Harmony Found in Harmonies: I Love Music!

For as long as I can remember MUSIC has played a major part in the story of my life.

From my earliest memories of Lee singing softly to comfort herself, the words of "Sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray", musical beats and lyrical words have occupied a special place in my heart.

And to this day, MUSIC continues to reside deep inside of me in a very, very special place. How else can I explain the constant melodies playing in my head, and the avalanche of lyrics that come to mind when I engage in everyday conversations.

I'm the go-to girl in my family when it comes to MUSIC. Wanna know who sings a certain song? Need the lyrics? I usually have them, stored in my mental musical library.

I don't have a favorite genre or favorite band, or even a favorite song. To choose only one would be impossible for me. There are way too many. 

My love of rhythm and blues comes from my mother, who listened to a lot of MUSIC when we were growing up, but who was never as passionate about it as I am. She mostly played her MUSIC at parties or to clean house on Saturdays.

I love country tunes because when I lived in Hawaii and attended school there, I was exposed to Gordon Lightfoot, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Crystal Gayle, and many other popular country artists of 70's and early 80's. I also discovered the Beatles while in Hawaii, and have loved them ever since.

I love rock and roll because when I was younger I used to scan the radio for all kinds of different MUSIC, and found a lot of local rock and soft rock stations. I would just skip from station to station looking for any song I knew the words to, or had heard before. 

I found the songs I liked were playing all over the dial. And, it was also in the 80's when cable television stations like MTV and VH1 were popular and brand new to the teens in my generation.

I love jazz and the blues. I like classical and even some opera. I love gospel, and have "Auntie Opal" to thank for my appreciation of gospel classics like "Day by Day", "I'm a Soldier in The Army of The Lord", and "In the Garden".

These songs ring out in my head from time to time, like an overflowing well, and memories of Auntie Opal, and her kindness, and strictness, run deep.

And, of course, I love hip hop, the official MUSIC of my generation. 

 

Let's just say I love MUSIC, Any kind of MUSIC, just as long as its groovin!

 

The O'Jays ~ I Love Music

Soul Train Performance

When I was born, circa 1970, MUSIC was much different than it is today. Back then we listened to 8-track tapes and vinyl records.

In the 70's, artists like Earth Wind and Fire, Frankie Beverly and Maze, and Stevie Wonder, made "good music" because they enjoyed the feeling they got from performing and sharing their creations with others.

Earth, Wind & Fire ~ Sing a Song
Live in Concert ~ 1981

God-given talent like that cannot be contained, and it brings the artist tremendous joy to create such musical masterpieces and to be able to share them with others.

Stevie Wonder ~ Sir Duke 

"Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand." ~ Stevie Wonder
 

It was during this time that I started to phase out my use of 8-track tapes and moved toward the "cassette tape". The cassette was more compact and you could record on both sides. I loved it.

The late 70's and early 80's saw the death of disco and the birth of hip hop. I fell in love with the rhymes of Kurtis Blow, the Sugar Hill Gang, and Grand Master Flash and The Furious Five.

 Kurtis Blow ~ The Breaks
Soul Train Performance

My step-father always had the latest records at the house, so I was lucky enough to have access to a turn table and no less than one hundred albums at my disposal.

I would sit down and listen to an album over and over again until I had remembered all the lyrics. I loved it when the album would include the lyrics, either on the record sleeve or, if lucky enough, the album would fold open and the lyrics would be right there, in living color. 

During this time I also acquired the taste for Teena Marie, Rick James, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, The Dramatics, etc.

Soul Train became my weekly fix for seeing my favorite songs being performed. I remember  when I was younger, and not liking when an artist would perform a song live. They would sing the song slightly different from how it had been released on the album, and to me it just didn't sound right.

It would take me years to get over this. I guess I would have preferred them to just get up there and lip sync to the album, so I could sing along.

Now, I can appreciate a live performance, something I found after attending concerts and live band sessions. The live performance, although slightly different from the album, was and is, always better.

