Pit Wagon's Self-Titled Release Digs Up a Pile of Musical Goodness

Under most circumstances, this writer would use the word “unsatisfying” in a less-than-complimentary way, but it happens to be the only way to describe Pit Wagon’s self-titled debut. It’s congruency, lyricism, and musicality are top-notch: no doubt in my mind. The instrumentation, collaborations, and wit are all superbly well thought-out. So why, one might ask, is the first word that comes to mind when listening to this album “unsatisfying?”

The answer: we live in a beautifully unsatisfying world, time, and place. This is a soundtrack for the unfulfilled soul, sidewalk heartbreak, lovers constantly quarreling, brimstone-crossed comfort, and, of course, the feeling in the back of the throat after nights and days filled with too much whiskey and half-smoked cigarettes: the dust and residue of which mostly comprises the songs on Pit Wagon’s record. 

Take, for instance, the character Kassandra in the track of the same name, who’s “not an angel from heaven; she’s an angel from hell I can tell.” The stories told are those of gray relationships, one-way infatuation. “Black Heart” is the search for the hypothetical one in all the wrong places. This writer’s favorite track, the song walks a blues with a few boot kicks square through a door and has a female antagonist that storms her lover more like Godzilla taking a city rather than the Hollywood-invented run across a park towards welcome arms in a smoothed-out summer dress. 

The album even takes its message further, defending downtrodden and beat-down unions of Wisconsin in “Hey Gov.” However, the fact that Voldy, the lead songwriter of the group, might know a thing or two about love comes through loud and clear. Giving everyone who listens a throat lozenge of hope after all that smoky mess of cynicism, the last track poses, “Hey guv’ner, hey guv’ner, well what about love? You think your decisions are sent from above. You think you can change things with a push and a shove. Hey guv’ner hey guv’ner, well what about love?”

I’d say that if there’s anything this album tells us about love, it’s that it’s not forced. But it does show up between the cracks in rotting floorboards, on long drives down swervy, pot-holed highways, and resolves itself in the clarity of a self-destructive hangover soothed by the sounds of Mabis’ slide guitar, Jensen’s self-taught harmonies, and Voldy’s rasp-tinged vocal cords. I’d also reckon this album will convince you to catch Pit Wagon at one of their upcoming shows or later on down the road this summer. They’ll be filling the holes in the streets of Eau Claire and beyond with sweet, sweat-drenched, and lemonade-spiked songs that represent this town well. 

A Poet's Dilemma: One Person's Search for Insight into a Poem's Success

Over the last couple years, I've been dipping into prose poetry and simpler forms of poetry, poetry far from those that are taught in the "standard canon" collection. On multiple occasions, I've read poems and thought, "Well, I've read (or, in some unlikely cases even written) something far greater than that." Contrary to common sense, I appreciate these instances because they allow me to return to the poem in order to explore why that particular poem has been published or even reached exceptional acclaim.

Now, there's no doubt in my mind that poetry has a certain knack for grandfathering in poets who have reached a certain level of acceptance by peers, but there are many times when the poem in question, upon return, reveals some layers that were unexpected. One particular poem, "Nothing in That Drawer" by Ron Padgett, has had me pondering the nature of poetic genius for a long time. 

You can view the poem below:

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20967

I had a love/hate relationship with this poem. It's easy to see why upon first read. The poem is published in a collection of Padgett's poems, and it's also been anthologized in 180 more Extraordinary Poems for Everyday, a book of poems selected by noted plain-prose poet Billy Collins. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the "180" anthologies, but I struggled for a long time with how this poem could possibly be so successful. 

My thought process, then, went from extreme dislike to trying to find a way to rationalize the quality of the poem. I'm a deep thinker, I'll admit, but I just couldn't accept that this poets' circle would just include this poem as a joke or, worse, a crass chuckle in the face of the general public. I trust Mr. Collins with my poetic taste far too much to believe this was the case.

My first thought was to go to the line count: 14. After running this through my head, I thought that the poem gives more space for the reader to change intonation from line to line. This also allows the reader to create an individual storyline for the speaker. There are many avenues to take this into one's imagination. Perhaps the speaker is looking for something lost, hoping that something doesn't get found by someone else, or perhaps the speaker is an invader shocked by the bareness of each drawer. In any case, the point is that this poem allows space for the reader to construct their own storyline. This is an achievement for any poet.

