Like a waterfall in slow motion, Part One
Woolfy – “Shooting Stars”
Funny how his voice in this song made me think he was singing ratchet instead of rapture. I heard this song on Monday morning for the first time and have returned to it over and over again because of that word.
I left my home to take Marlo to the orthodontist to have one of two phantom teeth examined – he explained to me that this is genetic, that these tiny hidden teeth tend to flare given someone’s heritage. I was in that office thinking, “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
Bigger, indeed.
This is so much of my life now, the back and forth of errands and middle school, family whatnot, a warehouse of memories in boxes stacked a mile high. And by far my favorite part of it all is being in my truck with Marlo especially when music that they love rises up and catches their smile with a single chord.
As we left the orthodontist for a consult at Hopkins Oral Surgery the following two songs played back to back.
James Blake – “Limit to Your Love”
James Blake – “Do You Ever”
Marlo is a huge James Blake fan – I have been busy laying the groundwork for this part of their life. Yes, their life. I will always use the pronouns Marlo prefers in order to keep them safe.
Beyoncé – “Run the World (Girls)”
For the better part of my life I have always joked that I would like to return in the next one as a backup dancer in a music video. When I saw the work Beyoncé and her team put into that choreography I was reminded that one of the best parts of life is collaboration, it’s finding the best people for the job and empowering them to do their job without getting in the way.
Beyoncé – “Who Run The World (Girls)” Behind The Scenes
I have mentioned my recent struggle with sleep, and that rhythm is a difficult one to maintain for whatever and ever, amen. I have an alarm set for 7:05 AM every morning that goes off with a different song from a playlist of what a friend of mine calls “atmospheric landscapes.” His name is Bryan, and he is a Professor of English Language and Linguistics at the University of Utah, someone I have known since I graduated from BYU 25 years ago.
Tuesday morning the alarm sounded with this song:
M83 – “Wait”
This video reminded me of a conversation I had with my brother Ranger during my last year in college. He pulled me aside and mused that all women are born with the priesthood, meaning that we already hold the keys with which to administer LDS temple rites and ceremonies.
As I woke up on Tuesday I sang the lyric NO TIME as ROLL TIDE. Because I have always misheard it.
“Roll Tide” is the rallying cry for the Alabama Crimson Tide athletic teams. This is what the entire crowd roars in the stadium throughout a football game in order to summon the team toward victory.
I will always sing that lyric as such.
A SELECT FEW FROM THE ARCHIVES
· It isn’t something you forget so easily
· Don’t get sentimental
· How you wanted it to be
· And I will settle you down
· Your ears should be burning
· This goes beyond me, beyond you
· Bury Your Head In The Sand
· All of my edges and my schemes
· I got Visas in my Name
· Stilettos and broken bottles
· You’re the one that I wanted to find
· That no college roommate plotted my slow and painful death is a total mystery
· Songs in the Canon of J
· In the distant distance
· I did not know you as well as my father
· I took it remote
· Your rescue squad
· You caught me right on time
· Le secret de Paris, from she who sure does talk about balls a lot
· A relic from my redneck heritage
· When I went to hang out with Michelle and B.
· A Costco-sized tangent that even I didn’t see coming
· Elton Dog
· Bubbles
· Dancing with wolves
· All the wrong turns brought me here
· “Hi, I am the one that needs you.”
· What long nights would end
I am Heather B. Armstrong and this is my website. You can read more about me here or here or here or here. Pick a link you like and be sure to check back regularly for more from the archives. Wink, wink, motherfuckers.
