parental advice

Here's a story to entertain you: I've been a musician for most of my life - singing, playing instruments, and composing music for quite a while. And I can't snap my fingers. I can whistle. I sometimes make didgeridoo sounds with my voice. I can clap my hands. I can do lots of other things with my hands. I can't snap. And I am not that good at breathing - most of the instruments I played weren't wind instruments. My singing is 'less natural' than it should be for choir - I'm a mimic when it comes to singing so I try to sound like other people. I have been able to hear my real/normal/natural voice a few times, and I worked really hard on it while taking a voice class early in college. But none of this really matters when I can't snap - I remember in 7th grade, I was in a select choir, and that was the first time that I couldn't hide this from music teachers and stuff - and my director couldn't teach me. And I tried to learn. And I tried. But it still hasn't happened yet - I'm almost 25 years old - I could whistle (inhaling and exhaling) by the time I was 6 years old (maybe before, but I remember it then because my grandfather taught me).

In other news today:
Sometimes I don't even know what I'm doing or where my time goes - I am 99.9% sure that I'm not a narcoleptic, but it can be scary every once in a while - time just goes away - I suppose I only can say that because of the measurability of time.

Interesting note - I was told today that I'm the first guy that this girl knows who has watched a full episode of Sex and the City - and I've watched a bunch of them. So I told her that we should watch more of it sometime. Maybe that would be fun. Then I could force a few other guys to watch it also.

Past that, I have a lot to do these next couple days with regard to conference paper submissions and thesis research preparation. Then I'll be able to get into the courses I'm taking in more detail, while simultaneously figuring out what I'm going to do with the next part of my life.

I really like this song a lot, and the story is that between the end of December and the beginning of January, both my brother and a best friend mentioned to me that they liked it. Man, I'm not sure how it is changing my life - I do think that it probably has a lot of potential to do something like that.

How do I know I'm an overly sentimental person - this song makes me feel like crying, but my right eye is still messed up - I'll get that looked at tomorrow. So anyway, am I sentimental? That's the question for today? Ask yourself - am I sentimental? Are you? What does that really mean?

Father and Son by Cat Stevens

Father
It’s not time to make a change,
Just relax, take it easy.
You’re still young, that’s your fault,
There’s so much you have to know.
Find a girl, settle down,
If you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I’m happy.

I was once like you are now, and I know that it’s not easy,
To be calm when you’ve found something going on.
But take your time, think a lot,
Why, think of everything you’ve got.
For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.

Son
How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again.
It’s always been the same, same old story.
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.
Now there’s a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.

Father
It’s not time to make a change,
Just sit down, take it slowly.
You’re still young, that’s your fault,
There’s so much you have to go through.
Find a girl, settle down,
If you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I’m happy.
(son-- away away away, I know I have to
Make this decision alone - no)

Son
All the times that I cried, keeping all the things I knew inside,
It’s hard, but it’s harder to ignore it.
If they were right, I’d agree, but it’s them you know not me.
Now there’s a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.
(father-- stay stay stay, why must you go and
Make this decision alone? )