The Water's Edge (formerly TheWay Side)

This post is continuing an earlier discussion of learning to like what I don’t like, and as part of that applying Country Music to TheWay (link), all as part of a greater plan to bolster family togetherness through song, learning to apply concepts such as self-observation, triangulation, etc. Also, though this is not really self-observation, in continuing with the earlier theme, this post will be introspective as it relates to some things I’ve “observed” about my self as well. Just to be clear, it can be pretty easy to get lost in introspection and into intellectual things that can’t be applied, so please be careful if you attempt to duplicate some of my steps as you or  I can quickly find ourselves in  a bad place , rhetor-rick (link).

In attempting to become more “conscious” one of the things I realize is the tendency to take a message and apply it in the same way that I’ve always applied it. For example, someone says Good Morning, I say Good morning without even thinking about it. Use your imagination. In some respects, this could be being the proverbial mechanical man (or tin man as mentioned in the Wizard of Oz). That is, doing things without any thought or consideration as to why they are being done.

Since we are talking about country music as part of a larger theme started in earlier posts of learning to like what we don’t like, we will need a Country song. Since we are talking about messages, I thought I would pick on a song that adorns the bumper on my car. Sometimes to get down a path you need a transition. Willie Nelson is my transition:

Willie Nelson sang part of the song referenced on the bumper sticker, the song has a chorus: “Mamma don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys. They’ll never stay home and they’re always alone even with someone they love.” Wow. What powerful lyrics. Who can’t like that, Right? It contains some sort of deep moving truth it seems, right? Yet, maybe this is because my mom played Willie Nelson while I was in the womb or something.  In a similar capacity, I’ve heard that many black people don’t like country music.  Perhaps there are some associations with the South, slavery, and so forth? Maybe the beat doesn’t work? Maybe some other cultural phenomenon at work. Who knows.  Since this is Willie Nelson, this is an easy song for me to like and therefore it sort of defeats the exercise of learning to like what I don’t like, but it is sort of like starting me out on milk. Perhaps I should try harder.  So I had to find some songs I really don’t like. The latest incarnation of rap mixed with country definitely rubs me the wrong way. Cowboy Troy is an example I think. Do I have some latent racist fragments of my personality that I wasn’t aware of? Oh dear Lord! Maybe not – maybe Cowboy Troy’s songs are just that bad.

Cowboy Troy aside, in exploring this, I had found that I have some relatively arbitrary rule baked into my consciousness that says that the closer one approaches technology or modern life, the more likely that that one is not country and therefore any value derived from such songs is negated i.e., Country Music mixed with Electronic forms of music, i.e., Rap, i.e., Cowboy Troy. Stated another way, maybe hypocrisy is what I’m seeing in many country songs (and probably my self) and this is what I really don’t like. That is, those singing it weren’t really applying it, they were instead good at singing songs about being a cowboy, or singing songs about country music, or songs about being “country before country was cool” and so forth, but when it came down to actually being country and so forth, well, they had become all Nashvilled out (all show and nothing real), or using my arbitrary rule of using modern technology and going on tours and such, they were in effect, not country! Possibly, there are certain things that it doesn’t make sense to learn to like. Is Cowboy Troy’s music one of them? I’m going in circles here, I know, but there is another point. This very same phenomenon could be similar to being intellectual about self-observation this and triangulation that, or Law of Octaves this or that, and not actually knowing what it is!

In trying to break down some of these – in the struggle, I have found it helpful find an opposing view within and trying reconcile it against whatever negative voices I may have within. So I have this rule that is baked into my mind that has a general aversion to country music. Yet, this rule allows for some country music and we really don’t know completely why. I examined different examples and exceptions to this general rule.  We also have that this general rule opposes Cowboy Troy like the plague, which may not necessarily be a bad thing.

Let’s dive in a bit (and avoid Cowboy Troy a bit longer), since I have to do the obligatory posting of lyrics of the song under examination anyway:

Mamma don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys – Waylon Jennings

Cowboys ain’t easy to love and they’re harder to hold.

They’d rather give you a song than diamonds or gold.
Lonestar belt buckles and old faded levis,
And each night begins a new day.
If you don’t understand him, an’ he don’t die young,
He’ll prob’ly just ride away.

Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys.
Don’t let ’em pick guitars or drive them old trucks.
Let ’em be doctors and lawyers and such.
Mamas don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys.
‘Cos they’ll never stay home and they’re always alone.
Even with someone they love.

Cowboys like smokey old pool rooms and clear mountain mornings,
Little warm puppies and children and girls of the night.
Them that don’t know him won’t like him and them that do,
Sometimes won’t know how to take him.
He ain’t wrong, he’s just different but his pride won’t let him,
Do things to make you think he’s right.

Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys.
Don’t let ’em pick guitars or drive them old trucks.
Let ’em be doctors and lawyers and such.
Mamas don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys.
‘Cos they’ll never stay home and they’re always alone.
Even with someone they love.

Isn’t this a wonderful song? It seems to bring to the forefront of  my mind images from child-hood, perhaps the great Mr. Jennings and Willie Nelson, and all sorts of acknowledgment of the reality about various ignorant red-necks that may make many black people not like country music. It is difficult for me to not like this song. You are probably wondering about the wisdom of writing about something you like when supposedly the point is to learn to like that which you don’t like. Okay, I admit it – I still don’t want to face Cowboy Troy, so I’d rather talk about a good country song first.  This is sort of like jumping into a cold pool I think. Maybe there is jumping into a cold pool which is one thing, and then there is jumping into a frozen lake and catching pneumonia just for the sake of it, which would be stupid, perhaps by analogy, Cowboy Troy is just too much?

Well, since we started this message speaking about messages and how our minds tend to automatically bring up whatever past associations we may have, we might as well at least finish that subject while we stave off the influence of Cowboy Troy. How about taking the earlier bumper sticker message, and change the message by association.  How about placing it next to a pro-vegetarian lifestyle bumper sticker? Would that alter the meaning slightly?

Oh dear Lord look what I’ve done! I’ve taken an old Waylon Jennings / Willie Nelson song and used it to promote not killing cows, LOL! I bet Willie didn’t anticipate that when he sang this song. Maybe this helps bring home the idea about automatically seeing things a certain way – a way that has been in some respects programmed by culture, skin color, gender, and so on – and in other respects these are the things one must strive to overcome. Just like this arbitrary rule that I have baked into my consciousness about not liking Country Music, and in particular, the music of Cowboy Troy.

This may be applied to time frame even. As of this writing, we are in 2011 and see things a certain way as a function of this time frame.  If compared against 100 years ago, we’d probably seem like magicians if we were to take a time trip. It is difficult to see beyond our culture when immersed in it. In a similar way, it is difficult to see beyond one’s self, when one is immersed in one’s self. As another insight, this implies that to perform self-observation, there needs to be some level of separation within – the observer from the observed. But how? I don’t know yet, but will let you know when I figure it out.

I see that Shohn does not want to face Cowboy Troy just yet. Maybe there is another way. Perhaps I can be of service to others instead and  get another bumper sticker that says: “Mammas don’t let your babies grow up to be Cowboy Troy”.

In a previous article I mentioned applying Country Music to TheWay. This article is a continuance of the concepts began in that article, that is, it falls under the umbrella of learning to like what I don’t like while exploring other concepts. I’m using the Texgesis of Country Music as a Way to use my desires to achieve certain goals, one of them being learning to like Country Music, with a greater goal of learning to sing songs on guitar with my family, in an effort to bolster family togetherness. Quite a plan, no?

As part of this plan, I’ve been trying to learn and apply a concept called self-observation to hopefully better live out TheWay – be a better father, man, and so on.

I’ve read through Allan Cronshaw’s works on this. I’ve read a few fourth way materials, and listened to some fourth way type Pod-casts to try to find more technical details on self-observation that appeal to my mindset.  It seems to be quite a big topic and there is lots of projection and mental filtering occurring when describing this topic. Some folks say they are self-observing, when other folks say they aren’t, and some say they are and aren’t and so on. It sounds like a religious war in many ways. Will the real self-observation please stand up. I’m sure there are levels of understanding as well, so where else to begin, but my own.

In my own efforts, one of the things in at least attempting to self-observe was noticing that I notice things that I haven’t noticed before. For example, with self-observation, I observed that I don’t “self-observe” and then begin to wonder why.  I notice that “self-observing” is subjected to my own filters – for example, I like to see my self in a positive light a lot! I also noticed that self-observation is hard to do and I quickly run out of energy during mundane times especially. There are other thing I began to notice that I hope can be used as a larger analogy for the process of self-observation at my current level of understanding.

For example, being from Texas, I’ve heard the below song (All My Exes Live in Texas) almost all my life, over and over and over again. Yet not until someone asked me if I was into transcendental meditation one day, did I notice  that country music could sing about meditation!  Not even a few hours after being asked this question about transcendental meditation did I hear that song come on the radio and start singing about meditation of all things. A synchronicity I suppose.

I relayed the fact that George Strait sang about transcendental meditation to my friend who had asked the question, then my Dad, my friend Etal, and they had never noticed either! Gee whiz, have we been in Tennessee (I’ll explain shortly)  all our lives or what?