Second, this poem holds a universal experience in its lines. The reader senses the frustration of the speaker through repetition and anticipated outcome. There is something to be said for the tone of the poem upon repetition of the same line. The reader is forced to change intonation from line to line in anticipation of getting somewhere. By the end of the poem, however, we are left with coming to our own conclusions. Does the speaker ever find what they were looking for? Were they even looking for something? How important is it, really, that the drawers are empty? These are all questions that came to my mind.

Finally, this poem is simple. It has a narrative, a flow, and a tone all created by piling one line on top of itself multiple times. Had I published this poem, would it have gone anywhere? Probably not, but I guess there's just something a little magical about that as well. 

In With the Old, Out With the New: An Eau Clairian’s Take on the Musical Year in Review

"From the desk of..."

Let’s face it folks. 2012 held, in its grasping and rough-hewn hands, many ups and  downs for most of us. The times are (perpetually) changing, but it seems like 2012 swung the scales to both extremes and back again numerous times both nationally and locally. Due to this exaggerated sway, this writer found himself falling back on some of his favorite albums for the times behind as well as the times ahead. They say an optimist looks to the young year ahead at the clang of midnight, while the pessimist is ready to sweep that old, bitter chrono-dust under the rug, but I think it’s important to remember the experiences that have made us who we are: the people who have come and gone, the places we have been and left behind, the words we have had etched on the backs of our eyelids or forgotten forever. It’s important, in these reflective times, to remind ourselves of a question family friend Steve Betchkal taught me: What are we but the history of our love? 

The music we love is perpetuated by the people we enjoy it with, the times we had while  cranking the volume dial to ten, and the emotions we experienced, both joyous and despairing, all along while trying to paddle our proverbial flippers through the choppy river confluences of our microcosmic lives. Sometimes, just like the old Chippewa and Eau Claire, the waters run high enough to threaten bridge abutments or low enough to cause it all to run dry. Subtly and suddenly, music becomes a constant in the background to even things out. With that, I give you some old standbys and new finds that have gotten me through it all, the end of the world and beyond. Keep yourself going on with these, my picks for 2012.

Etta James At Last

When Etta James passed on January 20th of this last year, I dove into her music to find out why she became so important to music history. Though the first part of her career was lackluster, she hit it big with the song and corresponding album she will forever be known for, the title track off this staple of soul and R&B music. Every song on this album, as with many quintessential works, deals with love and loss and the in-between. From impossible situations to the purest form of mutual endearment, from rocky tempestuousness to the serenity of feeling whole again, Ms. James’ growl is a constant, calming presence throughout. Every track is great for an early morning cup of coffee on the way to work, but deep-cut gems include “All I Could Do Was Cry,” a track about a love not acted on soon enough, and “Spoonful,” a reworking of Howlin’ Wolf’s classic about the effect love can have on us. I’ve appreciated this one while enduring below-freezing weekend mornings as a reprieve from window-scraping. 

Kalispell Westbound

I wrote an unpublished review of this album this past summer, so I thought I’d use this opportunity to turn you all out there in Radioland on to this one. Kalispell’s had a banner year—both locally and nationally—always doing it in their own way. I’ll let this excerpt from the article speak for itself: “One of the songs that stands out on the album is 'Lucky a Hundred Times.' It is a song that creates the perfect balance between feelings of sadness and optimism. The lonesome traveler and the hopeful searcher alike will appreciate the tale spun by the song, which follows a man who appreciates the life he has lead but who is also looking for a love-filled horizon. 'Staring down a cold street light/ Darling won’t you tell me when it’s in the right?/ Your goodbyes had me./ I’ve been lucky a hundred times.’ In this writer’s humble opinion, the lyrics speak to a howl etched by coyotes in the cold moonlight, the heavy rope burn of unrequited love, and the sun inching up over the horizon, painting the workingman’s fields an indescribable red-orange hue. 

It is this beauty, combined with Shane’s guitar picking and attention to genre-appropriate details, that makes Westbound perk the ears of old-time aficionados and pop-bent listeners alike.”

