Music Feeds the Soul... Sometimes

Dear Charlie,

Have you ever just listened to a song and thought about what it means? Sure, some songs you don't really want to look deeper into (*ahem* Hey, Soul Sister), but there are some songs that actually mean more than their catchy tune.

Bad Day by Daniel Powter can be a good example, it sounds like it's about, well, a Bad Day, but it's also about being there for someone even if they say they don't want help. It's about someone wanting to help, but being at a loss for what to do.

Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Buble (I can't do that accent mark on the 'e') isn't just about wishing for someone to pop into his life, it's about him promising to be the best person he can be for this girl, even if he hasn't met her yet.

Heck, maybe I'm completely off on my translations of these songs. Maybe when Daniel Powter wrote Bad Day it was only about a bad day, or maybe even something completely different. But when I hear these songs, this is what I see in them.

-Bethany

P.S. Thanks to my mom, 5thsister, I've gotten so many amazing followers! Thanks for the awesome comments, guys, and thanks for reading!

I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing

Dear Charlie,

It's funny how people feel the need to tell you that you're quiet or shy. I mean, do they think that I don't know I rarely speak... well, sometimes I don't, I'm too wrapped up in my own thoughts, and I doubt anyone will talk to me. But I know I'm quiet, you don't need to tell me, thank you.

But those who don't know me don't know that my mouth can run for hours without getting tired. I talk so much that you'd want to cover your ears. When I was little, I used to make friends with everybody, even strangers.

I'm not sure really what happened, but I just stopped talking one day. Maybe there was nothing left to say, maybe I gave up trying to say it all.

But, when you see someone, and they never talk, most people ride them off as "the shy person" or "the quiet person", and don't give them a second thought or glance. But have they ever tried listening to them? Not just hearing their voice but actually listening to them? Maybe they've got more to say that can't be told by opening and closing their mouth like some strange fish.

So, to the next person who says to me "You don't talk much, do you?" I'd like to tell you "I do, you just aren't listening."

-Bethany

11:11... What Do You Wish For?

Dear Charlie,

Look! I'm writing! And it's not 11:00 at night!

You know when you look at the clock and it's 11:09 and you make a mental note to look at it in 2 minutes, but your brain mistakes that for 3 minutes, and by the time you look back it's 11:12?

Well, when I look at the clock and it says 11:11 I panic and think: "What the heck should I wish for?"

I could wish that I was popular and well liked...
I could wish that I was semi-athletic, and coordinated enough to do a sport...
I could wish that I had a cool superpower...
I could wish that I was an amazing piano player, instead of making it by with chords...
I could wish that I had someone to always talk to, and do everything with...
I could wish that I didn't eat whenever I'm bored...
I could wish to up that B+ in Algebra to an A so I can say honestly I made all A's...
I could wish...

Then I look at the clock and realize I missed it, it's 11:12, darn.

But, when I think about it, the phrase "Be careful what you wish for, 'cause it just might come true" makes a ton of sense.

Every choice we make, everything we do, ultimately makes us who we are. Even though we all just want everything to be happy and wonderful, there's a reason for those hard times. They help us get stronger and work for the good times.

Sometimes I wish I could get something I've always wanted. But what fun would it be if I just got it? It takes most people years (unless you're an extremely gifted person) to get extremely good at piano. But if I got that talent overnight, it wouldn't be much of an accomplishment, I would feel as though I cheated off a test or something.
But that's coming from a person who will kill anyone personally if they try to share the ending (or any insignificant detail) of a movie/book/tv show/etc. with her.

Sometimes I wish I could go back and undo all of my mistakes, and make all of my hard times go away. But then I look at myself now, without each and every hard time, I would not be who I am. Maybe that's good, or maybe that's not, but I know God will lead me through both good times and bad to make me the person He wants me to be.

Hey, look! A shooting star! Oh great, here we go again...

-Bethany