Thoughts from the kitchen sink

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a music person, but today while I was doing dishes I thought about lines from songs that strike me. And I thought I’d share them


1. “Just about the time the shadows call, I undress my mind and dare you to follow.” –Sara Bareillis “One Sweet Love”

I feel like good, deep, meaningful conversation feels a little like this. Sharing something I don’t share with just anyone. It is a beautiful time in a relationship when you feel safe to reveal things about yourself—and in the course of revealing you build intimacy. This line from the song implies for me a sense of intimacy beyond physical intimacy. And that is beautiful. I also have to say there are times when I get done with a conversation and feel I’ve shared too much too fast—as if I was being as inappropriate as a exhibitionist. Anyone else?


2.”Yeah we’re in our twenties now, where not much is plenty now, and not enough food. It’s OK we’re in the arms of the Gypsy” –Shake Your Peace “In the Arms of the Gypsy”

Shake Your Peace was once a local artist—he’s since moved to California. He’s fun and his songs are full of life. I fell in love with this song when I heard the story behind it. He and his girlfriend decided they wanted to live in NYC so they bought an old boat called the Arms of the Gypsy and SLOWLY made their way to a bay in New York. The song inspires me to creatively reach for those dreams I have and to enjoy this very short, unique time in my twenties. One day I’ll have a house with working a/c, money to buy more than just oatmeal for breakfast, along with commitments like a mortgage and children that call me “mom.” This song reminds me that I shouldn’t get frustrated with my lack of material means and instead enjoy this time of freedom, choice, big dreams, spontaneous adventures, and fun people. It won’t last long.


3. “And I feel like I’m naked in front of the crowd cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud” –Anna Nalick “Breathe”

I don’t know what it is about this line, but I am one who loves to write in my journal. The things that go in there are at times very funny, very quirky, very sad, and very personal. It’s a place where I don’t have to care what someone else will think, I can be myself, I can vent, I can admit those weaknesses that make me feel vulnerable. I don’t feel I’m a very closed person, but I have lines I don’t necessarily let everyone cross. And sharing words from my journal would make me feel very…exposed, even naked.


4. “You wear nothing but you wear it so well.” –Dave Matthews “Crash into Me”

Josh was the one who pointed out this line to me first, and it’s stuck with me ever since. There came a time in my life when I realized that SO MANY women in my life had body image issues—the old, the beautiful, the skinny—they all had issues! I realized that I could either face those nasty thoughts I had about my body or let them haunt me the rest of my life. I am happy to say I have come to peace with my body—the flabby, hairy, stretch-marked bits and all. I’m not saying I’m perfect, I occasionally have days where I don’t feel beautiful, but all in all I’m happy. And one day when a man says to me “you wear nothing but you wear it so well” I hope I’ll be pleased enough with my beautiful body to say nothing—no contradictions, nothing—just accept the compliment like I’ve tried to accept my body.


5. “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.” “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”

I have several hymns that have touched me at different times in my life, and recently I heard the Tabernacle Choir perform a very beautiful rendition of this song. There are times at church where I just want to stand and say, “Hey guys we all know individually that we are not perfect—far from it, we even have desires to sin at times. Can we talk about this topic as if we were all a little more comfortable with admitting that?” And that’s one thing I love about these lines from this song. There is admittance of a wandering heart, but also a recognition that while at times the heart may want to wander there is an overall strong desire to be on God’s side. This definitely how I feel about my own life/spirituality. Those wandering desires never last too long in the face of my desire to do the right thing.


6. “She asked me if you would be the one for me and me the one for you. Maybe it’s OK to fall in love for just a day.” --Liz Rhodes “Scooters”

I don’t necessarily think this is my favorite line from Liz’s Red and Yellow Album, but it’s a memorable one for me. Liz has just gotten a ride home from a guy on a scooter and her grandma is the “she” in the line. I like the idea of just embracing the moment and yet letting the moment pass—not trying to hold onto what can’t be held onto. Wow, I don’t think I am explaining myself well. Let me try again.

There are times when it’s best not to pull out the camera and ruin the moment by trying to capture it. Instead I feel like these moments shouldn’t be photographed, instead they should be experienced. For example, in India there was a day when I walked home in the rain and two women from the village came and shared my umbrella with me. We couldn’t communicate much, but we did laugh all the way home. While it may have been possible to photograph the three of us there is no way to capture the joy and fun of that small moment.

I also think I get caught up in the whole “I need to get married” fever that is rampant in Provo. Not every relationship will end in marriage, but it does feel good to enjoy a relationship for what it is, not for what we would make it. Sometimes I’m quick to overlook those very meaningful friendships, sad.

On a side note, Liz Rhodes is another local artist whom I’ve heard. While she is better live, I would listen to her album at night when I couldn’t sleep in India. There is a feeling of mystery that comes with being awake at midnight or even three in the morning in an Indian village. And in some ways the melodies of Liz’s songs helped capture that for me.



Looking at all six of these I realize that half of them involve a reference to nudity of some sort. I apologize. I’m not sure why they strike me. Maybe the imagery of being nude involves a lot of vulnerability. We don’t walk around naked often (unless you’re part of a nudist colony…) and well, we also don’t allow people know our innermost thoughts often—especially thoughts about how we feel/think about ourselves. Anyway, let me know your thoughts or even lines from songs that capture your attention.