The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

The F-Lips have always been a staple in my musical collection, but the album that got me a (albeit late) start to the band was Yoshimi. A friend of mine played the album at a summer camp just before my senior year of high school, and my musical life has been changed ever since. I was able to return the favor when the album was repressed on vinyl fairly recently. Though not truly a concept album, it turned me on to the idea that an artist could sing about cartoon karate femme fatales versus robots, and them systematically dispatch the surreal at the same time with lyrics like “And instead of saying all of your goodbyes/Let them know you realize tat time moves fast/ It’s hard to make the good things last/You realize the sun doesn’t go down/It’s just an illusion caused by the world spinning ‘round.” This is a great listen for letting go of regrettable moments and moving forward. Also, it’s a blaster for the summer sun.

Amateur Love It’s All Aquatic

These guys were all the rage as I was growing up in EC. I remember the iconic synthesizer tee floating up and down the halls of Memorial High School almost as much as the school colors a few years back. It’s funny that they have since returned to the high schools for a new generation thanks to Chigliak Records. And, with the rumors that Josh Scott is getting his chops back, this would be the album to revisit. It’s also been great music as an energy boost for when the going gets tough. I think 2013 will see this album as a staple for learning new things. 

Wilco Sky Blue Sky

I wasn’t exactly a latecomer to this album, but something about the music appealed to me this year. I read an article on Jeff Tweedy that painted him as a regular guy with a lot of inner turmoil, and this album shows off the lyrical ability of Tweedy along with a throwback rock-western sound. A great number of songs deal with the reality of life and love and show off the guitar stylings of one Nels Kline, known for a raucously-controlled  guitar solo or two. Great for walks over one of the many snowy bridges we seem to be having this year. 

Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett’s Greatest Hits

Last but most certainly not, in terms of the cosmic, planet-aligning R&B continuum, least comes this throwback giant-of-an-artist. I’ve been on Wilson Pickett ever since a friend of mine turned me on to The Commitments, an overseas soul band film starring a young, pre-Once Glen Hansard (whose 2012 album Rhythm and Repose is also worth checking out). Since then, I’ve grown accustomed to his sweet horn lines and sweeter background harmonies. “If You Need Me” (25-24 on the jukebox at the Joynt) is a great way to roll yourself back a few years while drinking a glass of your favorite beverage. It’s also a great way to keep your heart warm and yearning during the winter months.

Ray Charles and James Brown: The Voiceless Prowess of R&B's Greatest Voices

Leaving the microphone behind is not an issue
for these R&B and Soul legends.

James Brown and Ray Charles: definitively the two biggest names in R&B and Soul music history. Arguably, they are the majority molders of many popular genres of music today. Together and separate, the two musicians fought through countless hurdles during their heyday, both within the music industry and outside it, in order to accomplish something greater than themselves. Ray Charles struggled to have his music heard by a segregated South, eventually having his song, “Georgia On My Mind,” adopted as the Georgia state song in honor of his ability to overcome. James Brown opened up a televised set in a riot-torn Boston the day after Martin Luther King Jr.’s death in 1968, showing a divided population that it was possible to unite through music. These were great men, musicians, and, most importantly, movers in the U.S. and beyond.

These two individuals were known for many things, some good and some bad, but one of their united transcendental qualities is easily their respective vocal chops. Ray could be silky smooth, but he often pushed the envelope of his voice, giving it the grit that he’s known for on tracks such as “Night Time is the Right Time” and “Drown in My Own Tears.” J.B., on the other hand, had that grit from the start, evident in early tracks like “Please, Please, Please” and “Try Me.” His grittiness, however, matured to a point where he became known for his guttural, percussive sounds used to accent the prowess of his songwriting and backing band. 

It might be considered ironic, then, that I recently came across two record albums that remove these two songsters’ voices from the mix, allowing the instrumental talents of the groups  to shine through. On Atlantic Jazz Anthology:The Best of Ray Charles, the sounds of David “Fathead” Newman’s tenor and alto saxophone become more integral, shining through on leads on “Hard Times,” a reworking of the seminal Charles’ track, and others. Ray’s impeccably delicate piano playing is also a highlight of the album; he is even featured blowing a bluesy alto sax solo on “How Long Blues,” which also features vibraphonist great Milt Jackson. 

