The accompaniment is merely a vehicle for his message. Yet I get a vast, indescribable meaning just from the music, let alone the lyrics.
I don't believe LaMontagne wrote the song to be lauded. Rather, he wrote it as a proclamation. He wanted to proclaim that nothing should keep you from being free, from living the life you want. "May no man's touch ever tame you." To tame is "to subdue, subjugate, curb; to render gentle, tractable, or docile; to temper, soften, mellow; to render dull or uninteresting" To think that we are being rendered dull or uninteresting because of the expectations of others is a horrible thought. LaMontagne wants the listener to never change to satisfy another. He calls for a greater self-respect. To not let clouds, trials, or other people stop you from being the natural you. Of course anyone and everyone is likely to take something different from the words and have differing emotions while listening. I also believe that is he wanted. I love how the song plays to who I am and who I want to be. I want to be able to live freely and take comfort in what I am doing, always. I want the lyrics to be an anthem for me, remind me of my worth and duty to myself.
I love this song so much because though the tone at first may be morose, somber, melancholy; it is only so to prove his genuine humility. He wants for who he is singing to, to let go and be free, no matter what that does to himself. There is so much passion in his voice it is undeniable, but very subtle. He created a gorgeous song for the remembering of loving who you are and loving the world for being who they are. The song is worth remembering because it emotes the deserving of freedom for all mankind. Whether that be freedom of the body, freedom of the mind, freedom of the soul... All the world deserves to be individuals, whatever that entails to each their own.
Time: 60 minutes
Showing posts with label Week 4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week 4. Show all posts
Friday, September 25, 2009
Prompt A1: The inspirational show, The Office
The television show “The Office” has been a huge part of my life ever since the very first episode aired in 2005. After watching that first episode, I was hooked and I have been watching religiously since that fateful day. I have watched every episode of all six seasons (so far), and I have seen each one at least five times. The Office is not something I watch, it is an obsession. My life has changed since I have allowed this show to enter into it. Almost everything I say has something to do with the show, and I can replay full episodes in my mind. When I meet new people, I always ask them if they like The Office, if they do not, I know I will not get along with them.
My aunt and uncle were the first people to introduce me to The Office and I love them for it. If I did not have this phenomenon in my life there would be such a huge void. So much happiness in the past 4 years of my life has come from watching The Office, and I would hate to have lost those memories that I have built and cherish so deeply. I often find myself constantly quoting The Office. One of my favorite quotes is:
“I keep various weaponry strategically placed around the office. I saved Jim's life with a can of pepper spray I had velcrowed under my desk. People say, oh it's dangerous to keep weapons in the home, or the workplace. Well I say, it's better to be hurt by someone you know, accidentally, than by a stranger, on purpose.” –Dwight Shrute
The thing that I love most about The Office is that it really does not apply to life at all. It may be about everyday things, such as going to work in an office, but the events that happen during the show are so strange and unusual that no real life, functioning workplace compares to it. Most people want television shows to apply to their lives so they can relate to it, but I just want to watch something for a laugh and The Office more than does that for me. Each time I watch The Office, my soul brightens and I am a truly happier person.
When I think of The Office so many things pop into my head, but if I were to describe The Office in one word, I would use ‘inspirational.’ Now you are probably thinking, “What? She just said The Office does not apply to her life at all. How could The Office be inspirational??” The Office is inspirational because it brings a whole new meaning to life. Even though it is meant to be comical, it is also drama based and some of the quotes from The Office characters really make you consider life and inspire. The Office has inspired me to look at Life in the face and laugh at it. It has freed me.
