So, I just finished writing (literally, just now) a new song called Soul, and, oh, am I all about moody songs right now.
You know the kind: the beautiful and terrible poems set to music that elicit visions of nostalgia and fear, of joy and hatred. (If you need artists, reference Damien Rice, Patty Griffin, or pretty much any artist on the Garden State soundtrack.) I'm not sure if my songs live up to this, but it is certainly something to aspire to.
I've noticed that humans have a gross tendency to scrutinize each other to the point of weakness. Where the line of fair expectation and ugly realism meet is where life seems to get really blurry. It's a mess, really. We all carry the paradoxical weight of expecting idyllic behavior from everyone we encounter while gladly giving ourselves free passes to behave however we see fit.
I don't claim to understand this instability, but I am certainly repulsed by it, especially in myself.
To me, everybody who inhabits this strange planet has roughly the same amount of "broken," and to expect something less or more than that is simply foolishness. Remembering that isn't easy, though.
Somewhat conversely, I think everybody also has the same amount of "soul" -- the passionate essence which comprises the "who" of "who we are." Most of us spend more time burying, hiding, suppressing, repressing, or ignoring that soul than we do trying to release it, but it's in there.
I know it.
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Josh Allan Dykstra
Welcome to my first attempt at "the blog!"
For the longest time I had no idea what "blog" even meant; I thought it sounded like some kind of jello mold gone awry or an obscure Star Wars character, but no, in fact, it's THIS.
So here we are and away we go...
By way of introduction, my name is Josh Allan Dykstra, and I am (naturally) the person writing this. I'm not sure how you found yourself on this page; it may have been through my website, through friends or family, or from a search engine (you know what, God bless Google!), but however you stumbled across this page, I hope you'll stay. Maybe even find something worthwhile written here.
I must say, however, by partial means of warning and a firm prerequisite, that this blog might occasionally offend, upset, or confuse you. It's not my intent, but we all know it happens.
My goal isn't to unnecessarily trouble anyone. Honest. But that doesn't mean I won't cause necessary trouble. Hopefully, any unrest I cause will indeed serve some purpose: perhaps it will be a new idea that stretches us in new ways or something that begins a dialogue where we can learn something from each other.
All of this notwithstanding, (and to avoid sounding entirely like the back of a Lemony Snicket novel) I do feel utterly compelled to write and share. And I'm grateful that you're joining me for a time on the path.
I sincerely do hope that somewhere between my thoughts, the words they create, and the gentle pressure of language having its subtle effects on our souls, some transference of meaning will be gained and maybe -- just maybe -- both our lives will be made just a little brighter, bigger, better.
To beginnings!
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