On Grits & Soul: The Instrumental Sounds of The James Brown Band, James Brown sidles up to Ray’s instrumental band sound, but he adds a decidedly James Brown feel. The organ is a key instrument used, which is different from the all-piano tracks found on the Ray Charles album. Grits & Soul also features more of the band itself, but Brown definitely throws in a tasty lick or two when he is playing the keyboards. This particular album is also interesting because it provided Brown a way to record outside of the label he resided on at the time. According to this source, his contract had a vocal stipulation on him, and he was able to circumvent legalities by removing his voice from the music entirely.

No matter why these albums were made, they are treasures that take both of these great, game-changing musicians out of their popular element. Crossing genres is a tricky thing, especially in the twentieth and twenty-first century, and this proves that both James Brown and Ray Charles will not only stand the test of time as innovators, but that they have shown that they are all-around experts in their craft of music-making. They not only created music for themselves and others, but were both able to lead their bands and the world closer to greatness. 

Chicago's Record Store Gems: Funk, Jazz, and Soul Searching in the Windy City

Chicago may be known for its breezy demeanor, deep dish ‘za, and its distinctive version of the blues, but what many people don’t know is that it’s a great place to find vinyl records. As far as my research goes, though it’s hardly definitive, there are quality record stores numbering into the double digits. In 2010, in fact, three of Chicago’s stores made Rolling Stone’s list of top record stores in the country. I checked out one of the stores that made the list, as well as a jazz specialty store, during a recent visit. 

The first stop was Jazz Record Mart, located in downtown Chicago, just off of Michigan Avenue. Downtown has some great architectural accoutrement, but it can be hard to have a small business downtown that stands out. Jazz Record Mart has overcome this hurdle by displaying oversized covers of classic jazz albums as well as some newer up-and-comers in the genre. Entering the store, I got the distinct feeling of the grittiness of an old record store—the overstock shelves loaded with records was reminiscent of older, over-the-counter type stores—and the huge selection of records pressed prior to World War Two was unique and impressive. 

Jazz Records draws you in with ample poster bling.

"As an English teacher, I was impressed that both Jazz Record Mart and Dusty Groove prominently displayed literature about the music they sold. This is a hearty plus for anyone wanting to learn more about the respective genres."


There was a great selection of reissued jazz, and the used albums they had were not your normal fare and very reasonably priced. I found an early album of Chicago native Gil Scott Heron, and was happily delighted in my interaction with the staff member at the desk. When I asked about a certain Jimmy Smith album on LP, he told me he hadn’t seen it but engaged me in a conversation about The Beastie Boys sampling of the album and Gil Scott Heron’s poetry. I wandered out into a downpour, thankful to have visited and that the only records I purchased were still in the shrink.

The next day, I sought out Dusty Groove America, a store known for its rare funk cuts and soul collection. I wasn’t planning on making another trip into the city, but this writer has a soft spot for anything that has a great 60’s and 70’s era, as the kids these days put it, “drop.” This store didn’t disappoint in delivering a great selection of records, though it was definitely a more new-school record shop. Dusty Groove does a lot of business online, but they didn’t sacrifice anything in-store. There was a clean, mainstreamed ambience that would appeal to many different types of people, but this isn’t a crate-digging place. Prices are at a premium, but they had some interesting compilations of world music (Bossa Nova, Indian-Psych-Funk, Afrobeat, to name a few), and a number of James Brown deep cuts. I didn’t have much of a chance to talk to the staff, but they seemed friendly enough. 

Dusty Groove is spacious and well-organized: easy
for an in-and-out visit when you know what you want.

One thing to note about Dusty Groove is that I noticed an interesting collection of music-related books, and I found my favorite record publication, Wax Poetics, there. As an English teacher, I was impressed that both Jazz Record Mart and Dusty Groove prominently displayed literature about the music they sold. This is a hearty plus for anyone wanting to learn more about the respective genres. 

Though there are many more stores that I have yet to check out, I would be willing to make a bet that the Windy City could easily make a run for the Midwest record capital title alongside its numerous NBA Championships, award-winning food, and record-setting skyscrapers. Based on these two stores alone, I’d give a high recommendation to looking for your favorite music on vinyl record in this city, a mecca flush with musical goodness. 

The Man, the Myth, the Organ: "Respect" by Jimmy Smith

Historically, jazz musicians have always been regarded at the top of the list when it comes to having “cool factor.” Jimmy Smith was arguably located in the coolest category of jazz musicians: jazz organists. From Wild Bill Davis to Joey DeFrancesco, jazz organists’ fingers have always flown across the key bed with an effortlessness that seems to mystify even the most casual music listener. 

