Thank you Steve and Joe for the music

What do you look for when needing comfort, but you don't really want to talk to someone else? Do you look for comfort within food? Do you find it within exercising? My comfort comes from music. I have done this for a while, and always seem to return when I need "comfort". I listen to music all day, not just when I need comfort. But it is in the moments where I feel alone I will turn to music for release. Others may find comfort in that food (brownies, mashed potatoes, etc), or think comfort by way of drink is good. For me, though, it is always about the music.

In the Bible, David wrote beautiful songs to God about his love, suffering, pain, joy, thankfulness, surrender, devotion, and abandonment. To read them is to know David's heart, to know his desires, to know him. Music was used to seranade kings and queens in medieval times. While struggling to become free, slaves used music to relay messages of where to go. Music throughout the years of our world has evoked peace, strife, joy, anger. Music is the yin yang of our being.

My comfort is music, especially Aerosmith...thanks to Steve Tyler and Joe Perry I have gotten through many hard times. Silly, I know. When I am upset all I need to do is put in a CD, listen on Pandora, and I forget for a few minutes...how can you not smile when listening to songs like Ragdoll, Walk This Way, or Love in an Elevator. Some of the songs are not as fun, but never the less just as dear - What it Takes is my favorite song by them, and always makes me feel like everything will be okay...somehow I can just identify with the pain of losing someone and take comfort I am not alone.

Today at work I was listening to Steve and the boys...Seasons of Wither was on...I must mention that today has been extremely long. Not only has it been slow, but it is also miserably hot outside. So, sitting at work, listening to this song, and thinking back to when I was at the concert, seeing them sing it live. I was immediately transported into that moment in time when I was just amazed to be watching them 20 feet away from me...good times.

It is funny how a song can take us back to this previous time in our lives, happy or sad. There are so many memories for me tied to Aerosmith. In elementary school hearing Ragdoll. Jr. High with Janie's got a gun, Love in an elevator, High School with Crazy, Eat the Rich, Amazing. Heck, my senior prom theme was Amazing. Every time I hear that song I think back to that night, I can see and smell my prom date, Evan. I can remember so many details of that evening as if it was yesterday. Suddenly, if I was having a rough day it is okay. I can not even begin to tell you how many times I have repeated lyrics from Amazing as my mantra...

It's Amazing
With the blink of an eye you finally see the light
It's Amazing
When the moment arrives that you know you'll be alright
It's Amazing
And I'm sayin' a prayer for the desperate hearts tonight

Steve and Joe were there to push me through...

There are other songs that just live in the heart of my past. How many times did I play "Wasted Time" by The Eagles when I thought a boy (oddly enough, Evan the prom date) didn't like me anymore...or getting over another lost love while replaying "Stay" by Lisa Loeb. For my wedding having a Michael W. Smith song that takes me to that moment of being so afraid I would cry I had to stare at stained glass during my vows. Kenny Loggins "Return to Pooh Corner" CD is all the songs I would play for my kids as babies to lull them to sleep, and offer me peace of mind. There have been summer songs that remind me to be free, be happy. There have been happy songs that I may not think about listening to but when I hear them a smile is immediately radiating. I think of hymns we sung as children in church and feel my grandmother sitting next to me again. All these wonderful glimpses of past, present, future all due to music.