Hello and Happy Summer! Hope this quick blog post finds you doing well. We have a very exciting family update that we have been keeping close since December. This year, Steven and I became parents through adoption!!!
Our sweet son Azariah (nickname: “A-Z”) is such a blessing to us and everyone who knows him!!! We praise God for the miracle and blessing of his precious life ❤️
Hi Friends,
Thanks for being here! I haven’t sent out a mailing list update for a little while now, and felt compelled to write a short update here.
In case ya missed it, my second album ‘Stones of Remembrance’ released in full last fall! I made a podcast style YouTube video to share more about it, so I’ll leave a link here if you’re interested in that kind of thing! We also filmed a homemade music video for one of the main singles ‘Still Small Voice’ (which is my first song to include a live saxophone 🎷, which I was pretty excited about haha).
Thanks so much for listening to the songs. More music/collabs in the works <3
With much love and God bless!
Hello! Thanks for being here! Figured I’d quickly update this blog to let you know that I am currently releasing a new album one song at a time! I created a separate page on this website to share updates and more about the heart behind the album. I especially wanted there to be a place for those who aren’t on social media to check for updates and interact with the stories behind the songs, etc. The page is full of details, reflections, and options to support the making of new music, so if you want to know more then head on over to roriemusic.com/secondalbum!! (I meant to post this earlier in the year but just found it sitting in my drafts box. Thanks so much for listening to the new songs!!)
roriemusic.com/secondalbum
Hello! I’m about to release a new project, so I shared a little intro post on social media. Here’s the text for those who have found it here on my blog:
At the end of 2020, I was going through a heartbreaking miscarriage after what had already been a pretty challenging year for a number of reasons. 2021 came along and there was still a chill in the air. Not only was I processing my own life, but found myself walking beside friends and family who were enduring some unimaginable circumstances. Like many people, I could probably write pages about everything that happened in the last year and a half (but that’s for another day)! Through it all, I found myself singing new songs and waking up to write lyrics in the middle of the night because, quite honestly, I needed to whether I was going to share them or not…
What resulted is a new EP called ‘Resonate,’ which is a collection of hymns, spiritual songs and worship songs - four originals and two classics that you may recognize! The title track “Resonate” is a worship song, and was produced in Nashville by Jordan Sapp (he also produced my previously released songs “Cadence” and “Love Alive!”). The other five out of six songs were produced by me, alone in my home studio (a passion that I have rediscovered these past several months!)
As an artist, I’ve always promised myself that the songs I wrote would be honest. I long ago decided that if I wrote music that came from an honest place, then those who resonated with each individual song or album would find it somewhere along the way. The tracks on ‘Resonate’ were what I needed to create these past several months while processing both pain and hope. When creating this music, I kept having this thought that maybe there was someone - even if just one person - who was going through something during this tumultuous year and needed these songs too.
Amazing Grace. This is what I hope will be present in these songs. And if they are something that will bless you and be meaningful to you, then I hope you will find them and share them with anyone you know! The first single, which is also the title track, “Resonate,” will be out next Friday, August 27 !! and then the full EP in early September! Can’t wait to share. Thanks for reading, and more soon 🧡 With Love, Rorie
Dear Friends,
Hello! I’m in the process of finishing up some new music to release later this year, and I just remembered that I wanted to share the “Story Behind the Song” video that I made for my most recent album, ‘Valley in the Mirror.’ I posted this YouTube video in April 2020, but wanted to add it to the blog as well. To be honest, I meant to do that a long time ago, but better late than never :) The album was released on the last day of January in 2020, which was in some ways perfect timing, and in other ways crazy timing. Right before lockdown and, well, right before lockdown lol! It was so fun to create and release this album (funded by Kickstarter), and I loved creating a little podcast-style backstory. Anyway, you may have already seen it, but here it is:
Dear Friends,
You may (or may not?) have seen that I released two new singles this fall…so I wanted to hop on here and share a little behind-the-scenes for both of the songs/some random and fun facts for whoever finds themselves here reading (thanks for being here, and hello)!
My newest original “Avalanche” released a couple of weeks ago. I originally started writing this song in 2016-2018, and had thought about making it a part of my album 'Valley in the Mirror' (which released this past January, 2020!). However, this one wasn't quite ready in time, so I finished it up this summer, which seemed to make the most sense after all. "Avalanche" is a song about grieving and healing - for times when the only way around is through.