Jimmy was not only in the coolest category of jazz musicians; he was the coolest. From his laid-back demeanor to his nonchalant virtuosity, he was the go-to man for hipness when it came to finding the right balance between funk and jazz sensibilities. And, he was dedicated. Rumor has it that, when he decided to switch from piano to organ in the 1950’s, Jimmy locked himself away in a warehouse with a hammond organ in order to learn to play bass parts with his feet. 

If you haven’t seen a jazz organist play live before, it is a syncopated dance in which the player, for all purposes, is a one-man band. A traditional jazz organ trio might include only a guitar, drums, and organ, which oftentimes leaves the organ player to fill out the lead, bass, and comping parts. Though the album “Respect” also includes Ron Carter on bass, it features Jimmy Smith as the powerhouse groove-making machine that he was, powerhouse enough to many years later be sampled by the Beastie Boys. 

“Respect” is a highly-recommended album of reworked soul tunes from the Sixties including the title-track, the ubiquitous Otis Redding-turned-Aretha-Franklin mega hit of the era. Strangely enough, this track isn’t the highlight of the album. Its tight-fitting form doesn’t lend itself well to Jimmy’s band’s “jam-it-out” mentality, but an interpretation of Wilson Pickett’s “Funky Broadway” and a b-side blues called “T-Bone Steak” allow the band the time they need to find the groove and explore that true Jimmy Smith sound that has spanned nearly five decades. If you’re looking for instrumental interpretations that still carry the weight of 60’s soul stand outs, look no further than Jimmy Smith’s “Respect.” If you’re looking to hear one of the best keyboard players to ever hit that high jazz prodigy stage, look no further than Jimmy Smith. Plus, who doesn’t like a man doing karate poses in front of a B3 organ?

Twenty-Five and Still Kicking: Lessons I’ve Learned in the Past Year as a New Teacher and Beyond

The last year has been one of the longest of my life. The seconds have trickled slowly by at points, yet I now find myself nearing the end of the school year. Besides the fact that this year marked the first year with my own classroom as an English teacher, I was also forced to overcome personal life challenges and dig deep within myself to find clarity. The experiences I have had include both positive and negative experiences ending in, ultimately, growth and self-awareness. Beyond my classroom, I have “lost” and “gained” many friends this year as well as people where the word "friend" just doesn't come close to cutting it. I put the words "lost" and "gained" in quotation marks because I believe that most of these people will always be my friends in some way, but my interactions with many of these people has changed in some way. I have had to pull myself through challenges and trying times, but have come out for the better at the other end.

I have changed markedly in the past year, and I will continue to change and grow throughout my life, probably drastically in some instances. I want to share with all of you some of the lessons I have learned and experiences I have had over the course of the school year as well as some of the insights I have gained through those lessons and experiences. I will also share some insights from people who have influenced me throughout the year. These are my opinions, but they are also things that I will try to abide by in my life.

These do not reflect compartmentalized beliefs, but reflect ideas about being a teacher, a friend, a lover, a brother, a son, a grandson etc. all at once. These are about living life. Don’t take my words to heart too quickly. Challenge them. Incorporate them into your own lives as you see fit. I am not telling you how to live your life, but how I think I want to live mine. I write this for myself. I write this for refinement. I write this for insight into myself. Some of these passages may seem self-righteous, but I assure you I am not being self-righteous. I do not judge anyone for holding beliefs different from my own. I am also far from attaining these goals myself. Lesson learned numero uno will tell you that.

Here we go now. No particular thought has been placed on the order beyond the first three:

1. In always being a student, you learn how to teach.

Understanding that your knowledge and experience are very limited compared to the knowledge and experiences of the whole will make you better off and will humble you. My students this year have taught me more than I could ever teach myself in a lifetime. Use others' knowledge and strengths to improve yourself and foster a positive environment around you. Lead by example, and, in doing so, make it known that you are constantly a student, regardless of how many degrees you have earned.

2. Transparency and self-awareness will fulfill you.

Be honest with people. Be true to yourself as well as your values; don’t be afraid to share these values with others and stand up for what you believe in. Even if it means making huge sacrifices (a teacher/carpenter I admire cut up his Menard's credit card this year citing his values as motivation for doing so), you find yourself better off for sticking to your personal six shooters. Knowing what you stand for is part of being self-aware. The more we know about ourselves, the more easily we can know when we need to take stands for what we believe in.

