City Girl

The music of Metallica has been a big part of the soundtrack of my life. I’ve always imagined life to be a movie with the appropriate musical scoring. If an album of the songs of my youth were to come out, Metallica would definitely have a track or two…or three, in it. Wolfgang, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam and Beastie Boys would probably complete the album, along with Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill. Now that I’ve come to think about it, one album would probably be insufficient to cover the tracks of my youth.

Anyway, here’s Metallica with All Nightmare Long.

Is it just me or does it feel like it’s been ages since Kris actually won American Idol? Maybe I just haven’t been interested in what he’d come up with. I actually thought I had him pegged. I figured him to be the “one hit wonder” kind. He’ll do better than Taylor Hicks but couldn’t possibly be as big as David Cook — or maybe even David Archuleta. As for his songs, I had a feeling it was something I might not be compelled to upload to my Ipod.

Listening now to “Live like we’re dying,” Kris Allen’s debut single, it’s not really half as bad. It’s got a catchy tune and good lyrics. Of course, it’s nowhere near David Cook’s “Light On” but I suppose it’s apples and oranges, right? Although, if it’s good, whether it’s an apple, an orange or even durian (a smelly locally grown fruit which has a large following, despite its popularity for being a cause of increased blood pressure), it’s bound to be a hit, right?

Enjoy!

Fast forward to today.

It’s the Emmy’s and my crush has gotten older…and a lot funnier! Not to mention that wonderful singing voice he showcased as he opened the program. It was a smart move on the part of CBS and the Emmy’s to pick him as the show’s host. In my opinion, hosts of such award shows should be relevant. I love Billy Crystal and/or Whoopi Goldberg and I think their totally funny. But frankly, I don’t think they capture the interest of all the different generations that watch these award shows. Even though I love their style, I think I’ve had one too many Billy Crytal/Whoopi Goldberg hosted award shows.

The other day, I was expectedly sad and blue because of the doctor’s advice. According to her, I had to seek other medical procedures as the normal way of “doing things” looked out of the question for me. This only bolstered my suspicion that I’m a freak. It shouldn’t have affected me anymore. As I said, I’ve already known somehow that I wasn’t “normal.” But to actually have my suspicion, nay, fear, confirmed by a doctor, was like damnation. If the doctor herself knows that there’s no other hope for me, I might as well be doomed.

Anyway, so there I was in the office. I’ve just heard the almost-devastating news (it’s probably not the worst news in the world) and I suddenly feel like bawling like a baby. But I couldn’t, at least, not in front of my staff. I decided to vent my feelings by posting a shout out over at my facebook account. About five minutes later, I checked my account and a message was already waiting for me. A friend, who had probably read my cry of despair, told me that she was sending me something to help me with my problem. It took me all I had to stop from crying. Tears had sprung up and I was pouting very hard to keep my chin from trembling. I could only hope nobody noticed as I wiped away a tear that had escaped.

What really touched me about the whole thing was that the person who sent me that message (and the package) wasn’t really somebody I’d consider a very close friend. We may have shared experiences but I’m sure I wouldn’t be the first person to come to her mind if the word “friend” were mentioned. And that’s just it. Despite the kind of friendship we had, she was the first person to console me in my time of need. The unexpectedness of it all caught me by surprise.

And then, there’s the thing she sent me. The week before, it had already been mentioned to me by another person. She said that this might help me in my quest for “happiness.”

About a couple of days later, I had dinner with some relatives. It was supposed to be another night filled with elderly people catching up and gossiping in their elderly ways. But the couple who sat with us at the table told of a true to life miracle. Their daughter had previously suffered a miscarriage because of a thyroid condition. She was told that she could not conceive until her medical condition had been treated. And so, she did not expect to be pregnant soon. But it wasn’t so long before her mother had noticed changes in her and thought she might be pregnant. She (the daughter) had bought several home pregnancy tests, all of which had shown a negative result. But her mother insisted. You’re pregnant, the mother said. So the daughter went to the doctor and sure enough, she was three months pregnant. Her doctors could not explain how or why this had happened. Whereupon, my own mother-in-law piped, “It’s a miracle.” As I sat there, I couldn’t help but think, there’s something in this conversation that’s meant for me.