Kara Lohberg
Exactly 500 words
My aunt and uncle were the first people to introduce me to The Office and I love them for it. If I did not have this phenomenon in my life there would be such a huge void. So much happiness in the past 4 years of my life has come from watching The Office, and I would hate to have lost those memories that I have built and cherish so deeply. I often find myself constantly quoting The Office. One of my favorite quotes is:
“I keep various weaponry strategically placed around the office. I saved Jim's life with a can of pepper spray I had velcrowed under my desk. People say, oh it's dangerous to keep weapons in the home, or the workplace. Well I say, it's better to be hurt by someone you know, accidentally, than by a stranger, on purpose.” –Dwight Shrute
The thing that I love most about The Office is that it really does not apply to life at all. It may be about everyday things, such as going to work in an office, but the events that happen during the show are so strange and unusual that no real life, functioning workplace compares to it. Most people want television shows to apply to their lives so they can relate to it, but I just want to watch something for a laugh and The Office more than does that for me. Each time I watch The Office, my soul brightens and I am a truly happier person.
When I think of The Office so many things pop into my head, but if I were to describe The Office in one word, I would use ‘inspirational.’ Now you are probably thinking, “What? She just said The Office does not apply to her life at all. How could The Office be inspirational??” The Office is inspirational because it brings a whole new meaning to life. Even though it is meant to be comical, it is also drama based and some of the quotes from The Office characters really make you consider life and inspire. The Office has inspired me to look at Life in the face and laugh at it. It has freed me.
Kara Lohberg
Exactly 500 words
Prompt A2: Leslie the Log
One of my favorite commercials aired on Channel One when I was in 7th grade. I only saw it in homeroom and the commercial may have run two or three times but my friends and I talked about it, laughed about it, remembered it—which, to an advertiser, sit he only thing that matters.
The commercial shows a reasonably attractive, slim, tall, dark haired man around age 24. He goes to parties, out to dinner, to the beach—and everywhere he goes he carries a log. They dance on the beach to the background music: Oh I love my log and she loves me!
They share a drink at the party. He introduces the log to his parents, his arm draped around the wood: “Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Leslie.”
Next scene: the man and his log are at a restaurant eating spaghetti. The log falls onto the plate with a splatter of sauce. The man panics, “Leslie? Leslie!” As he looks around for help, the screen blacks out with the slogan “JerZ: At least part of you is comfortable.”
40 minutes
The commercial shows a reasonably attractive, slim, tall, dark haired man around age 24. He goes to parties, out to dinner, to the beach—and everywhere he goes he carries a log. They dance on the beach to the background music: Oh I love my log and she loves me!
They share a drink at the party. He introduces the log to his parents, his arm draped around the wood: “Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Leslie.”
Next scene: the man and his log are at a restaurant eating spaghetti. The log falls onto the plate with a splatter of sauce. The man panics, “Leslie? Leslie!” As he looks around for help, the screen blacks out with the slogan “JerZ: At least part of you is comfortable.”
What does a log, or even a guy dating a log, have to do with shirts? Nothing much. If I remember right, the kid wore long sleeved polos with wide horizontal stripes, but I could be wrong (sounds more like Steve on “Blue’s Clues”). Nothing flashy but the ad worked because it distracted and engaged the audience with the humor of a bizarre situation. The hilarity acted as a cue to JerZ. What do frogs have to do with Budweiser beer? Or a gecko with Geico—really? Symbology.
The JerZ people succeeded in knowing their audience well: middle school people wear their clothes, and they would appreciate a log commercial. In fact, every time I think of middle school or JerZ I replay that commercial in my mind: everyone saw it at school; it was the one thing we could all chuckle about together. We all knew Leslie the Log although the commercial never used the phrase.
Using a name for an inanimate object and giving that name a potential identity through human relationships stuck out to us all. In the halls, snip-its of conversation sprinkled in the phrase, “Leslie? Leslie!” We all wanted to be comfortable and the idea of Leslie the Log allowed us to pretend that we were comfortable in our clothes, our lives, ourselves.