Regarding transparency, our moms said “honesty is the best policy.” They were right all along. We all have secrets we will keep from people forever, and no one will ever give the gift of full transparency. However, I now believe that the fewer secrets we hold within ourselves, the better. This allows us to be more genuine and intimate in our relationships with others, and, when people see that you put it all out on the table, they generally respond in a positive fashion. People will open up to you in ways you never thought possible when you open up to them. Remember that white lies are a slippery slope and that honesty often hurts, but it is usually better in the long run.

3.Find a way to stay positive; there is no such thing as finding a silver lining, because you create your own silver lining.

We all make a choice about how we think about every situation we encounter in life. We make many, many choices every day. The more we choose to look at things in a positive light, the more our positivity will be infectious. Smile at people. Try to engage people. Share the love that you have for life and others with perfect strangers and close friends alike. When something bad (or good) happens, your mood will affect others’ moods around you. It’s amazing how many people we each influence on a day-to-day basis. Make it a positive influence through your actions and words. Anger and punishment rarely motivate people, and when they do motivate people it is for the wrong reasons.

4. Foster many relationships.

Make sure to diversify, but put your heart and soul into every one. Throw yourself cautiously to the wind when it comes to love, but be sure to remember you have many kinds of love for many different people in your life. Do not neglect true friendships or family, they are the backbone of your existence. However, I have learned that true friends will be there in ways you cannot imagine even if they are forgotten or wronged, that sometimes it can be surprising who may come to your rescue. Choose the people you surround yourself with carefully, for they will define who you are in ways you may not realize.

Also, sometimes it is necessary to find seclusion for the right reasons. When it doesn’t feel right to be around people, allow yourself some space; it’s probably necessary. However, always remember what Christopher McCandless found in his dying moments in a deserted bus in Alaska. Quite possibly, it was a greater truth: “Happiness only real when shared.” Know also when the time is right to reach out to people again, for all relationships are the path to true happiness.

5. Treat people well.

Use your intuition and faith (in god, in yourself, wherever you find it) to guide you as to what that means, but find like-minded people and fortify your beliefs and values with experiences. Strive to do right by people, and if you make a mistake, own it. Apologize to the best of your ability and try to be humble. You will only be able to truly accept yourself if you accept the bad with the good. Part of the human experience is that we all do some good and some bad, but making a conscious decision that you want to do good will motivate you. If you can look in the mirror each day and tell yourself that you have tried to do right by people in your life, you will find that happiness finds you sooner. Be sure, confident, and deliberate in your actions so that you do not have to second-guess yourself later: you will have fewer regrets. If happiness is truly linked to our shared relationships, then we need to find positive ways to foster relationships in our lives. I have always prided myself on how I’ve treated people, but I have now realized that it is imperative that I go out of my way to treat other people well.

6.If we put ourselves in other people’s boots, we will be better off.

Steven Covey writes in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” We are fighting this good fight together, whether we like it or not. Sometimes it seems that we are all on opposite pages, but we are all looking for universal things. Often they involve a way of being happy. The more empathy we can have for others, and the more we strive to accept people for who they are, both the bad and the good, the better we will understand ourselves and our own motivations and the more we can help others.

7. Karma is a bitch sometimes, but it is real.

Good things happen to good people. Bad things happen to good people. Ultimately, believing in Karma doesn’t mean believing in a tangible outcome. If you believe karma to be receiving something good in return for your efforts to do good by people, you are, in turn, perceiving that you are helpless as to creating good returns for yourself. When bad things happen to us, we need to be proactive in how we react to those situations. Staying positive isn’t always easy, but the sooner we can find the positives about our current situation, the sooner we can move on from that to create something better. Karma isn’t as easy as giving and receiving anyhow. It’s often about how we choose to act in and react to certain situations. The karmic returns come in the satisfaction that your motivations and intentions have been and are true. If motivations and intentions are untrue, then, in order to create a positive karmic experience, we need to learn from those in order to be more self-aware.

