America is my iPod

I am making a new commitment not to keep up on the blog, I do that already. I want to keep up by actually writing things with substance. Currently the Presidential election is everywhere, so it is hard to not think about it (at least for me). It frustrates me that we all seem so polarized. When I know that people are not that way. There is a lot of common ground that people have. In the past that was something that brought people together not something hidden allowing only differences to be seen. As Americans we used to embrace our differences, doing that gives us strength. This was not intended to be political, so to the point. On my way to work this morning I was listening to my iPod (through my stereo) as usual and I listened to how different the songs were that played. First was "I am a Rock" by Simon and Garfunkel, then was "My Maria" by Brooks and Dunn, then "No Excuses" by Alice in Chains and finally "Trouble Me" by 10,000 Maniacs. These are all very different songs by very different artists.

"I am a Rock", reminds me of growing up. My dad had an 8-Track of Simon and Garfunkel's greatest hits. I still like that song and it amazes me that it was released in 1966. I don't have too many songs that were released in 1966 on my iPod. Simon and Garfunkel are definitely a unique sound and my have to grow on some people.

"My Maria", I started listening to some country music in high school. I had a friend who was a country fan and I wanted to broaden my musical horizons to include something that she liked (after we went out and I realized that she had gone out of her way to do the same for me). There are other country artists that I like and listen to that will appear on these posts from time to time (after all I am from Idaho!).

"No Excuses", when I was serving as a missionary in the California Carlsbad Mission I knew people that were into a music that I had not really got into in high school, alternative rock. I loved modern rock. The Smiths, New Order, Erasure, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys; I was fluent in all of these. But there was a new sound that was a little more edgy and Alice in Chains had some tracks that to this day I still enjoy. "No Excuses" is one of them.

"Trouble Me", this song falls into the preiviously mentioned 'modern rock' genre. 10,000 Maniacs are a group that I have enjoyed since junior high. This is a very relaxing track that reminds me of when my wife and I were dating.

All of these songs are unique and different. In the coming months I will look at the different tracks that my iPod groups together and the pattern they weave in my life.

Different is good. We are all different.