Here is the song (http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/strait-george/all-my-exs-live-in-texas-8840.html) and my ex’s-gesis follows:

All my ex’s live in Texas by George Strait

All my ex’s live in Texas
And Texas is the place I’d dearly love to be
But all my ex’s live in Texas
And that’s why I hang my hat in Tennessee

Rosanna’s down in Texarkana
Wanted me to push her broom
Sweet Eileen’s in Abilene
She forgot I hung the moon
And Allison’s in Galveston
Somehow lost her sanity
And Dimple’s who now lives in Temple’s
Got the law looking for me

I remember that old Frio River
Where I learned to swim
But it brings to mind another time
Where I wore my welcome thin
By transcendental meditation
I go there each night
But I always come back to myself
Long before daylight

All my ex’s live in Texas
And Texas is the place I’d dearly love to be
But all my ex’s live in Texas
Therefore I reside in Tennessee

Some folks think I’m hidin’
It’s been rumored that I died
But I’m alive and well in Tennessee

That was the song, but there was more that I noticed after starting to dive in to it a bit. Just like Damascus or Jerusalem in the Bible, could Texas be a code word in all those country songs – alluding to something deeper? After all, it is the Lone Star State! If I apply some exgesis, could the Lone Star be symbolic for our struggle to become one again, whole, to go towards the Light, after all – this is where George desires to be, and don’t we all desire to be in the Light as exemplified by our current culture’s fascination with sex, drugs, and so on – if only to taste Light for just a second? Yet, ironically, what is keeping him from being whole and complete is the state of division and separation from his ex’s – perhaps not learning some lessons here and there. Sounds familiar.

Let’s try to divide the song up a bit and see if we can read in some additional meanings (Texgesis) just for the fun of it (lyrics in bold):

Rosanna’s down in Texarkana Wanted me to push her broom

By not meeting Rosanna’s desires to clean house, he hadn’t yet learned to serve his wife, and we have that it is difficult for a woman to change a man, if not impossible. The mind is a sort of function of the body and Spirit – move the body, you move the mind. I guess he didn’t want to.

Sweet Eileen’s in Abilene She forgot I hung the moon

A hinting at the Law of Octaves affecting his relationships again and perhaps by not treating his wife as a goddess, she in turn forgets that he hung the moon.

And Allison’s in Galveston Somehow lost her sanity

Possibly, this may happen when a woman has somehow found herself without  a “stable” male influence in her life, i.e., the man who is hopping from ex to ex in this song.  Given that Galveston is on the south end of Texas is it may be alluding to the lower controlling the upper with the result being a loss of focus.  I don’t know it was a guess.

And Dimple’s who now lives in Temple’s Got the law looking for me

Temple, right back at the heart of Texas and the matter, we find that  the universal spiritual Laws will eventually use our emotions as a method for us to see our selves for who we really are.

I remember that old Frio River Where I learned to swim

We see that he remembers learning by struggling against a winding body of water (emotion).

But it brings to mind another time Where I wore my welcome thin

This old memory triggers an association to something of a fall, somewhat akin to the various Biblical accounts (e.g., Genesis) and a recalling of something greater, the Light as symbolized by Texas.

By transcendental meditation I go there each night

He views from a higher perspective during the negative phases (night) of life – the hard times force us to seek.

But I always come back to myself Long before daylight

But using meditation he is unable to maintain this state of mind, this higher perspective – and comes back to the reality that he is still in the dark. And we may have more allusions to divisions within our self – note the: “I always come back to myself”. Which I is returning and which was myself? How can I return to myself?

He then goes on to comment about residing in Texas vs. Tennessee. We’ve already covered Texas representing the Light being the Lone Star state, but division is what is keeping us out as embodied in the four (4) ex’s and the last one being the Law. But what about Tennessee? According to the Wikipedia: “The meaning and origin of the word are uncertain. Some accounts suggest it is a Cherokee modification of an earlier Yuchi word. It has been said to mean “meeting place”, “winding river”, or “river of the great bend”.^[55][56] According to James Mooney, the name “can not be analyzed” and its meaning is lost.^“

Thus George, as the character he plays in the song, lives in a state of unknowing – uncertainty – where the meaning  is lost and indeed so are we (or at least I am) trying to find my way back home to proverbial Texas. Given that he now resides in Tennessee, the volunteer state, it is up to him to begin the journey. Some folks would say that he’s hidin (from the Light), and some would say that he’s dead (Jesus said: let the dead bury the dead), yet he thinks that he’s Alive and well in Tennessee, the proverbial state of being lost. And don’t almost all of us think we know, except you, of course, you wouldn’t think that, would you?

It’s an old tale. They did the same thing in the Wizard of  Oz, the Bible, Star-Gate, Star Trek, Plato’s Cave, and so forth and no one would ever believe what was being said until EXperience brought her lessons.

