Strawberry Fields

You know that moment in your life where everything you ever loved and believed in is shattered in front of you? Like when someone "bursts your bubble". My experience today was not nearly so drastic, but hit me pretty hard. My friend and I got together today to work on some English homework. After we did some work, we watched a movie called "Across the Universe". The movie is based on a series of Beatles songs. For example: all of the characters are named after Beatles songs: Lucy, Jude, Matt, Sadie. It's a good movie, but revealed a new reality to me. The Beatles were just as stoned writing their songs as any other band. This nearly broke my heart. I've always held the Beatles in very high regard, so glad that they were one of the few bands that stayed clean and actually wrote some decent songs. But, apparently, most of their songs lyrics make no logical sense. Unless of course, you happen to be on LSD or meth. I do suppose there are a few things I can learn from this:
1. People aren't kidding: drugs whack you up pretty bad. Just listen very closely to some Beatles lyrics and you'll see what I mean. 2. One shouldn't hold people in too high of regard. Everyone makes mistakes. And everyone should know this. However, when someone you love makes a big mistake and you find out about it, you are completely broken and hurt beyond belief.
And then there is one thing that was confirmed for me from this movie.
1. No matter how it can be glorified, war is not and will never be a good thing. Ever. That I know, for sure. Absolutely NO doubt.
Anyways, I guess I ought to have found this out earlier, but at least I know now. And I still love the Beatles. Maybe not their choices in life, but I still love their songs. No matter how high they were when the songs were written.
Strawberry fields forever. . .

Sickness

Recently, a friend of mine introduced me to a band entitled "Disturbed". I am hooked. It is strange, however, that I could love heavy metal so much. I've always tried to be a bright, happy person. I love ridiculously bright colors, and I love to laugh and smile. Seems pretty girly and sunshine-y to me. But somehow, whenever I hear this music, I just feel happier inside. When I'm down, or angry, somehow this furious, dismal music cheers me up. Along with my obsession with Disturbed came Avenged Sevenfold, Three Days Grace, and Breaking Benjamin. But this all started with one song. "Down with the Sickness". Here's a piece, but really you have to listen to the song to even begin to understand how the song really goes.

Looking at my own reflection
When suddenly it changes
Violently it changes (oh no)
There is no turning back now
You've woken up the demon in me

I can see inside you, the sickness is rising
Don't try to deny what you feel
It seems that all that was good has died
And is decaying in me

And when I dream. . .

Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Open up your hate, and let it flow into me
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
You mother get up come on get down with the sickness
You f***** get up come on get down with the sickness
Madness has now come over me

There is a section of the song that features a boy being beaten by his mother. Yeah, I know, horrible. ( I would post it, but the language gets pretty bad. Look it up, if you'd like). Now while this is a very touchy subject to talk about, this song features it
so. . . honestly.

"Down with the Sickness" may be heavy metal, and I'm lead to believe that many are intimidated by the seemingly evil, heartless singers, but in the lyrics, you can feel the emotion, and the terror. Especially during the beating. At first, the singer is apologetic and terrified, but as his mother continues to hurt him, he becomes self defensive, and eventually violently angry. What I'm wondering is, can you blame him?

Many blame violence on gory or vivid video games, but I am lead to believe that much of the violence seen in teenagers and young adults today is caused by repressed fear, hatred, and even painful memories. Perhaps Nintendo and Xbox are being blamed for the insensitivity of parents. And perhaps this repressed terror goes back further. Maybe parents abuse their children because they were abused themselves as children.

I believe that if the nation as a whole became fully dedicated to ending abuse parent-child relationships, we could, by extent, end ALL abusive relationships as well as teenage violence. Just something to think about. . .