A Human Struggle for Recognition

This morning, I had a little bit of time to think about why people blog. It was on my mind because I actually took some time today to read the blogs of a couple of good friends of mine. We don’t read our friends’ blogs (usually) because we already know what’s going on in their lives, how they feel about things, and how they’re continuing down this strange path of existence we call life.

The bottom line? We all struggle with a lot of different things, but there are common ones, too. Though there are obviously many reasons, I think blogging is motivated primarily by a desire to be recognized as a person, separate from everyone else. It’s a desire to find meaning behind why we’re alive; because if we’re all pretty much the same, we all live, we all die, we’re simply a part of the lineage of the human race, then what’s really the point?
Humans don’t just want to exist. They want to matter.
I don’t think that I blog because I’m searching for answers so much myself, but that I kind of hope that I can help other people cope with that struggle – that desire – and can move them in the direction of discovery for themselves…
My new album, Fundamental, really is the closest I’ve come so far to expressing this and other struggles common to the human experience in my music. If you haven’t yet, you should check it out, here:
To some of you, I know I still owe you copies of the album. I’ll try to make that happen this week. Sorry for the delay!

The Notebook, 2012, and a Goal

Let me start off by saying that I’ve totally blown a few of my new year resolutions. One of those was to write – music or lyrics – every day. Hasn’t happened. I’ve just lost the routine and now I am on a quest to find it again… Here, routinie, routinie, routinie… come here, boy. Wheredja go?….

Next, during the blizzard of 2011, Megan and I watched the movie 2012. Awful. I like Mr. Cusack, but this was bad. Two hours I can’t get back.
Finally, in addition to trying to get back on the horse called Resolution, I have a crazy goal of having one article printed in a newspaper, ezine, or other medium every-other week for the next 12 weeks. So far, so good. Here’s what we’ve had so far:
10 Jan 2011 – Chicago Sun-Times
18 Jan 2011 – Daily Herald
28 Jan 2011 – COD Courier
And next week (Wednesday), I’ll have a pretty big spread in the Lombardian.
After that, I’m not sure where the next coverage will come from, but I’m optimistic that I can keep this streak going!
Talk to you soon, and look for me in your local paper!
-Jay