City & Colour 🎵

 Went to a concert last night.

    City & Colour. Dallas Green. Great band, great music. Overall, great experience to say the least.

    One thing I couldn’t help but realize, when sitting there, was how low the energy was all around me. The entire stadium, which was filled, felt dead. It wasn’t that the performance wasn’t any good, or that the music wasn’t banging. It was just that the people who were all gathered around seemed, dead.

    First off, which should come as no surprise, everybody was on their phones. Literally, everybody. Phones in the air, filming and recording the entire performance, saving it for later. Posting about it online, on their social media accounts. Trying to hold on to the moment, in some weird way or another. Now, I understand the sensation. I can openly admit that I too used to do the same thing. However, now having taken a step back from the trends and general public, I can’t help but watch in amazement. Individuals, of all ages, glued to their screens, trying to gold on to a fleeting moment. Trying to grasp at thin air, to bring it along with them for the rest of their journey. It’s beyond idiotic, when you truly think about it.

    We as humans have this burning desire to capture everything, and bring it with us for the rest of our journey. Much like packing a suitcase, filled with all our emotional baggage. Our phones seem to do a great job at helping us with that as well. We film, take pictures, and store all sorts of memories. Memories, that we likely will never even revisit, except in our lowest moments. The concept is one that just doesn’t really make much sense. 

    A huge part of keeping people in check and controlling how they act, is making sure that their baggage is heavy. If we as a society are able to keep individuals rooted to their past, they are unlikely to find the strength and courage to shed their skin and evolve into something new. If we can keep an 18 year old, and track every single activity they have ever filmed or taken place in, more often than not, that 18 year old will remain the same. The concept is extremely simple, yet extremely effective. For example, if somebody grew up playing hockey, would they not be most likely to continue forward in their life consuming the sport? I’d argue that 9 times out of 10, that would be the case. Or, say, if somebody grew up being an alcoholic since their teenage years, would they not be more likely to continue the trend later on in their life? 

    Most of our actions are really just our brain and ego acting as it sees itself. We move a certain way, because we believe that is the way we are meant to move. If you’ve always been a low confidence, shy individual- you will always continue to move that way. The cycle of repetition is something that is comfortable and familiar, yet extremely difficult to break. What better way than to keep one in the cycle of familiarity, than to continuously carry around ever single memory you’ve ever made? It’s like a bank-account of all the mistakes, all the nonsense, all the stupidity, constantly following you around. I know it sounds fun, even amusing- but the reality is much more severe than it appears.

    Patterns are extremely difficult to break, especially when we are unaware of them. Self-awareness is one of the most important keys of evolution, in my humble opinion. The ability to stand back and observe your own actions, can have extreme positive effects. It can also lead to overthinking and paralysis- but let’s not go there right now. Overall, the ability is a positive step towards eventually breaking the cycle and evolving to a higher form. The idea is simple enough, yet extremely difficult to execute. It requires one to completely shed their old skin, the one which they have grown so accustomed to. An individual eventually believes that they are the shell which they have worn since they have come into consciousness. Evolution requires us to step out from the familiar, and embrace the unknown.

    Overall, growth is necessary. We as individuals must be able to step outside the frame which we have grown up within, and experience the world for ourselves. We must be exposed to new ideas, new concepts, all the while exploring the world with child-like curiosity. In a world where everything can be dark and gloomy, this can be an extremely difficult and challenging process. Regardless, one must find the courage to face the storm head-on. The power and strength necessary, to walk into the unknown, and come out the other side. The first step, the first dive, into the frigid water, is always the hardest.

    Something happens when we finally find the courage to become who we are meant to be. Old concepts and friends fall off from us. We learn to shed our old skin, the one which no longer fits us anymore. We remove the junk from our closet, clean out the dressers, and make room for something new. Something more. The ability to open up and allow new experiences, new individuals, new inspirations, into our life. It’s only once we’ve finally found the courage to let go, that we realize what has been holding us back all along. 

    Perhaps I’m an extremist. Perhaps, I’m taking this way too far. Perhaps i’m completely and utterly out to lunch, enjoying the view all on my own. Regardless, I stand by my observation. I stand by the notion that our phones are often more harmful than they are positive. Sometimes, cleaning out our space and memories can be a refreshing new start. Letting go of all the videos and images of the past, allowing room for new ones to grow. We don’t get to bring anything with us into the afterlife, so why spend so much time here on Earth dragging everything around?

        Glory Be,

                    Amen.