“You’re always saying you’re too weak to be Strong.
You’re harder on yourself than just about Anyone
Why swim the channel just to get this far?
Halfway there, why would you turn around?
Darkness comes in waves…tell me,
Why invite it to stay?
You’re one with negativity
Yes, comfort is an energy
But why let the sad song play?
I have faced it, a life wasted
I’m never going back again
Oh I escaped it, a life wasted
I’m never going back again
Having tasted, a life wasted
I’m never going back again
Oh I erased it, a life wasted
I’m never going back again.”
– Pearl Jam, Life Wasted
__________
“You can’t go home, no I swear you never can
You can walk a million miles and get nowhere
I got no where to go and it seems I came back
Just filling in the lines for the holes, and the cracks
Hey, no one knows me
No one saves me
No one loves or hates me
I’ve been away for too long
This place has a special kind of falling apart
Like they put the whole thing together in the dark
No one knows where the edge of the knife is
And no one knows where intelligent life is
Hey, no one knows me
No one saves me
No one loves or hates me
Going straight
I only ever really wanted a break
I’ve been away for too long
No I never really wanted to stay
I’ve been away for too long.”
– Soundgarden, Been Away Too Long
__________
Certain songs are like a rallying cry.
They scream to me, freedom!
I feel alive and untethered.
With my movement I reject conformism and the status quo.
I am an animal allowing my cellular structure to air.
Songs can help maintain the lift.
By physically challenging myself, I prove to my I am not wasting my life.
But I’ve been away too long from this freedom in movement.
It sure feels good.
I know this feeling will not last.
But it cost me nothing to get here.
A little sweat.
A reminder to find connection with myself away from words and pages.
Conversations With Quotations 