40 minutes
Thursday, September 24, 2009
My Hero
Napoleon, the man with the biggest short man’s complex I have ever hear about. A Corsican native who took over France and large parts of Europe. He took over after a revolution that created civil war through out his state. As a bold military ruler he marched France from it’s lowest point to one of its highest. When Napoleon was captured they forced him to and island and he managed to escape to storm France once more. Napoleon’s only problem was he was to short. When he probably couldn’t see the vast land of Russia when shown on the map. He needed something to stand on before he throughly decided that France should move to Russia. That or he saw it, saw it was huge and wanted it. Either way Russia was the fall of Napoleon but he wasn’t the only one to be taken by this state. Many other rulers tried and failed. In my mind this need for Russia did not make Napoleon any weaker than Alexander the great because Napoleon is my hero and I admire him.
My favorite painting hangs on the walls at the Louvre; David’s “The Crowning of Josephine.” David was able to capture a moment of history that I wish that I was able to attend. You see another cool fact about Napoleon is that he went against the grain, against all powers, like the catholic church, and crowned himself Emperor of France. This is the ultimate way of saying in your face tradition you will listen to me because I am the Emperor.
I remember seeing this painting for the first time in European History my sophomore year. This is also where my love and admiration for Napoleon began. He was a non-conformist conquerer. He is the best thing to come out of French history right next to Albert Camus. David was able to capture one of the biggest events in human history and put it artistically. That to me is true art.
Emperor, when I think of this word the old man from Mulan pops into my head. He is wise, strong, resourceful, and brave. The Emperor leads his people and ensures that no harm will come to them. There is tradition behind this word. Things that have passed down from generation to generation. An Emperor is not called but is chosen to lead from a young age. The Emperor is a man of power who does not use his power to benefit himself but to lead and encourage those around him.
45 minutes
Prompt A 1.
My dad has always been my knight in shining armor. He has always been the person that I could go to for anything. I can’t count the number of nights he stayed up listening to me complain about dumb boys or silly girl drama. He always knows exactly what I need; advice, a laugh, dinner out, or just silence. He has taught me so much about being the best person I can be. I thought that I knew and understood him; I thought that I respected him as much as I possibly could. I was wrong. This summer while I was working we listened to the country station everyday, all day. One day Brad Paisley’s song “He didn’t have to be” came on, and as cheesy as it sounds, I learned more about my dad that day. This song talks about a man who loved Brad Paisley’s mother and became Brad’s father, even though he didn’t have to be. My dad was this type of man as well. He married my mom and became a father the same day. Growing up in an LDS family, with knowledge of the eternal family, I never gave much thought to this thought. Tyson is my brother, always has been and always will be. But he could have not been.
My dad had a choice to make; be cowardly, and run from my mom and brother, or be strong, and become a husband and father. He chose to be strong but that wasn’t what he was thinking. He wasn’t consciously thinking, “I will do this because this boy needs a father.” He was thinking that he loved them. Honestly, I don’t think my dad ever thought twice about becoming a father and husband at once. My favorite line in the song says, “And then all of a sudden...we went from something's missing, to a family.” This is the story of my family. Without any of us it wouldn’t be complete. We would be missing a part of our whole. This song means a lot to me because it brought into perspective the relationship between my dad and the rest of my family. He brings us all together. He took a big leap, that I’m sure wasn’t easy. But he did it with love and has never looked back. Not only was he the dad that “he didn’t have to be” in that sense. He has taken his role as a father to every extent possible. Never has he shied away from an opportunity to teach or a chance to show love. He is always thinking of ways to serve my siblings and me. There are a lot of men in the world today that aren’t even the dads they are supposed to be, let alone going the extra mile. I feel very fortunate to have a dad that goes the extra mile.
The whole message of this song is that Brad Paisley wants to be the type of father that his dad “didn’t have to be.” Although I will never be a father, I hope that I can be the type of person that my father is. A person who is always doing their best, looking to serve, and going the extra mile. This song opened my eyes even more to the amazing man that raised me even though “he didn’t have to be.”
