Category: Meditations

Time Stand Still, Rush and Earworm Songs

Carl Setzer

Rush’s Time Stand Still has been on earworm for me all day. Not complaining, to be clear; love the song. Perhaps my subconscious grabs ahold of it as my son moves into Middle School; capturing a bit of my zeitgeist? Eh…

Their musicality deeply resonates with me. When I studied bass, Geddy Lee’s skills blew my mind. As I learned drums, Peart’s drumming amazed me. And this song had the amazing Aimee Mann singing the back-up vocals. A major score, musically, that only a group with Rush’s stature could’ve pulled off. {Bias acknowledgement: Ms. Mann was a major musician crush of mine.}

I loved this song from when it first hit the airwaves. This time of my life was one of great musical and artistic expansion. Rush made it’s way into my life around the same time as the B-52s, Tangerine Dream and the Rocky Horror soundtrack. Yeah, I’d heard of Rush before, but I hadn’t broke free of the cliquish confines of early youth. Thus, I didn’t “like” them. But I came to love them as my awareness expanded.

This this musical expansion and awareness came through many of my friends, mainly from the Cascades drum corps. When I marched drum-line, we offered a faux-prayer to Neil Peart: “oh Neil, who dwealth in Canada, let us not sucketh”. Or something like that. The 80s drum-line idolized Neil, like the horn-line idolized Maynard Ferguson.  Oh, the memories! Makes me want to command “Time, Stand Still…”

 

Positive dreams

Carl Setzer

I seek a voice of positivity. With that, I want those around me to feel confidence. Not a mindless confidence that misses real limits and sets up for failure. Nor the sociopathic version, which doesn’t care about the impacts on the world or communities which surround us. Rather, a feeling of ability; knowing, deeply, we can make a positive impact. This mindset builds upon love.

This voice presents challenges, especially in today’s culture. The world highly focuses on our divisions, ignoring our commonalities. Speaking with a positive voice, elaborating upon our potentials as a diverse people generates derision. That saddens me. We value love, and denigrate it. This disconnect causes us much pain. And me a great deal of frustration.

Fret not, though, if you share this vision: I shall continue. Continuing with a vision of different people, with different backgrounds working together. Elements of Doctor King’s Dream. For I have the same dream. And the more I learn and grow, the deeper it becomes. Built upon this vision of love, my central feeling: hope. Hope for a positive future; people working together. And I delight in this.

Resisting Infirmity

Carl Setzer

Yesterday, while out on a walk, I saw an older man struggling with a walker. A young woman (my assumption; his daughter) worked hard to help him into her car. Seeing such drives me; resist infirmity with vigor!

Currently, my fitness regimen is a blend of taekwondo, walking, cycling and weights. I want to add kayaking and cross-country skiing. Oh, and hiking, which can tie to walking. This region has such lovely places to do all these, it would be sad not to.

I’m seeking to combine strength, flexibility and balance. These are the critical elements to prevent infirmity. I envision myself as an old man, robust and healthy, surrounded by friends and family. A worthy goal, methinks.

Last days

Carl Setzer

Sixth grade graduation fills my gaze, upon the edge of these last moments of elementary school. Then this building, about to transform, getting erased and re-written; radical transition. Changes. Our lives, constantly evolving. Sometimes these changes challenge, stress, inflicting pain.

My life brings me to this place of acceptance, I see the change as good; at least inevitable. Children excited, feeling the possibilities within their grasp. Perhaps adults long for that time of undefinedness: possibility felt boundless. Perhaps the illusion of boundlessness is preferable to the doom of definition. Only when we forget our gifts, though. Losing sight of what we give, what our community needs fills us with sadness and pain.

This future excites me, even watching elements of my youth vanish. Time absorbs all things, given enough time. Expanding over all, gently at moments, explosively at others, it always wins. Tranquility exists within, awaiting the patient grasp.

A response to When Good Enough Becomes Never Enough

Carl Setzer1 Comment

Ah, very wise words; ones which I should embrace as deeply as I can. Often, I’m absorbed into the trap of comparison, and lose sight of “enough”. Losing sight of MY goals and dreams.

This also reinforces the importance of having your own goals and dreams. Vision gives you something to focus on, pulling you forward. That’s critical to avoiding a self-pitying spiral of misery.

