Music Rant

From the journal of Keegan Valentine dated March 20th, 2007:

A new day, time for new changes. I woke up this morning to find that my girlfriend had snuck out in the middle of the night. I tried calling her, but there is no response. I’m getting the strong suspicion that we are over, but it was kind of already headed that way. She introduced me to her parents and well, lets just say they didn’t take to kindly to me. To be fair I didn’t really make it easy for them. I’m tired of all the bourgeois older people trying to tell the younger generation how to live. We all have our own paths and mine doesn’t fall into any of the old categories. But I know for a fact I’m happy. I can support myself and want for very little else. Why do older people feel the need to insist that my life choices are wrong, or not getting me anywhere?

Enough of that, I wanted to put down some thoughts I’ve been noticing about the local music scene, and people in general. It’s sad that recently people seem to be hiding away in their homes and don’t go out to be sociable like they used to. You can watch the old movies, or read old books. People were social creatures, they went out and talked and enjoyed life. Now it seems everyone is hiding away and watching TV in the safety of their homes. Bet recently it’s really hit me in the area of music.

I have noticed that people in general don’t seem to care about music like they used to. It’s not about rights to songs and listening to them all cooped up in your room feeling like no one understands you. Music is there for people to connect. To share feelings that have no words to express them. It’s supposed to be an aggregate facilitating a coming together of minds and bodies. Sure musicians like to be paid for playing music. How do you think they are able to continue doing so? Most musicians I know work one or two jobs and then find time to be creative and write songs that inspires us all.

I understand we all are not made of money and can’t be expected to shell out five to ten dollars every night. But trust me if more people did go out you would find all kinds of groups of musicians that are very talented and worth listening to. I guess the biggest thing that needs to happen is people need to go out more and interact with other people face to face. Find new bands make this city something worth being in. Make it a cultural center. A place where people from all over the country say, “wow, did you know that the local music scene is kicking?” It would help us all, musicians and non-musicians alike. If we have an awesome scene, more bands you do want to see will come as well as the cream of the crop from around the country. I’d like to really have something going for this city other than the normal what have yous that every other city has.

People need to connect. And they need to start doing it soon, before it’s too late and we are all stuck inside our homes afraid of every sound that happens outside.

-V-

Dream Hero

From the journal of Edwin F. Fauk dated January 17th, 1967:

Eugene Gustaw was what most would call a normal everyday sort of person. He was born in the Midwest and moved to the big city after finishing four years of college. He kept to himself most of the time, he didn’t much care for confrontations and stayed away from them as best he could. Worked a standard nondescript nine to five desk-job. He was in his late twenties, had brown hair, brown eyes, stood five-foot ten-inches tall. Usually wore gray suits and packed his lunch every day. He lived in a small studio apartment off of 23rd street where the rent was high but still manageable on his pay. He didn’t go out much, didn’t have a girl or guy that he was interested in. I guess, one could say that Eugene was just plain old boring.

It was a boring that was so complete it would cause you to possibly stop and make note of it, well if it weren’t such a waste of time to do, and that’s the way Eugene wanted it. He had worked his entire life building up this identity. Making sure that he was a person for whom notice was never really taken. You see, underneath all the uninteresting layers Eugene was really and truly a super hero. Not your comic book has special powers, per se, type of super hero. And not your other comic book has loads of money and secret layers full of gadgets super hero. But the genuine kind, he was a person who saved lives and fought evil.

At night when everyone would go to sleep Eugene would go to work, he was a dream hero. He inherited the trade from his father. He had the ability to surf through other people’s dreams and assist them. At first this might not seem very interesting, but if there are people like Eugene on the side of good, then you know that there are people out there causing problems. Whenever you have a nightmare, one of these agents of evil is trying to kill you. You know the old adage dreams are as real as real life, get seriously hurt in one and the damage will carry over. Perhaps not physically, but not all scars show up on the outside of us.

I had the joy of meeting him once in person and once in my dreams, it’s how I know about him. I know he would never want the world to know of his existence so I waited till now, now that he is departed, to put any of this in my journal. And I’ve carried the scars for so long now. He is a hero and I wish more would have known him, known more about him. Truth is, I think I’m about to go, and it might not make much sense now, but they are out there. The Dream Heroes, just like Eugene. Saving us as best they can. They live among us, protect us, and most of us have no idea.

Here’s to you Eugene, thank you so much for keeping me alive. I really do wish they didn’t find you in the real world. At this point it doesn’t matter much if they find me, I’m ready now.

-V-