What did we do? We worked on a new song. It's one we've been kicking around for a bit. It's tricky, has lots of parts, some finger-picking, some vigorous strumming. The lyrics are great, my partner's voice is beautiful. I did my best to keep up. Still a work in progress.
We also had a fabulous meal: Thai food. Fresh, delicious, heavy on brocoli & tofu. So, so good.
I finished "Norwegian Wood," (1987) a novel from Haruki Murakami. The title, of course, comes from a John Lennon song. The book is a powerfully-beautiful piece of writing. So vivid. Just totally great, captivating; an overwhelmingly wonderful novel. One of the best I have ever read. What's it about? Being a unique, distinctive, discerning Human Being in a big, amazing, and sometimes brutal & uncaring world. Also how to be totally fiercely, uniquely you. How to find love. How to navigate the reality of Life & Death, the double-sided coin of the realm; Life & Death always walking hand in hand. It's a coming of age story. Amazing & gratifying how a vivid narrative written by Murakami in 1987, a story narrated by a Japanese student in 1970, resonates so deeply with me; a fellow human being worlds and ages away. A mysterious and fabulous connection via the written word, transcending time, place, circumstance. Music, fashion & pop culture ring resoundingly across the decades and the continents.
To see the world thru a very different human being's eyes, a gift, refreshing & renewing, a head & eye opening experience.
I was inspired to turn to my Beatles albums as my soundtrack all day, yesterday. It was all Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and The White Album (1968). It wasn't nostalgia. It almost felt like hearing these songs for the first time, once again, thru new ears. Thanks to Murakami. So wild, so good. Which album is my favorite? Can't decide. Love all of them. Hell, it was such an exuberant, fun, creatively satifsying soundtrack I think I will play all those albums again today too.
Yeah. It was a nice, easy & very soulful way to end 2023. Hard to believe I am still here in 2024. I mean, yikes, that's the future, man. Happy to still be here, none the less. I say, onward, upward & damn the torpedoes. I wonder what's gonna happen next? The future is unwritten...