8. Everyone is selfish, but selfishness doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

First, make sure that your motivations and intentions for doing something are pure. Purity is something that is an abstract, so we have to trust our instincts and faith. If we are doing something for the wrong reasons, it should and will be evident even though it may take some time to realize that. We get something (needs or wants) out of every experience in which we choose to partake, and we make those choices everyday. We should strive to choose to do things that are backed by the right motivations and intentions, whether that be in our personal lives, at work, or even when interacting within ourselves.

9. Be proud of your gray hairs.

I have just a few silver threads that have snuck in with my dark brown hair now. They aren’t really visible to the naked eye, but I point them out to people anyways. Though the link between stress and gray hair is debatable, I can tell you that I don’t think I would have them if the year had gone differently. The greatest amount of learning comes in the hardest, most stressful times. Push yourself and work hard to get learning done during these times even though it can be difficult. I was once taught in one of my Curriculum/Instruction classes that the greatest learning comes from being pushed to the edge; I would argue that sometimes we need to be pushed beyond that in order to truly learn about ourselves. In reconstructing ourselves in healthy ways, we often find the greatest sense of refinement.

10. Healthy skepticism is good with the right intentions, but trusting others works wonders.

Don’t be afraid to put your trust in people. That fear, perhaps, comes from not fully trusting yourself.

11. Be patient with people.

Randy Pausch, in The Last Lecture, says, “If you wait long enough, people will surprise and impress you.” It’s true; people generally come through in the end.

12. Laugh hard, laugh loud, and laugh often.

Humor, used in the right way, can be the greatest tool. It can diffuse situations, help to foster relationships, and makes others and yourself happier. However, humor can be easily misinterpreted. Be careful not to put others down in your humor or use humor for the wrong reasons.

13. Be forgiving to others as well as to yourself; forgiveness isn’t only for saints.

During the course of this year, I have blamed myself, then blamed others, then realized that blame is a blocking agent. Ultimately, we need to forgive in order to be forgiven, but that process may take a long time. Forgiveness incorporates many of the items above, and in order to forgive people we often have to admit to ourselves what we did wrong or could have done better in the process. At the same time, it’s often too easy to be hard on yourself. Find that balance. Remember also that you aren’t owed anything.

14. Sometimes living your life means grief, struggle, and even being on the brink of insanity.

If you embrace this truth, you will overcome it. Too often, society and others push us to get over or move forward on things too quickly without taking enough time to process. Processing things in depth can be painful, but can also lead to the best sense of how one works within.

15. To quote another teacher/mentor/friend of mine, “Things will work out.”

If you stick with this mentality, then things always seem to do just that.

16. "You can launch a rocket ship with Excel!"

This quotation can be attributed to Matt Poling, and was one of the best quotations I've heard all year. It shows that a little bit of creativity can go a long way to making the impossible possible. Sometimes the obvious solution isn't always the best solution. Don't be afraid to do something differently just because someone says it can't be done or that you shouldn't do it that way. We are capable of amazing things when we put our minds to it.

17. Slow down.

Our culture in the U.S. pushes us to pride ourselves on doing things quickly. Hastiness is sometimes the opposite of efficiency. Many situations require us to think things through or make decisions over a longer period of time. Be deliberate in your decisions and take the time you need to be comfortable with those. Consider all possible consequences and outcomes; you will then be more likely to make positive decisions for yourself and others.

18. Take time to listen to the music.

Appreciate the arts. Embrace them and know that they are some of the most beneficial experiences we can have as people. Whether it be seeing a play, playing an instrument, or reading or writing poetry, find something you can do to involve yourself in the arts. You will have a better understanding of universal truths and experiences among so many other benefits.

19. Be bold. Take both calculated and uncalculated risks.

A good balance of both types of risk is necessary in life. Know your capabilities and be confident in them. If you find the opportunity to take a risk that seems beyond your capabilities but doable, it is often worth risking failure in order to achieve something more. Sometimes, we need to go on a hunch. In achieving something that seems unachievable at first, we better ourselves. Have a passion for challenges. The reward can often be far greater than the risk in these situations.

20. “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

Of course, I had to end on a Beatles quotation. I will say that I still have many strides to make in learning and putting these lessons into practice. I need to clean up some things in my life. Nobody's near perfection. I’m sure there is more to be said here, but that’s it for now. Chime in if you have anything to add. I will continue to update this note. Thanks for hearing me out. I hope this finds everyone well.