My dad had a choice to make; be cowardly, and run from my mom and brother, or be strong, and become a husband and father. He chose to be strong but that wasn’t what he was thinking. He wasn’t consciously thinking, “I will do this because this boy needs a father.” He was thinking that he loved them. Honestly, I don’t think my dad ever thought twice about becoming a father and husband at once. My favorite line in the song says, “And then all of a sudden...we went from something's missing, to a family.” This is the story of my family. Without any of us it wouldn’t be complete. We would be missing a part of our whole. This song means a lot to me because it brought into perspective the relationship between my dad and the rest of my family. He brings us all together. He took a big leap, that I’m sure wasn’t easy. But he did it with love and has never looked back. Not only was he the dad that “he didn’t have to be” in that sense. He has taken his role as a father to every extent possible. Never has he shied away from an opportunity to teach or a chance to show love. He is always thinking of ways to serve my siblings and me. There are a lot of men in the world today that aren’t even the dads they are supposed to be, let alone going the extra mile. I feel very fortunate to have a dad that goes the extra mile.
The whole message of this song is that Brad Paisley wants to be the type of father that his dad “didn’t have to be.” Although I will never be a father, I hope that I can be the type of person that my father is. A person who is always doing their best, looking to serve, and going the extra mile. This song opened my eyes even more to the amazing man that raised me even though “he didn’t have to be.”
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Prompt A1: Then
Right now one of my favorite songs is "Then" by Brad Paisley. Even though it is written from a man's perspective, I can relate to the message of the song. The message is basically no matter how much I love you right now, my love for you will always grow, because I thought I loved you at a past moment in time, but that love doesn't compare to the love I have for you now. Of course the song is a lot more poetic. The chorus of the song is extremely meaningful:
"And now you're my whole life; now you're my whole world. I just can't believe the way I feel about you, girl. Like a river meets the sea, stronger than it's ever been.We've come so far since that day, And I thought I loved you then."
It is such a powerful song to me and it helps me to try to explain the way I feel about my husband. I remember the first time I heard the song. It was on the radio right after Brad Paisley sang it on American Idol. I was driving to work, and I actually cried in my car (and yes, I am an emotional female, but that doesn't negate the point that the song is powerful). I thought about the way I feel about my husband. I thought I loved him when we got engaged, but that doesn't even compare to the the love I felt for him the day that we got married and the joy entwined in that day. Or the way I feel about him today while he is sitting on the couch reading and I am writing this. I feel more love for him than I could have ever imagined. Forget the love I thought I experienced in high school. This is the real deal. The song finishes this way:
"We'll look back someday, at this moment that we're in, and I'll look at you and say,'and I thought I loved you then.'"
One of the most significant words in this song is love, and the basis of the song. Love is something that can't ever truly be defined. The love I feel for my husband is different than the love my friend feels for her husband. The love I will feel for my future children will be different from the love for I feel for him as well. How I feel about my family, or about my friends, or the kids I teach in the nursery, they are all different kinds of love that can't be described. Even my love for my husband is ever changing. As the song describes, someday I will look back at the way I felt about the amazing man that I married and love him more than I ever dreamed possible. It is something that has to be felt and experienced. What is true love? How can it possibly be described. Some say it is wanting the other person to be happy regardless of your happiness. That is a good definition, but I don't think it really encompasses all that love entails.
In the Oxford English Dictionary there are 4 definitions for love, 2 that define love as a noun and 2 that define love as a verb. Surely this a convincing factor in my claim that love is virtually undefinable. Especially because as I mentioned earlier, there are so many different kinds of love. I love my country, I love my job, I love my nieces and nephews, I love my house, I love shoes, I love water, the list goes on and on. How can I claim I love all of these things? They are all so different. Is it something I don't want to live without? That could definitely fit into the definition. Are they things I have a fondness for? Yes, that too. My point is, love is something that has to be felt to be understood even slightly, and only in the feeling do I truly know the definition.
45 minutes
"And now you're my whole life; now you're my whole world. I just can't believe the way I feel about you, girl. Like a river meets the sea, stronger than it's ever been.We've come so far since that day, And I thought I loved you then."