The full backstory:
A few years ago, our family went through a challenging season where we lost five relatives in a short amount of time. Four were somewhat expected (although that certainly didn’t make it easy), and one was the loss of a dear cousin, who was my age, in a tragic accident. I started to experience that feeling when the world feels upended, but everything else keeps going on as “normal.” My immediate reaction to this was to force myself to write a song about it, because songwriting has always been one of my main ways of coping with and responding to life. I soon realized that it wasn’t that easy. I had the theme and the emotion for the song, but I couldn’t write it. I would write draft after draft and end up tossing it. I was trying to use writing as an immediate way to process and grieve, but the time hadn’t passed yet. Fast forward to this year. Honestly, I stopped trying to write a super profound or monumental song, and just told it like it was. The second verse is based on a real recurring dream that I kept having, and I finally wrote my first full draft of the song after waking up crying (don’t worry, I’m ok! God is good, and sometimes these emotions are actually a beautiful and realistic part of life, no matter how unwanted or awful they may be). I’ve realized that these are the things in life that we don’t ever really move on from or get over, but rather they become a part of us. I will never forget these family members – and I will certainly be telling my kids stories about them in the years to come. It’s good to be honest about how hard these things are, and how sometimes the process takes longer than expected (and that’s ok).
The Music Video:
For the music video, my husband and I filmed it all with an iPhone, and super close to our apartment during quarantine. I also went down to the river by myself with a step stool and a bag of flowers and filmed the floral overlays. It was actually kind of funny because there were a lot of people in the park and I was standing on a step stool holding a rose into the sun and then dropping a bouquet into the river. I got a lot of curious stares and realized how much I’ve grown not to care what people think if it’s for the sake of “the art.” (I used to get SO nervous when I filmed my first videos). Here’s a goofy selfie and some screenshots of what the roses looked like before they were added to the actual video:
Stream the song on Spotify/Apple Music/etc here: https://ffm.to/rorieavalanche
Watch the music video on YouTube in 4k:
In early September, I released my own rendition of the classic hymn "Be Thou My Vision." Though a little different in style from my other music, I've had ideas to create songs like this for years. Having played this song many times at church, I always pictured a version with just vocals, piano, and strings. I can still remember one of the first times that I sang this song, standing in a pew as a kid. I remember thinking that it was one of the most beautiful melodies I had ever heard, and being amazed at how timeless and worshipful it sounded hearing everyone sing together. There are many other stories about why this hymn means a lot to me, but it would take too long to write them all. I think it speaks for itself (and I can say that because I didn’t write it, haha). You can listen to it here: https://ffm.to/bethoumyvision
Or watch the lyric video here:
Fun fact about the lyric video…we filmed the outdoor footage at sunrise after hiking through the woods in the dark for about a mile to get to the little shore. We actually used a real lantern to make our way and avoid stepping on any snakes!
I also debated on whether or not to share this next part (because I’m going to use this concept again), but thought it might be fun since you’re actually taking the time to read my random stories :). I designed the song cover by drawing a little window and throwing some paint together. Super random looking, right? Then, my friend Camilla (who has done all of the design for my albums) helped me combine the two, and that’s how we ended up with the final version:
Both of these songs were produced and mixed by me during this crazy year, and I’m very excited to share that I’m working on creating two new EPs, one that each of these songs will eventually be a part of. They (the EPs) are still very much in process, and I don’t have a current timeline for the release or anything yet. My goal is that at least one of them will release next year, but I’ll keep you posted!
2020 has been a strange, and often-times tumultuous year for all of us. I hope that the music will be a blessing to you and give you a moment of peace, wherever/whenever you are listening. You are very loved and your life has great purpose. As always, THANK YOU for listening, and talk to you soon! xoxo, Rorie
I can honestly say that I haven't written a blog post in forever - not because I don't want to - but because I'm not sure if anyone reads blogs anymore. It actually makes me kind of sad that blogs aren't a thing these days. I used to love sitting down to read captivating stories about people's lives. There was something nice about being able to take it in doses, and it was an exciting thing to catch up on unread posts. Now we are bombarded with SO much content - little mini blog posts in the form of Instagram posts, and double the amount of Instagram Stories or TikTok posts (are they called posts? l don’t even know lol). Information now comes at us in a constant, steady stream - kind of like an IV.
