Choose the Obnoxious

I've come to the age in my life, where I'm not a college student anymore, but people in their 30's and older, don't really consider me an adult.  I thought I was done with all this transitional aging, but I guess we never actually are.  The problem with this particular age is even though I'm an adult (and I think I'm all right at it), I don't feel my opinions are taken seriously by many older people.

Like, right now, my husband and I eat what we consider to be "ethical."  We still eat meat and animal products--though much, much fewer than we used to--and our criteria for what we consider "ethical" meat and animal products are pretty stringent.  This usually means we end up spending 4-5 times as much on meat and dairy than our parents.  Whenever the subject of groceries come up, I always get this "oh, honey" look from my mom--like I'm being naive trying to eat better for the environment, the animals, and me!  (I guess we never stop being children to our parents.)

But it's not just parents, I tend to get embarrassed telling people what I do (I teach piano), because I know many people don't consider that a "real" job.  There are so many reasons why I teach piano (instead of getting some mindless job like a page at a library even though the page job makes more money), but the most important reason is our dogs.  When we adopted our puppies, we made the commitment that we would be around them a lot, so they wouldn't have to live in a household where we're away all day.  Honestly, it doesn't matter my reasons for sticking with only being a piano teacher, I know that I'm making the right decision for me and my husband (and pups!) right now.

Am I happier eating the food I buy, having the job I have, and devoting extra time to my pups?  Yes!  A thousand times, yes!  But is my life more annoying because people always give me a "bless your heart" when I talk about the way I live my life?  A million times, yes.

I'd like to offer some more unsolicited advice to my peers (especially to those fresh out of college): if you have to choose between wasting your life not living in accordance with your values just because--especially because--of money or people reacting obnoxiously to your life/values, choose the obnoxious people.

Time doesn't slow down from here on out--in fact it gets faster.  The longer you take to live true to your values, the longer you waste your life.

Global Citizen

So I discovered something about myself today: I really like ethnomusicology.  (No, Google, that's actually a word.)  That's kind of a lie.  I thought that I had discovered that fact months and months ago, but since I've been unsure about anything in my life lately, I didn't really trust that feeling.  In the magic that occurred when I got a Twitter and changed everything on my Pinterest (also a word, Google--sheesh), I discovered I really wanted to introduce people (and myself) to other cultures' music.

Times are changing, friends.  It's no longer healthy for us to assume that we, the United States, needs to be number one in the world.  Even thinking that there is some sort of competition amongst (seriously, Google?! that's definitely a word)  is obsolete.  I can follow somebody on Twitter who's the farthest distance from Kentucky (if someone knows where that is, I'd love to know), and form a connection with them.  We wouldn't be best friends--because when would we ever meet?--but I'd have a teeny connection to this person.  If terrible things happened to that person or person's family, it would effect me.  And all across the world relationships like these are forming.  We're not just competing independent countries in the world anymore--we're all connected (in the great circle of life)!

"So how does ethnomusicology tie into this, Kelsey?"  Excellent question, random reader!

I think music and food are the most accessible ways to be introduced to other cultures.  Everybody likes music and everybody likes food.  It's harder in America, for example, to obtain the necessary ingredients to make authentic food from other cultures.  It's super easy to get on YouTube and search for a type of music.  Just in the last three or four days, I've heard music from Bulgaria, North and South India, Poland, aboriginal Australians, Taiwan, Iran, Ireland, and Palestine.  I don't know exactly why, but I'm pretty convinced that immersing yourself in other cultures' music is the first step towards becoming a better global citizen.

Did you know other cultures expressed emotions through songs?  I'm going to assume yes (unless you've exiled yourself from the modern world).  But do you know how those songs effect you?  Is it possible that you can make a connection with another group of people, just by listening to their music?

I believe so.  And as of now I'm committed to becoming a better global citizen--and helping you become a better global citizen--through music.

Failures

In years past, if I'd have started something (like this blog for example) and didn't conclude or at least plow through it for a year, I'd have considered myself a failure.
Well, technically, I still do.
But I'm happy to say I don't consider that a bad thing anymore!

When I started this blog, (lo, those many years ago), dewy-eyed Kelsey had dreams of starting a bucket list, completing practically everything on it, and having that be the answer to everything in my life.  It wasn't that I was unhappy with my life.  My marriage was (and still is) great; I have sweet baby dogs; I loved the location of our apartment; and I had just quit a part-time job that I hated.  But still, for some reason, I thought my life needed change or variety or inspiration--something!
I assumed I was going through a quarter-life crisis, and probably it was, but I had naively thought it ended 2 years ago.  Even though my gross, stressful part-time job was horrible, it had given me a sense of purpose.  When that ended, I assumed my bucket list would fulfill and motivate me.  It took a year to figure out  that no, having a bucket list does not ultimately make me fulfilled.

So I failed at my bucket list, I failed at keeping up with my blog, but I've learned that those are two things I'm not terribly interested in.  It seems like I would have figured this out sooner, but in an unhappy, purposeless state the only thing that occurred to me was that I was too lazy to finish either. It's amazing that I was ever able to realize that my laziness was indicative of something else.  My hopes, dreams, desires, ambition--none of them can be confined to a boring, old list.  And while I think it was a good idea to make my bucket list, I trust that life will be far more exciting than 100 things to do before I die.

What was the point of all this?  Ah yes, to my peers and younger peers (because I trust you older ones have already figured it out): embrace your failure; it's only helping to clarify who you are as a person.  And life's far more interesting than a set of goals you've written out for yourself.  Trust your exciting future.

Will I ever write another blog post?  Oh, let's be honest, probably (maybe not for a year).  But I'm excited to find out!