Drown It Out

Talk with me for just a few minutes to try to get to know me better, and you will quickly find out that I could not live without music. Just ask my parents. My attachment to headphones is probably slightly unhealthy. But I love music. I won't deny it for one second. Anywho, let's get off of that rabbit trail. Believe me...I could talk about music for days. It's the heart's voice and the spirit's universal language. Okay, I promise I'll stop for now.

On the other side of this personality survey spectrum study is my track record with storms. I have never liked them. But as I have matured, I realize they are nothing to be afraid of. What's a little lightning, eh?? Okay, it can be dangerous. But I've developed a sense of courage and appreciation that feels so good. God's got me, and I enjoy nature. But I won't lie. I have had some nerving moments when there's a tornado warning or such in our area. When the siren wails and lightening rips threw the sky. Eek! But even with those I've learned not to let it bother me too much. And it was precisely this past Monday that I discovered just where I place my value and how much I've conquered fear.

Typical of the Bowmans, we usually get around to putting up our Christmas decorations within days of New Years. The quicker the better in my opinion. But we are not here to argue this. Anyways, while my dad was taking a chunk out of getting the tree put up (yes we use an artificial one that's been in the family since I was two), I was busy doing some kitchen duty and laundry. Hey, somebody's got to do it. And while I was doing the laundry, it was storming like heck outside. Funny thing is, I never really knew it. Why? Yep, you guessed it. I had my headphones on. Man, I was having a good time dancing around the kitchen and sashaying around with the laundry. I then waltz through the living room and see my dad's lips moving. So, I stop and take my headphones off, and he proceeds to announce that the tornado siren is going off. With an expression of "Oh, well that's nice" gracing my now solemn expression, I replace my headphones and continue on with my chores. Now before you go thinking I was in denial, one thing you have to understand is that when our siren goes off, it doesn't necessarily mean a tornado is in our backyard. Most of the time, it's south of us. For some reason they feel need to invoke fear in us too. But I get it. They're just keeping folks safe.

As I proceeded with my afternoon, I began thinking about that moment and how the news had hardly fazed me. Sure I was a bit on edge after my dad told me that. But at the same time, all I wanted was to get back to my music and put a smile on my face as I got back into my zone. And the more I thought about it, the more I started thinking about how much we could learn from that. Moreover, I wondered just how much unnecessary worry we let creep into our lives and choke out our happiness every day. No, I'm not saying that you shouldn't heed the warnings of weather wisdom. But at the same time, why worry? And this applies to much more than just bad weather. When life throws things at you that you don't care for, choose joy. Choose happiness. Choose life. Choose to make the best of it. But most of all, drown out the negative with the positive. Tell yourself and your mind to look at the bright side. I know, it can be very hard. But it's all worth it to overcome our fears and worse case scenarios we numbly rehearse in our mind and discover that epiphany of divine comfort that can only come from God. For me, music hits that spot. So try it sometime. It may not be music for you. It may be something else. But you never know what awesome moments await you when you choose joy over fear. Believe me. It's worth it.

"...casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you."  - 1 Peter 5:7

Country vs. Southern

There are many phases we go through in this life. There are the bad ones and even the good ones. Some help us grow. And some are downright embarrassing to look back on. Even so, all of them help us grow and become the person we are as adults. Now I've been through my share of "phases" and dream rabbit trails throughout my childhood. Lord knows I've been down so many life roads in my head since I was a kid. I don't think I have enough room in this post for all the embarrassment. But I think we all go through that as we search for a home. Not a physical home or even a home as in a specific geographic location. But rather a state of mind, a place of comfort, perhaps a calling, a way of life. And I think most recently I have found mine.

I love history. I love western history. I love westerns. But I think there was always something holding me back from truly embracing my love of the modern western (emphasis on western) lifestyle. The plaid, the boots, and etc. I think it had a lot to do with what I've grown up seeing in my home state of Mississippi. No offense to my fellow Mississippians, but you have it all wrong! For pity's sake quit calling yourself country folk because you wear Justins with your country chic style clothes and go mudding and hunting every weekend. You ain't country! You are SOUTHERN.

There's a fine line when it comes to country folk that separates the wheat from the chaff and the country folk from the southern folk. I once complimented someone on their nice western boots only to have them tell me they aren't really into western stuff. Excuse me?!? Okay, deep breath. I know the shoes don't make the man, and your style of clothes doesn't necessarily reflect your lifestyle...Oh, no, wait. I think it does. At least it should. I mean, I'm not saying you have to live on a ranch to dress like a cowboy these days. But goodness gracious, if you aren't at least somewhat in love with the way of life, please quit giving the style a bad name. All I ask from the southern states outside of Texas is this... Quit trying to be country when you don't have a sense of western culture whatsoever. It's confusing. And to be honest, it's ruining the real definition and personification of the cowboy way of life. It's okay I suppose if you want to embrace a southern way of life. Just quit mixing western culture in with it while dubbing yourself country folk. Please.

