When the World Was Younger and You Had Everything to Lose

I've decided to move away from my recent choice of Radiohead lyrics for the Song of the Day contest into territory that is hopefully more familiar for those who frequent the hallowed halls of Running Down a Dream.

"There used to be four common life phases: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. Now, there are at least six: childhood, adolescence, odyssey, adulthood, active retirement and old age. Of the new ones, the least understood is odyssey, the decade of wandering that frequently occurs between adolescence and adulthood. During this decade, 20-somethings go to school and take breaks from school. They live with friends and they live at home. They fall in and out of love. They try one career and then try another. "

Since I'm pretty sure that those words from a column by David Brooks in today's New York Times apply to roughly 80% (that's really an arbitrary number) of those who probably read this blog, I think you will enjoy the rest of the piece, which can be read here.

Maybe I'm feeling nostalgic tonight because I've been listening to "The Blues" by Switchfoot on repeat, but sometimes I have to listen to songs over and over and over again to truly understand them. A few days ago, it was "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" by Radiohead, and a few weeks before that it was "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" by David Gray. Eventually the song fades into the background and the music no longer holds my immediate attention.

Instead, the music accomplishes its highest purpose. It causes me to remember events and people that have not crossed my mind in a long time and those who cross my mind each and every day. I am reminded that music has the ability to cause great happiness and great sadness, sometimes in the same instant. I'm reminded that each of us have this gift inside of us, this spark of God, and so much of our lives is determined by how we choose to exercise that gift.