I've realized that this happens with music too. There is so much music being released, and it can sometimes feel overwhelming to keep up with everything. Because of that, I thought I would update my blog with an Album Release Announcement post, just in case someone new is clicking around this site. If you're here: thank you for reading! Thank you for being here! Thank you for being you!!
After releasing EPs for the past few years, my first ever FULL-LENGTH album, 'Valley in the Mirror' is officially out in the world! You can stream it everywhere here. You can also find physical CDs and *vinyl* copies of the record here at my merch store. I will soon be posting a podcast-style YouTube video with stories behind the songs and the album title, etc!
These past two weeks have been a beautiful whirlwind as we performed two Album Release Shows in DC (Jammin Java) and NYC (Rockwood Music Hall). Thank you to each and every one of you who joined us for those celebrations! I had so much fun, and can't wait for the next show.
Stay in the loop for more announcements this year! It’s just the beginning 🦋 Thanks again for being here.
With Love,
Rorie
- originally published February 23, 2019 -
Dear Friends,
I am bursting with excitement and thrilled to share that I just launched a Kickstarter Campaign to record my first ever full-length album!!! If you’ve been following my career for the past five years, you probably know that this has been a big dream of mine. Through working other jobs, I’ve been able to self-fund the EPs and singles I’ve released (except for Restore, which was also a product of a Kickstarter Campaign), but I finally felt like it was time to record an LP. In summer 2017, I had an idea for a title (to be shared upon the album release), and had an idea of some of the songs that I wanted to include. From there, everything started flowing. By mid 2018 I had written the full album and dreamed up the vision.
Fast-forward to now. The campaign has launched and this post is really just a formality to invite you over to Kickstarter, where you can be a part of making this record possible. I’ve worked a lot to get some of the pieces together so far, but as a completely independent artist, I really need help to make it happen. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE CAMPAIGN:
It is my hope that this new record will open up more doors musically – that I’ll be able to go on at least a small tour and have the chance to sing for you and meet you in person! I have ideas for professional music videos and homemade lyric videos…it’s going to be such a fun season. Most importantly, I can’t wait to finally be able to share more music with you. I am so excited about these songs, and can hardly wait for you to hear more.
In the meantime, check out the Kickstarter Campaign here with lots more info !!!: roriekickstarter.com
and please e-mail me with any questions about the project and/or your interest in becoming a backer!! rorie@roriemusic.com
With Love,
Rorie
- originally published October 17, 2018 -
My favorite color used to be lime green. I loved it so much that I even even bought the lime green version of the Ti85 calculator for algebra and calc classes (whenever I got a wrong answer, my teacher would jokingly say, “that’s because your calculator is green.” I did get the right answer sometimes too ;)) People used to tell me that I’d probably change my mind when I got older. Well, maybe that is true. I do have a new favorite “color combo.” It’s one that has found it’s way into apartment decor, the colors I gravitate toward in fashion and photography, and more. Purple + Silver.
I recently learned of Biblical and literary motifs where Silver is a color of redemption, and Purple is a color of royalty. I started thinking about all of the things I knew of that related to silver: a silver medal (second place), silver/gray hair, C.S. Lewis’ book ‘The Silver Chair’ (where there are indeed symbols of redemption, and being set free), the phrase “silver lining,” and the beginning of the story of Les Mis:
The main character and ex-convict Jean Valjean is finally let out on parole, and no one will take him in. He finds his way to a church where he is shown true hospitality. Out of desperation, Valjean tries to escape in the middle of the night with some silver candlesticks. A group of gendarmes finds him and brings him before the bishop, telling him that this man has stolen his silver. The bishop completely shocks Valjean when he proceeds to tell the officers that “the silver was given to him as a gift, and speaking of, he forgot to take the two other silver goblets with him when he left!” After they leave, the Bishop tells Valjean that he must “use this precious silver to become an honest man.” He challenges him to a higher plan for his life, and just like that, Valjean’s life is redeemed. He becomes an influential person who spends a lifetime living in grace, even through some incredibly trying plot twists, and is able to help and show love and compassion to a lot of people.