Oh, yeah, and while we're at it, country music these days IS NOT country music. It's a mix of perverse values and southern pop rock topped with a fedora and skinny jeans trying to pass as western flair with little ode to the cowboy and the way of the west. It just ain't. Country music used to speak of life and real issues set to the backdrop of heart-tugging stories of strength and faith. Now days, without the influence of the true cowboy spirit, country music sounds more like a northerner trying to make it down here with little knowledge of the genre. Meanwhile, they've got plenty of hot girls, pickup trucks, and who knows what else. And they look like hipsters. Ugh. Here's a brief lyric study...

Upon getting my Googling fingers worked, I decided to put two country songs side-by-side. One from previous years and one that's topping the charts right now. I've never heard the latter, but I have heard the former. Just see if you can tell the difference between these two country choruses:

Year: 1994

One will get you where you're going
When you haven't got a prayer
And one will bring you back son
If you're dreams ain't waiting there
You're out on your own now
We won't be there to fall back on
But you know we're never farther
Than a Bible and a bus ticket home.

Year: 2016

You're holy, holy, holy, holy
I'm high on loving you, high on loving you
You're holy, holy, holy, holy
I'm high on loving you, high on loving you

I have no words. Well, I may have a few. But anyways. And I'm pretty sure the first one sounds a bit more country western worthy musically than the latter. I'm willing to bet on that one. Oh yeah and go figure country artists used to sing about Jesus a little bit too. Shocker. Why? Let's see...The true cowboy spirit is about faith, family, and patriotism. Loving your country. Embracing those you love. And honoring the faith and values you were brought up to respect. I don't know about you. But somewhere along the line, that was forgotten along with the fact that artists have completely ignored the roots of the music of their predecessors and started calling their own version of music by a name it doesn't deserve. It's sad. Maybe I'll help do something about it one of these days.

Oh, and lastly...

Date With Danger

It happened before I really knew what had happened. My day was forever changed. It took only fifteen seconds but lasts a lifetime every time I relive that horror. What was once the unthinkable is now the unchangeable. It's like they say. You never think it could happen to you. But then it does happen to you. And you are left feeling as if you'll never be the same person again...ever.

Saturday started like any other normal Saturday for me. Dad's home. Perhaps a special breakfast beyond the usual run of the mill routine. Nice day. Sunshine. Probably a race to look forward to while I continue to think about the great stories I write every chance I get. Most importantly the day had begun with devotions and time in God's Word. Then it happened.

I sat at the same desk I sit at every day when I write and endeavor creatively to answer a message or do some writing-related thing. I pecked away at the keyboard with nothing but the words flowing onto the screen for whatever I was doing. Then I felt it. Somehow a menacing little twisty-tie had managed to get on the floor. It was the darndest thing! As I rubbed the little object between my toes, I continued to write, absentmindedly unaware of the horrendous encounter I was having until fifteen seconds had passed. Feeling a tingle between my toes, I gently scooted my chair back to see a nice-sized centipede honing in on my lower phalanges. You can just imagine what happened next. With a shriek that could have curdled the blood of an African mountain lion, I slid my chair back with a furry, getting of a pretty good, hard kick or two (thanks to my ever-expanding karate skills) to rid my bare feet of that despicable creature. It took me a good thirty minutes to recover from that ordeal. And to be honest, I still can't believe I lived through that.

So why am I telling you all this? Well, first of all mostly to share that I'm vulnerable too. Second of all, life experiences like these make an excellent funny addition of a scene to your Walker Texas Ranger fan fiction story you're writing at the time. But most importantly, never let your room get cluttered. But seriously... Sometimes there are things in life that don't seem like a big deal to you. There are things overall in our world that are given no regard. In fact, it may convince you that it's nothing to be worried about. That is, until the sting of it causes you to finally look at it in the face while it scares the heck out of you. And hopefully it won't be too late to make a difference in your world, and turn that thing around in your world for good. Don't assume everything's alright all the time. There's things that need to be changed in our world. Life's a battle. So don't let the enemy flank you. Flank him for once. Get off the couch and do something. It may seem insignificant to you. But in the long run, it may just be that little spark needed to cause the world to change for the better before the world changes you into nothing.