Here’s the original post: When Good Enough Becomes Never Enough

Memorial Day Meditation

Carl Setzer

Years ago I gave time to a veterans organization focused on helping vets struggling to adapt to civilian life. You see the military holds a social place in my heart. I was born in the Navy. I grew up surrounded by the unique pomp and ceremony of the military. Thus, it might surprise you that I never attended a Memorial Day ceremony until I joined the Navy myself. I, however, fully understand why. For my father, the “Fallen” are no academic construct, no series of historical events, not even somber photos of tombstones. They are faces, names, tendrils of conversation and relationships. And, as I know now, they burn.

Seatte’s Folklife held the favorite piece of my attention for this weekend. Music speaks to me deeply, echoing within my fogotten recesses. Songs, dancing, with a rich and inclusive mix of humanity. The diversity that is Seattle was on full display in it’s glorious beauty. This gives me great hope that humanity will move past brutality, at least on a mass scale.

Song might be the best way for me to express my feelings about Memorial Day. One, “And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda” captures my sentiment well. Though, clearly, about Australians, really, war is war. It penetrates the myths of war’s glory, staring into the deepest costs of this human proclivity. Maybe, if we remember the deep and horrible costs of war, maybe, just maybe, war can become something studied by historians, puzzling children. And nothing more. These dreams of mine…

Some Game of Thrones Thoughts

Carl Setzer

I didn’t part of the morning reading about the storm surrounding the Sansa rape scene from Game of Thrones. The backlash had been fascinating. Please note: I haven’t seen the scene, and, as I don’t watch the show, it’s unlikely I shall. And, there’s no protest: my current tastes run towards other content. I have had enough brutality in my life to seek it out.

Reading some of the commentary, I’m left with a key thought. It appears the scene was ugly and brutal, as rape is. I’m not reading anything that portrays the scene as anything less than horrific. Gruesome, disturbing; perhaps, there value in that. Facing the reality of rape; that all the attempts to justify rape culture really are justifying ugly brutality.

Maybe the producers meant to impart a social message. I don’t know, and don’t care. More importantly, this can be leveraged. We can erode the justifications and minimization our culture throws up against rape and it’s victims. If this scene starts a deeper debate about rape and culture, then perhaps it’s net effect will be positive. If more people deeply understand the evil brutality that is rape, good can come of this. So I hope.

Focusing on your sphere

Carl Setzer

Thinking recently about Steven Covey’s notion of focusing in your sphere of influence. Work where you are, that’s how I internalize this. I’ve long thought of this simply in terms of effectiveness. Actually, this is far deeper. What’s critical always lies within this sphere. One must complete the critical, our all else fails. We must hold our attention within. By managing within ourselves, the inner elements of our lives, other pieces come into play. When the core gets neglected, there is either fear of impending collapse, or the consequences of such collapse. Breaking free requires focus on the deepest, richest inner, most critical elements. Only upon mastering these, can other pieces of life become richer, deeper.

Ah, Life!

Carl Setzer

Woke this morning listening to birds punctuate the silence. Delightful and heart-warming, clearly reminding me how good my life is. Sometimes it’s easy to fill up on life’s negativity. Then it spills over and crafts a life of misery, despair, anger and fear. Taking time to focus on beauty, on love, absorb it, pull it into one’s marrow, creates a more joyful existence. A deliberate act with great value.

Admiring my neighbors

Carl Setzer

Due to my Fitbit’s constant presentation of my inactivity, I decided to walk in the evenings. Not every night, but several see me striding through these suburbs which I call home. A few nights ago, I hear a buzzing spatter, then see the brilliant blue of welding. A Boeing welder exploring their artistic side? Or perhaps simply repairing a car? Answers escape my view, blocked by a fence.

These sights and sounds, though, remind me of a young sailor. Yes, me, humbly requesting welding school, which aligned with my rate, my work designation. Then it felt perfect, I could see artistry within. Terrible at self-promotion and assertiveness, that path never manifested. How different would my life’s path turned out?

With that, I admire those who craft, who, at day’s end, look upon something physical. An amazingly wonderful thing! I lament nothing of my path or life, though; just a little wonder how things could be. And, mostly, delight at the talent and skill held by my community. It makes me happy, and proud.