As a synesthete, I am always fascinated by colors, their meanings, and how they relate to stories, sounds, numbers, etc. I had never really thought about the inner meanings of this color palette that I enjoy so much, but when I realized that there was such cool symbolism, I knew I had to share! Here’s to a wonderful combination of redemption and royalty.
What are your favorite colors and what do they mean/what do they mean to you?
- originally published December 3, 2017 -
Fall and Rise talks about the ebb and flow – the rise and fall – of life. There are great seasons, and there are horrible seasons. There are ups and downs, and if you’re like me, you experience those ups and downs in the same day (or hour, or minute!). In all seriousness though, I have found that in those dark moments, it is so important to know and believe that the story does not end there. So I thought of the idea of flipping the phrase “rise and fall” to “fall and rise,” and I was particularly inspired because this year has been a really hard year in many ways for a lot of the people closest to me. The song came together in one sitting this past summer. I liked it, but thought I would “save it for later.” Then, I played it at a few shows, and multiple people kept singling out, so at the very last minute (like, two days before I went back into the studio!) I switched out another song for this one, and I’m glad that I did because this ended up being probably my favorite on the EP. Tommee and I recorded it with a variety of sections (rises and falls…) and a cinematic feel, with the hopes that it might one day get picked up for TV+film.
LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE: fanlink.to/RorieDawnEP
- originally published December 11, 2017 -
Measureless is a song about the immeasurable love of God. The kind of love that is not afraid to enter into the most hopeless places and situations, being not only so vast and beyond our imagination, but also closer than we can comprehend. One of my favorite lines in this song is “walls guarding all I’ve failed to prove / start to shake within the wild truth.” No matter what kind of strength we are able to muster up in this life, or how many times we fail, or whatever we face, grace is greater. Life isn’t easy, but knowing that you’re loved changes everything, and I truly believe that we are set free when we believe that. When I wrote and recorded this song, I imagined taking a blanket out into the middle of a field with a few friends, and looking up and seeing a sky glimmering with endless stars (this sonic imagery is actually drawn from a real experience in college when a group of friends and I did just that). I also wanted to create something that sounded as though John Mark McMillan and Florence and the Machine (two of my favorite artists!) made a song together, but maybe don’t tell them I said that…
LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE: fanlink.to/RorieDawnEP
- originally published December 18, 2017 -
Dawn is a song about perseverance. It’s about wrestling with questions and facing the unknown, even if it means staying up all night, metaphorically or literally, while you move through whatever it is. In the past I’ve written a lot of songs with lyrics that are more “wordy” (I love words) – so for this song, I wanted to write something that was more straight-forward and declarative. I ended up singing the lyrics and melody to myself for the first time on the way to the dry-cleaners on a January evening.
*If you joined the live Q&A that I did on facebook on the eve of the EP release (here’s a link to the replay if you missed it!), then you heard this anecdote: a couple of days before the EP released, I was driving down the same road that I had taken to the dry cleaners on that January evening last winter. There was a street sign leading to a small, offshoot road…and I suddenly read the name on the sign: “DAWN DR.” I kind of gasped and started laughing, realizing that I had probably read that sign subconsciously before making up the song. It didn’t register in my mind because, at that point in time, I had no idea that it was going to turn into something that I would end up releasing, let alone the inspiration for the title of an EP!
Anyway, back to the serious description: I was thinking about how easy it is to unintentionally give up on something that is actually important to us (note: there’s a huge difference between good, intentional rest, and just giving up). A lot of times we aren’t faced with two options: keep going, or don’t. Apathy creeps in slowly, and usually in disguise. It’s easy to say we’re not going to give up when things are looking promising, but when you’re facing what seems like complete failure or an unknown future, that’s when the choice becomes real. It takes real faith and grace to see it through until that literal or metaphorical dawn.
LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE: fanlink.to/RorieDawnEP
- originally published November 30, 2017 -
It’s really no secret that writers and poets have been captivated by dawn (the time of day) for centuries, and this little blurb that you are about to read is no exception. Every time I write and release music, it feels like my whole life story and the state of my mind are being poured out into the studio and uploaded to the internet, so I try to choose titles carefully…
The dictionary definition of dawn is: “the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise.” Wikipedia is careful to emphasize that it is before and different from the sunrise. There is also another definition, for the verb tense of the word: “become evident to the mind; be perceived or understood.”
