Learned More From a Three Minute Record

"We busted out of class had to get away from those fools/ We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school." - "No Surrender" by The Boss

Bruce's music always speaks the truth. These lyrics pretty much describe me when I was in high school, and some of those memories came flooding back yesterday when I drove by my old school on my way home from work. A word was misspelled on the sign out front, a couple of kids were "discreetly" (yeah right) smoking a joint next to the teachers' parking lot (or maybe they were young-looking teachers, which wouldn't surprise me one bit), and a backpack was left on the sidewalk with its contents spilling out for all to see (not a textbook in sight), most likely by a kid who doesn't care about anything they are supposed to be learning in that big brick building. I can say this with some certainty because I spent four years there, and not that much has changed around here in the last 11 years. I learned nothing at that school and couldn't wait to get away from it and the fools that filled the classrooms and halls as soon as I could.

That being said, I have always been a big fan of education (I did become a teacher after all) and firmly believe that most of what a person needs to know in life is not learned by sitting quietly in a desk and taking notes. Here are a few lessons I learned from rock and roll, one of the greatest teachers around.

1. You have to change with the world or you'll get left behind. This is just one of the lessons passed down by Bob Dylan in "The Times They Are A-Changin'", one of my all-time favorites. The world around us is constantly evolving, and we have to grow right along with it. Don't stop trying, don't stop moving, and keep an open mind.

2. Stay hungry if you want to succeed. I thank Bruce for this one. "Dancing in the Dark" teaches a great lesson on how you have to want something really badly, you have to stay hungry for it and never forget what it is that you want, even if you're in a bad place for whatever reason and nowhere near where you want to be. Best line: "You can't start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart." Pity parties help no one.

3. All You Need is Love. This is probably the most simple song in The Beatles catalogue, but that one line says it all. Love beats hate. Make love not war. Good triumphs over evil. As long as you have love in your life, in any way, you can get through anything. It might be a little idealistic, but John and Paul knew what they were talking about when they wrote this song.

4. There's a time for everything. The Byrds' song "Turn, Turn, Turn", adapted from the Book of Ecclesiastes, illustrates this point perfectly. There's a time to laugh, a time to cry, a time to be born, a time to die, a time for peace, I swear it's not too late, and so on. I try to remind myself of this every time I get impatient (frequently), overly emotional, or a little off kilter. Don't rush through things, don't jump ahead, don't move or speak out of turn. There's a time for every purpose under Heaven.

5. Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy. This is from The Eagles' "Take it Easy". I have always found it hard to relax, very difficult to live in the moment, and nearly impossible to escape my own thoughts, but this song reminds me of the importance of all of these things.

I really do have all of these lyrics going through my head at various points in my life, and for whatever reason, the wisdom of rock does help. The wisdom of rock. I like that! I haven't mastered these lessons yet, and maybe I never will, but I'm working on it. So to sum it up, in high school I learned nothing worth remembering, but from music, I have learned so many things that are valuable and necessary to live a good life. You need to have the abilities to adapt, to strive, to love, to take things as they come and recognize the times for what they are, and to lighten up every once in a while. How come they don't offer classes like this in high school?

FINALLY!!!!!

"Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?/ It took me years to write, will you take a look?" - "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles

It finally happened...someone bought my book! It has been available for download for a few weeks now, and I was beginning to think that no one would ever even see the page amid the hundreds of thousands of titles on bn.com, let alone pay $5.99 to read it, but some wonderful person did! I am so excited, I can't even tell you. I know it's only one Willow Ryan book sold, but it's a start. I wish I knew who bought "Secrets" so I could send them a thank you note. This is so cool!

Birthday

"You say it's your birthday/ It's my birthday too yeah/ They say it's your birthday/ We're gonna have a good time/ I'm glad it's your birthday/ Happy birthday to you!" - "Birthday" by The Beatles

Happy birthday to me! It's been a nice, quiet day, and I have to say, I'm sorry it's over. I have decided that I am no longer getting older because that is a depressing thought, but having a day to celebrate me is fantastic! Now I just have to wait 365 more days until October 15, 2011.

Come and Get It

"If you want it, here it is/ Come and get it/ Make your mind up fast/ If you want it anytime I can give it/ But you better hurry 'cause it may not last." - "Come and Get It" by The Beatles

Yesterday I finished my third "Willow Ryan" novel three weeks ahead of schedule! Yea for me! The lyrics above are directed at all of the literary agents out there. Come and get it! I sent in a query letter with two sample chapters today and was rejected ten minutes later. I'm sure she didn't even read any of my pages. It's hard to stay positive with results like that, but I'm not giving up. I guess I'm just too stubborn, or maybe just stubborn enough. I don't know. Someday I will see my name in print!

Anyway, I am still celebrating a victory. Finishing three novels in 18 months, along with working at my "normal" job and dealing with everything else in my life is pretty great. Congratulations to me!