It is such a powerful song to me and it helps me to try to explain the way I feel about my husband. I remember the first time I heard the song. It was on the radio right after Brad Paisley sang it on American Idol. I was driving to work, and I actually cried in my car (and yes, I am an emotional female, but that doesn't negate the point that the song is powerful). I thought about the way I feel about my husband. I thought I loved him when we got engaged, but that doesn't even compare to the the love I felt for him the day that we got married and the joy entwined in that day. Or the way I feel about him today while he is sitting on the couch reading and I am writing this. I feel more love for him than I could have ever imagined. Forget the love I thought I experienced in high school. This is the real deal. The song finishes this way:
"We'll look back someday, at this moment that we're in, and I'll look at you and say,'and I thought I loved you then.'"
One of the most significant words in this song is love, and the basis of the song. Love is something that can't ever truly be defined. The love I feel for my husband is different than the love my friend feels for her husband. The love I will feel for my future children will be different from the love for I feel for him as well. How I feel about my family, or about my friends, or the kids I teach in the nursery, they are all different kinds of love that can't be described. Even my love for my husband is ever changing. As the song describes, someday I will look back at the way I felt about the amazing man that I married and love him more than I ever dreamed possible. It is something that has to be felt and experienced. What is true love? How can it possibly be described. Some say it is wanting the other person to be happy regardless of your happiness. That is a good definition, but I don't think it really encompasses all that love entails.
In the Oxford English Dictionary there are 4 definitions for love, 2 that define love as a noun and 2 that define love as a verb. Surely this a convincing factor in my claim that love is virtually undefinable. Especially because as I mentioned earlier, there are so many different kinds of love. I love my country, I love my job, I love my nieces and nephews, I love my house, I love shoes, I love water, the list goes on and on. How can I claim I love all of these things? They are all so different. Is it something I don't want to live without? That could definitely fit into the definition. Are they things I have a fondness for? Yes, that too. My point is, love is something that has to be felt to be understood even slightly, and only in the feeling do I truly know the definition.
45 minutes
Monday, September 21, 2009
Week 4 Prompts
A. 1. Think about a piece of music, art, a movie, television show, or commercial that shaped you (in terms of relationships, status, routine, or just one that you obsess about, seems to represent the larger culture, or your family in some way, etc.). Analyze it. Write down why it means so much to you, where and when you heard/saw it. Write the lyrics, quotes, title, etc. Choose a word that indicates its significance and essay on it further.
2.Or, what is one of your favorite pieces of music, art, advertisements, etc. Analyze it. Why is it your favorite? What did the creator do to make it succeed? When did you first see it? Why is it worth remembering? Choose an important word from the piece and essay on it further.
B. What is one of your favorite words? If you don’t have a favorite word, choose a word that is new and interesting to you. Analyze it. In what context(s) have you seen it used well? Why is this word striking? What does it remind you of? If the word had a smell, what would it be? Taste? Texture? Why? What experiences do you connect with this word?
C. Where did a specific punctuation mark come from? Do some research on a punctuation mark (Google and Wikipedia are fine for this assignment—also try some of the library website dictionaries and encyclopedias). What is it? Where did it come from? Has its use changed over time? How is it used today? Write 300 words on your findings then rewrite three of your short essay sentences using that punctuation mark correctly.
2.Or, what is one of your favorite pieces of music, art, advertisements, etc. Analyze it. Why is it your favorite? What did the creator do to make it succeed? When did you first see it? Why is it worth remembering? Choose an important word from the piece and essay on it further.
B. What is one of your favorite words? If you don’t have a favorite word, choose a word that is new and interesting to you. Analyze it. In what context(s) have you seen it used well? Why is this word striking? What does it remind you of? If the word had a smell, what would it be? Taste? Texture? Why? What experiences do you connect with this word?
C. Where did a specific punctuation mark come from? Do some research on a punctuation mark (Google and Wikipedia are fine for this assignment—also try some of the library website dictionaries and encyclopedias). What is it? Where did it come from? Has its use changed over time? How is it used today? Write 300 words on your findings then rewrite three of your short essay sentences using that punctuation mark correctly.
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