There is some light, but it is not quite day. You can suddenly see where you are headed, but you are still aware that you are not quite there yet. I’ve always seen tension as a catalyst for art, and here in the tension of the “not yet” and “what once was,” is that first glimpse of light – the dawn.
In these songs, I talk about some of the stuff that can be a bit difficult to talk about: doubt, depression, difficult seasons, success, failure, loss, real love, perseverance, and faith – in my life and those around me. If I was releasing a larger project, there would probably be a greater variety of themes present throughout the songs … but I have realized that there was something truly purposeful about being in the place and time that resulted in this music.
Dawn is hopeful. In the Bible, David says “My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn...” Dawn is the beginning of something, and it happens over and over again, every day. In 2017, I sat here looking out into that in-between. Maybe you have a similar experience. Whatever the reason you found yourself reading this, maybe something in one of these four new songs will resonate with you. Thank you for reading, thank you for listening, and thank you for being you.
xoxo,
RORIE
LISTEN TO THE EP HERE: fanlink.to/RorieDawnEP
- originally published November 26, 2017 -
Before I begin: these stories are little doors into my personal thought process and inspiration as I wrote these songs. As a poetic songwriter, I really value listener interpretation, as there is something special about listening to a song and making it your own. The other day, someone told me about another interpretation for “Gold” based on a relationship story, which I thought was incredibly cool. That being said, I’m excited to share these stories over the coming weeks, but if there is something in one of these songs that I don’t mention, it can certainly still be part of your personal listening experience.
—
So there is a bit of a theme to the songs on this EP. I’ll be honest and say that it was unintentional, however, as the choice for which songs I was going to record this summer played out, I realized that the four I chose were the right ones simply because they said exactly what I needed to say this year. Gold is about that fight for “success,” and whatever image we have of that in our head or whatever we feel has been impressed upon us. I wrote this in a season where I felt really wrapped up in an expectation of what I should be doing, or how things “should be.” I think it’s good to realize that things aren’t quite how they should be in life, but I noticed that within this intense pressure I was actually stifling the value of what I did have, and the beautiful people I live life with. There is a whole lot lot more to life than what we have, what we do, or what we achieve. I wrote the song during the summer, so it has a sort of anthemic but light, floating feeling to it. I wanted it to be open to interpretation, but to also instill that feeling of finding light in the middle of the fight.
LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE: fanlink.to/RorieDawnEP
- originally published September 17, 2017 -
Last winter, I had an idea for a single cover, but didn’t have the budget to plan a whole professional photo shoot. So I started brainstorming ways to take the photo within the confines of our tiny apartment – and that is how this came about:
If you haven’t heard the song: –> YOU CAN LISTEN HERE <–! But the motive of today’s blog post is to give away all of my secrets, step-by-step, and perhaps convince you that you too can take a photo in your kitchen and use it for a professional endeavor. I mean, if you want to of course.
1. Dream up an idea
2. Notice that the light looks best streaming through the kitchen window in the winter
3. Schedule the photo shoot for a Saturday morning in January
4. Spend a few cold winter nights making a basket-full of paper cranes out of light grey paper that you could only seem to find in bulk at Office Depot (about $11.00)
5. Go to the fabric store and find three things: 1. The very last piece of shiny, iridescent fabric (about $12) and 2. a spool of shiny, iridescent basket filling material ($4.99) 3. Clear Fishing Thread (~$3.75) 4. Painters tape (I already had this, but I think it’s about $3 at Home Depot)
6. Take the original fabric that you had used as shutter curtains (shown above) off, and (using the painters tape), temporarily replace with the basket filling material. Make sure you remember that this new material is see-through and does not count as curtains!
7. Take the clear fishing thread and cut long pieces to hang from the ceiling (also using painters tape). Stand on a step stool to tape the birds to the ceiling (try not to fall)
8. Take your piano bench – which just happens to be the perfect height – and set it in front of the window
9. Invite your mom, Kathy, over to help you with the camera (thanks mom you are the best!). Adjust the settings how you want them, and take a bunch of photos
10. Choose the one that you’d like to use, and send to your super-talented friend/colleague Camilla to work some magic…because I don’t know about you but stovetops do not belong on a song cover unless, of course, the song is about a stove, or cooking, or something that I probably won’t write about any time soon.
