Mountains of Things

This morning my ipod fired this one up -- and it seemed somewhat in keeping with the theme from yesterday -- that it isn't stuff that matters. It's really easy to get swept up in thinking that it is.

I also chose this song today because I am striving for a bit more balance, as I mark my days, both with music and with my thoughts and actions. And while lamenting the loss of love, being in love, or longing for love is really important, and really big, it isn't the only reason I'm here, and it isn't the only thing I care about. I'm also here to help, as Tracy so eloquently puts it, "those whose sole misfortune is having mountains of nothing at birth."

Here's a couple of versions of this powerful number on youtube -- they both have their pluses and minuses. I like this live version because you can really get a sense of her quiet strength, dignity and earnestness. But it's kind of hard to hear her sing. I like this version because you can really hear her belt it out. I also like that in the comments section for this version, someone says that they think the two greatest debut albums of all time are Tracy Chapman's and Guns 'n Roses Appetite for Destruction. I have to agree that they are both pretty damn great, and I love that as human beings, we have the luxury of grouping two beings like Tracy and Axl together and enjoying both for who they are and what they each bring.

Now if we can just figure out how to do that as a society overall, and not just with entertainers and athletes...