If in a similar way we can apply some of the concepts of self-observation, triangulation, etc. we may then be able apply a similar exegetical process in that song to our very lives. Looking for the repeating patterns, the things about our self that we never noticed, but have continued on in the same pattern over and over without any real thought as to why or what we we are doing. I never noticed those words being in that song. This points to many things I have not known about myself. I thought that I knew this song – I really did. I was convinced, yet there it was staring me and many that I know right in the face, we did not know. What this may say is that even within my self, there are certain changes I can try to make, that if I don’t know my self, it is like having someone you don’t know change your self! Is this a self-observation? There could be things about ourselves that have been there our entire life, that we have never known! Scary and exciting.

Maybe there are some changes one can attempt to make that may be tried and true, just like Texas. I suspect that a start begins with whatever has been placed into your life – trying to become more family centered as much as is possible for your current conditions and this is what I’m trying to do. Divorced and  my ex lives in Texas, but I do have children and have been trying to be the best father I can be for them.

I wonder if George Strait knew all this was in this song as he was singing it. He’s #3 or #4 on all time record sales, so I’d guess that he’s an advanced soul of some kind – he may very well have had an inkling.  Maybe he just had really good writers.

Returning back to myself (remember we started this path with learning to like what we don’t like), I think I’m learning to like Country Music.

How about you?

This is an introspective post about some “ahah” moments I’ve had recently, and some tools one may be able to employ as part of seeking knowledge of the self, with the ultimate goal of finding God.

The self that calls it self, Shohn – the author of this post, has things that it likes, and things that it doesn’t like.  Duality. Rock Music  good. Country Music bad. Why ? I have no clue. How about you?

It has been suggested in some esoteric works, that one thing that can help is in coming to know the “true self” is struggling against being mechanical (doing things on auto-pilot) in order to become more aware of one’s self. Dislikes i.e., associations can be used as fodder to struggle against. And in this struggling one can perhaps begin to see who one really is, and so forth, as opposed to the image of one’s self that one has constructed.  From a practical level, learn to like what you don’t like, and then you’ll like it!  Makes sense on some levels, but I wouldn’t suggest rolling around in a tub of grasshoppers or eating coal just because you don’t like it.

Being from Texas, I’ve been exposed to Country Music all my life and could probably sing (am I being honest with myself by calling it singing) somewhat  the words to every country song, yet for whatever reason, most country music just rubs me the wrong way.  I don’t mind old country and perhaps Willie Nelson, but Country Music just bugs me.  I sat out to explore this.

What I found was an insight or two, while possibly drifting a bit from the original goal. Just as people can use the Bible to validate whatever they are saying – in other words, use the Bible as a smoke-screen to conceal some message like “you are going to hell if you don’t like what I have to say”, many of these country songs contain all sorts of wonderful word plays and concepts that also contain “hidden” meanings or say one thing, without actually saying it.

For example, as we read (or listen to) the below song, it is quite obvious to me, that the male singing the below song, Me Neither, is trying to get to know the female that he has set his heart (eyes) on, yet the literal words of the song convey otherwise to those listening to the song. Stated another way, within the song, is a hidden meaning, that is not revealed by the literal text. I thought this might relate on some levels, how the written text of the Bible and other sacred texts, provides a literal text, but contains a hidden allegorical meaning. In a similar way, our very lives can perhaps contain a “hidden” meaning, that we are as yet unable to see – a literal meaning on the surface, our job, house, dog, etc., but another meaning contained within.

Have a look at the word”s to this song to see what I mean:

Me Neither by Brad Paisley

Darlin’ I’ve been standin’ here just watchin’ you all night
And I think I’ve even caught you watchin’ me a couple times
If I don’t ask I’ll never know
This may sound dumb, but here we go
Do you believe in love at first sight

Me neither
I’m glad that we agree
Believe me
That’s a big relief
Well, this place is awful crowded
And this music is so loud
Would you like to go and grab a bite to eat
Me neither

It’s nice to finally meet a girl who doesn’t move too fast
I was only checkin’, that’s the reason that I asked
Relationships need time to grow
You and I should take this slow
And darlin’ tell me, would you like to dance

Me neither
I was just bein’ polite
Thank goodness
My feet are much too tired
I’m sure you’re tired too
I can see an empty booth
Would you like to maybe sit and talk a while
Me neither
We’d never get along
I’m thinkin’ there’s no chemistry at all
This has been a waste of time
And I’m runnin’ outta lines
Don’t you think it’s time for me to end this song
Me neither

Do you think I found the reason why I don’t like country music? Me Neither.

Did I learn to like it some. Yes, I did.