What does a kiss mean?
It's a question I've spent a considerable amount of time pondering lately. It's easy to write a kiss off, to oversimplify it.
When I kissed my wife, it was usually a way of saying, "Hi, I love you," or, "It's good to see you." Sitting on the couch watching TV, I'd lean over and kiss her on her head, if only to remind her, and myself, that I was there, and I loved her.
There's a lot of different types of kiss, and they can all mean different things. A peck on the cheek among friends is a simple expression of platonic affection. A big, wet smooch is a dramatic way to say hello. A soft caress on the neck shows a deep, burning love. Making out is primal lust, pure and simple. A deep, passionate kiss means something else, but a meaning that is not predetermined. The depth of passion can be driven by love, lust, and everything in between. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss.
A kiss can say whatever you want it to say.
The trick, my friends, is to not let a kiss fool you. If you're looking for love, you'll find it in a kiss, even if it's not there.
Which brings up another good point: don't let a fool kiss you. We've all (probably) been the fool, thinking we're falling in love over a kiss, and we've all kissed the fool, who doesn't understand.
I have always been told to remember this: don't let a kiss fool you.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Hello, Old Friend
I remembered tonight why I started playing music in the first place.
I was asked by a couple of old friends, with whom I used to play in a couple of bands, to help them host an open jam they had lined up, but had no front man. Play some tunes, make a few bucks, I'm game. The lead up to the gig was particularly stressful for me; it's been years since I've even thought about most of the material we would be playing. My amp didn't work, and most of my gear was sketchy at best. So I got the gear working, went over some songs, packed my car up, and made the trek out to Harrison for the gig.
The gig is somewhere between open jam and open mic, with the fare being somewhere between blues standards and radio favorites, played by patrons between the best and worst of musician and singer. We back them all. One guy played with us for about an hour, playing songs we had all sort of heard, and we made him sound good. I fed off the mutual energy on stage, and the little bit coming in from the audience. I felt a high I haven't felt in years.
But the problem with a high is the inevitable crash.
As I sit here, I feel worn, deeply, as if my soul itself is exhausted. For me, there's a certain emptiness that comes with the crash; I gave of myself, and what I got in return has been spent, and so have I. It's a deep, dark place to be.
But it's worth it.
The high is well-worth the low, by far. I remember why I started playing in the first place. It was nice to see my old friend The Stage tonight, and I hope to see her again soon.
I was asked by a couple of old friends, with whom I used to play in a couple of bands, to help them host an open jam they had lined up, but had no front man. Play some tunes, make a few bucks, I'm game. The lead up to the gig was particularly stressful for me; it's been years since I've even thought about most of the material we would be playing. My amp didn't work, and most of my gear was sketchy at best. So I got the gear working, went over some songs, packed my car up, and made the trek out to Harrison for the gig.
The gig is somewhere between open jam and open mic, with the fare being somewhere between blues standards and radio favorites, played by patrons between the best and worst of musician and singer. We back them all. One guy played with us for about an hour, playing songs we had all sort of heard, and we made him sound good. I fed off the mutual energy on stage, and the little bit coming in from the audience. I felt a high I haven't felt in years.
But the problem with a high is the inevitable crash.
As I sit here, I feel worn, deeply, as if my soul itself is exhausted. For me, there's a certain emptiness that comes with the crash; I gave of myself, and what I got in return has been spent, and so have I. It's a deep, dark place to be.
But it's worth it.
The high is well-worth the low, by far. I remember why I started playing in the first place. It was nice to see my old friend The Stage tonight, and I hope to see her again soon.
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