It's Yom Kippur, y'all! It's known as the day of atonement, but I was taught that "atone" would be more properly translated as "at one". Maybe the Jews are talking about being at one with the maker, but for me this is all about being at one with each other. Whatever you believe, it doesn't hurt to have a day as a marker like this. Reflect back on wrong and wipe the slate clean and look to the future. Promise yourself you'll do better. Maybe not great, but better. If you're like me and don't believe in any heavenly reward, you just do it because it's the right thing to do. I'd like it if my already written epitaph didn't end up a total fucking lie.
He kept trying. And he meant well.
So yeah. I'm a little maudlin today. We all have our emotional days, right? What? You're gonna get in my face now? I'll leave this mess with some JT lyrics that almost made me cry in the shower this morning. I like him alright, but growing up, my Mom loved her some Sweet Baby James, so his songs are like the soundtrack to my youth.
The sun shines on this funeral
The same as on a birth
The way it shines on everything
That happens here on Earth
We're all the same, people. All one. What? Are you gonna just stand there and not hold me?
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12 comments:
I love these glimpses into your construction. You are a fascinating and wonderful man.
Here's a little oneness we can groove on -- my dad, back when he was still a hippie and a nice guy, used to also love James Taylor, and some of my fondest memories with Daddy involve sitting on the porch while he taught me to play all those old songs on his Martin 12-string, my baby hands still too small to wrap all the way round the frets.
You just call out my name
and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again
Winter, spring, summer, or fall
all you have to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah,
you've got a friend
When you wrote "JT lyrics that almost made me cry," for a brief and awful moment I thought you were referring to Justin Timberlake, and I was trying to figure out how to break up with you.
Actually your interpretation is fairly accurate. Jews do not believe that god alone can forgive your sins. Thus, part of Yom Kippur is going to all the people you "sinned" against during the year and asking their forgiveness because only they can truely forgive you. It is one of the few aspects of the religion I was raised in that I thought was pretty cool.
Freakgirl, I had the same thought about Justin Timberlake... all of a sudden that taste in my mouth... ashes.
Michael, I think we've been hanging out together so much we've synchronised our cycles. I've been in this sort of mood the past couple of days. Been bugged with a sinus infection, feeling maudlin and 'meh'. I've taken today (Friday here) and Monday off, for a bit of R & R. May even get pampered.
Enjoy your atoning, do you only get 24 hours to cover everything?
Jen, I'm with you, dude is quite wonderful, 'aint he?
Bro, I love JT as well. Fire and Rain and You Got a Friend nearly always get to me Dude.
Did you know that the song Killing me Softly was initially written as a tribute to sweet baby James?
I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style,
And so I came to see him and listen for a while.
And there he was this young boy, stranger to my eyes,
Strumming my pain with his fingers,
Singing my life with his words,
Killing me softly with his song, killing me softly with his song, telling my whole life with his words, killing me softly with his song.
I felt all flushed with fever,
embarrassed by the crowd, I felt he found my letters and read each one out loud.
I prayed that he would finish, but he just kept right on
Strumming my pain with his fingers, singing my life with his words,
Killing me softly with his song, killing me softly with his song, telling my whole life with his words, killing me softly with his song
And as too The Other JT (Justy Timberlake), hmmmmmmm, well he gets to me for whole other reasons.
Good grief, am I the only one who thought that the alleged Justin Timberlake reference was great? For me, it was enough of a reason to book a flight to Pipedreamsland and dole out some serious hugging? I was like, "Is he going to quote 'Cry Me a River' or 'Like I Love You' or maybe 'Senorita'?" When I realized it was James Taylor I was a tad disappointed. (But I still wanted to book that flight.)
I should probably grow up a little, but instead I'll start compiling some choice Kylie lyrics for Hanukkah right now...
"fascinating and wonderful man" coming from you, Jen? That'll sustain me for a mighty long time. Your story is so sweet. Those moments are precious. Recalling it, you get to relive your little girl joy.
freakgirl, I can't say how glad I am we don't have to break up! However, though he doesn't get me weepy, the other JT can give me woody.
bluebunny, thanks for letting me know I'm not far off. My knowledge of Judaism comes from reading some and studying some and celebrating the holidays with my Jewish family, but they kind of play fast and loose with the details. Which I love.
Andrew, ashes? If we've synched up, then you got a little bloat today, too? Thanks for tossing me off....the 'wonderful'.
bodhi, dude, I didn't know that. I love that song already, now just differently. JT, the elder, is a GREAT summer concert, btw, if you've never seen him live. Throw out a blanket, have many beers, some clove cigs....omg.....somebody shoot me before I tear up again.
What does it say about me that I never even entertained the notion that JT could be anyone else until y'all brought it up?
Max, I'll look forward to your submission, though I always thought of Kylie as more of a Purim kinda gal.
You know, when you mentioned JT, the only one I could think of was Justin Timberlake.
I wish I was at one with him.
Mmmm....Timberlake.
His honey, that bitch Cameron Diaz, has some cool pics in EW this week. Takeoffs on photos taken of stars/starlets from the past. She does a few that ape pictures of Bardo (I think) caught sunbathing and let me tell ya, Cammie's ass is SPECTACULAR.
I'm recovering, and in the interest of fostering the rebound, I'm about to hit open houses of a few fantastically expensive lofts and then nosh on some pan-Asian deliciousness. If that goes well, maybe we'll get a bite to eat after.
At first I thought JT was Timberlake as well (he makes me cry from time to time too)...But I know know who the real JT is, Carly S. has the same effect on me.
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