The 90's would bring the end of the vinyl album and the cassette for me, being replaced with a new desire for the compact disc. No more broken needles on the turn table and no more rewinding or fast forwarding tapes. Now we could just "skip" to the track we wanted to hear.

The decade would also deliver what I call market saturation and exploitation of "good music". Overnight it seemed as if everybody and they grand-momma (yeah I said it) was "putting out" their CD. Come on now. Seriously?

Part of what fuels this is that we have artists who are not really all that talented, but they are marketable, or they have a certain connection in the industry, paying for the success of their career (one way or another), or whatever the case may be. The point is, they don't have natural talent, and yet, they are selling records and being played in high rotation on local radio stations.

So now the average Joe is thinking if Such and Such can make a record, he ought to be able to make one, too.

Listening enjoyment aside, MUSIC also helps me to overcome anger or frustration. I  simply put on a song and change my mood. Its no surprise that MUSIC is often being used in therapy for patients with brain trauma and other health afflictions. It helps patients to lower their blood pressure, and is even being used to assist stroke patients with regaining their speech.

The Healing Power of Music

MUSIC  is used to honor loved ones, to express love, anger, sadness, and hope. It is used to commemorate historical and significant events.

MUSIC  has been around for centuries and it is probably unclear as to its true origin. This makes perfect sense to me. God's nature, the birds singing, the oceans roaring, the wind humming, they all have been harmonizing together since the beginning of time, and that alone is the beginning, period.

MUSIC breaks down language and continental barriers. Consider Michael Jackson, whose talent is appreciated throughout this world, on every continent, and whose MUSIC was and is translated and released in several different languages. 

"I am always writing a potpourri of music. I want to give the world escapism through the wonder of great music and to reach the masses" ~ Michael Jackson

The force of energy called MUSIC , is a mighty force indeed. My love for this art form is just an outward expression of my inner self. If I have trouble communicating how I feel, I can usually find a song that can say exactly what I want to say. To this day there are songs that can make me laugh, or make me cry, or take me back to a time and place when things were different, and they help me to appreciate my present and keep me hopeful for the future.

Today I wish you MUSIC . I hope you have or will find the MUSIC of your heart, the "sounds" that soothes your soul and find peace among the melodies.

Go 'Head and "Tap That Glass"

The United States consumes more bottled water than any other country in the world, followed by Mexico and China.

American's have been purchasing bottled water for hundreds of years. In fact, historical records show bottled water being sold in Boston Colony as early as 1767 at Jackson's Spa. And in 1856, one of the most popular places to obtain bottled water was at Sarasota Springs, where production numbers exceeded seven million bottles. Early American believed that water bottled at the springs had certain medicinal properties and therefore "spring" water was in high demand.

Vintage Water Bottles

Although true "spring" water may be better for your health than say "tap" water, the problem is that the majority of water being bottled and sold does not come from a natural spring. 

Instead, many of the corporations selling consumers over-priced bottled water usually filter plain old tap water, then bottle and sell the product as "purified" water.

Some companies actually do get their water from natural springs, but only a handful. It is becoming more difficult for consumers to determine which company is selling "natural spring" water vs. filtered tap water.

For example, one company, "Aqua Springs", misleads customers with using the word "springs" in the company name, when in fact the only springs providing water to this company are the ones running the purification machines it so heavy touts on the company's website.

Even though the company does not advertise the source of their water as being from a natural spring, I still feel the name of the company is nothing more than a "gimmick" or form of advertising, in an attempt to trick consumers into believing that they are buying natural spring water. The company website even makes reference to their product being "nature's nectar".

Studies have proven that most of the bottled water being sold today is in no way better than the tap water running from your faucets at home, as far as health benefits go.

Drinking bottled water

 is not a healthy habit, 

but in fact a lifestyle habit.

In May of 2011, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) reported that in 2010 the United States consumed almost 9 billion gallons of bottled water, that's an average of about 30 gallons per person for the year.

