Our lives are full, but can we really enjoy the “fullness”? A recent experience made me wonder:
I was listening to a classic album by Traffic called John Barleycorn Must Die. The songs on what was originally Side 1 of the album were all so recognizable and deeply familiar. The songs on Side 2, including the opus-like title cut, were equally excellent, but so much less familiar. I was struck by this realization and it was obvious to me that this was likely true for most albums, when the vinyl medium forced the listener to consciously flip the disc over. So often, it didn’t happen all the time (or even often), so the music on Side 2 tended to be heard much less often.
Think about the songwriters and the artists making the album – do you suppose the songs on Side 2 meant a lot less to them as creators? I would argue that they may have cared as much about the songs seldom heard as the ones we all knew.
Now, think about our lives. For all of us, there is “a lot there”. However, if you are like me, there is a whole lot of focus on the big things. In fact, our “breakneck pace” world increases our focus on the Side 1 “top hits” on our life albums. Of course, focus is a great tool for achievement, but do you ever feel like you wish the songs on your Side 2 could get a little airplay sometimes?
We are a lot of things – a lot more than our featured items. It’s up to us if we’re going to enjoy both Side 1 and Side 2.
Thanks for sharing time with me; as always, I welcome your feedback.
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