I am glad to hear that Americans are in fact drinking water, even though I believe we probably still don't drink enough, but I want us to look at the cost of the convenience of having the "luxury" of bottled water.
 

According to a recent report titled "Tapping Congress to Get Off The Bottle", by the non-profit organization Corporate Accountability International, approximately one million dollars is spent per year on bottled water for members of Congress. That's approximately $2,000 per member annually.

The same report uncovers the fact that 90% of the money consumers spent on bottled water goes to the marketing, bottling, labeling, and shipping of the bottled water, as well as, of course, corporate expenses and PROFITS!

As Americans consume more bottled water, the costs will continue to increase and greedy corporations continue to profit.

Bottled water, what next? If we continue to rob the earth of its natural resources and continue to disrupt the natural flow of the environment, we will be buying "canned air" next. You think you stressing out now when the gas tank runs low, imagine running low on oxygen and water.

Water: Life's Necessity

Water is one of the most essential elements that the human body needs to survive. We can go for days, or even months without solid food, but the body will shut down within just a few short days if it is deprived of clean water.

That's because our body is made up of approximately 70% water and all of the components that we are made of need water to function properly.

Water has various medicinal properties and it also aids in the prevention of several ailments that cause dis-ease in our bodies. Doctor Fereydoon Batmanghelidj says, "You're not sick, you're thirsty. Don't treat thirst with medication."

 

His website, The Water Cure, profiles "The Wonders of Water" including several ways water prevents and aids in the cure of several life-threatening illnesses, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

Knowing this, it amazes me when I think of the fact that over one billion people on the earth still lack access to "safe" water.

To avoid dehydration we must consume "clear water" daily. People who are more active, or who live in humid climates may require a little more than the average suggested minimum amount of about 2 liters a day.

Although we can also consume water through the foods and beverages we eat, these amounts are not nearly enough, and they do not satisfy the body's natural craving for pure and clean water.

It is possible to consume too much water, and if the water is not being expelled from the body, it can be fatal. In fact, I recall a local radio station (107.9, "The End") in Sacramento, California holding a contest in January of 2007. The winner of the competition was to receive a Nintendo Wii video game console.

The contest titled "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" was the cause of the death of 28 year old Jennifer Strange, who refrained from emptying her bladder in an effort to win the contest, instead, she lost her life.

Drinking the right amount of water may seem tricky at first, but I suggest you consult a doctor if you have any concerns about what is right for you. Daily water intake requirements vary from person to person, but one sure-fire way to know if you are getting enough is to do what feels "right" to your body.

Read information about the symptoms of dehydration so you know when you are not drinking enough and always, always empty your bladder when you feel the need to "go pee". Emptying your bladder frequently throughout the day is normal if you are drinking the appropriate amount of water.

While some of the best things in life are free, water, unfortunately for most, is not. If you have the "luxury" of being a land owner (not just a home owner, because many people who purchase "condos", while they may own their houses, they do not own the land the physical building sits on) then you know that water, while it may be one of the best things in life, it is not free.

We pay for the right to have water delivered to our piece of land, and every time we turn on a tap to wash a dish or go to wash our hands, we are paying for the clear, liquid gold, flowing from the faucets.

And, unless we plan on moving to Siberia, near Lake Baikal, then I guess we will just have to keep paying for our water, a natural God-given resource to His people.

 

Lake Baikal in Siberia is the single largest (by volume) fresh water resource in the world, and it is suitable for drinking. It is also the oldest (over 25 million years old) and deepest (Over 2,400 feet deep) lake in the world.

Like most of the things we need to survive here on this planet, the "Powers That Be" have found a way to make us is pay for something that should, and truly really is, and always will be, free.

If you don't believe me, just take a look at our planet. It is mostly made up of water. And, we have the technology to turn salt water into drinking water, even do-it-yourself at home techniques.


I close with a toast to your health, with a glass of water, of course. Drink responsibly, people.