11. And there ya go! Those are all the kitchen-based photo shoot secrets I have for today…and probably for a while. A few months at least.
- originally published on September 8, 2017 -
Dear Friends,
Helloooo! I’m here today to tell you a bit about a new project I’m about to release this Fall. I had the opportunity to work with an incredible producer named Tommee Profitt: and we created a 4 song EP that I couldn’t be more excited to share with you!
The first single – DAWN – drops Friday, September 15 (and the full EP will be out in November), and I am asking for YOUR help. If you love what you hear, these are a couple things you can do:
Share with your music-loving friends and family, both online and in person!
Follow on Spotify / Subscribe on YouTube / Instagram / Facebook – I mean, you get it. There are people asking you to do this all the time, but it really does help, and I would sure love to share lots of great content with you this season!
Add the song(s) to your Spotify/Apple Music Playlists! Playlists are huge right now for artists!
Leave a Review on iTunes – it really does help when people are browsing around to discover new tunes!
I am always writing and planning to make more music – but before I make an album or anything like that, I am needing to grow to be able to afford a big project (or even another small project). If you really want to support these projects financially, you can download the song on iTunes for $1.29, or on Bandcamp (where you can name your price – they’ll be up here when the full EP releases). Huge thank yous to those who have tipped on ConcertWindow this year – you help to make this possible, and I am constantly blown away by your support!
I can honestly say that it is your support and friendship that keeps me writing new songs and I am FOREVER grateful to share this journey and great passion with you.
Thanks again for everything. Can’t wait to share these songs with you.
Yours Truly,
RORIE
- originally published June 1, 2017 -
the details, pt 2. // the taste of sound when you’re playing the piano.
sometimes, it’s that iconic image of writer + pen + paper, 8am at the kitchen table: free-writing that turns into serious writing that turns into some kind of finished product, and it was a day well spent.
but most of the time, it’s not like that at all. it’s the lyric that pops into your brain on the way to the dry-cleaners. humming a line into your phone while stopped at the stoplight. waking up in the middle of the night to scribble something in your journal so you don’t forget.
it’s the worst things in life turning into the best songs. it’s the best things in life that make you dance. it’s the taste of sound when you’re playing the piano. it’s the feeling when you’re at a concert and all of the sudden there’s something new humming through your head, buzzing.
it’s watching (over and over again) everything that you didn’t understand suddenly making sense. making sense of the misunderstood, over and over again. pen + paper + whenever it happens, over and over again.
- originally published March 9, 2017 -
the details, pt 1. // coming home from work.
every minute is a detail. every note, every color, every word.
sometimes, I get so caught up in the big picture – the goal, the intent – that I forget about all of the moments in-between.
blue-velvet clouds overwhelm the sky, and I watch them from the fifth floor. the sun sinks a bit too early, and our little city is veiled in dark. but glittering stars and lamplights keep the dreamers awake.
when I get home to that evening light slanting through the halfway open blinds, and realize that we forgot to take out the trash. when there are piles of dishes and medical bills and Christmas cards from two years ago on the fridge.
the way the phone rings, the way the tea tastes. the way your heart shakes inside a fragile mess of bones. the way you can feel so anxious, but know you’re not alone.
life is a canvas full of details – let me see it all up close.
- originally published March 9, 2017 -
I think it was a few days after New Years when I broke down over something random, and then realized that part of the reason for my sadness was simple: somewhere along the way there seemed to be nothing “new” anymore.
A family loss right before Christmas. The quiet of winter. No snow (ha, but really though).
Then this weird thing started happening: everything in life started connecting. For example, I had this idea to write a series on my blog about “the details.” I’d pick an everyday scenario (eg, coming home from work at the end of the day) and then write down a series of details, trying to capture even the unassuming ones. Then, I saw an article with a quote from the book “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” which I immediately remembered that my friend Laura had told me to read years ago. It was the same day that I came down with the virus that everyone had last month (ugh), so I went to the library to find it (it’s always nice to have a book to read when you’re not feeling well).
It didn’t take me long to discover that I absolutely love the book, and I laughed at the critics online who said that there was simply “too much detail”. There is a whole section where the main character Francie decides that she wants to focus in on every detail of a moment:
“But she didn’t want to recall things. She wanted to live things – or as a compromise, re-live rather than reminisce. She decided to fix this time in her life exactly the way it was this instant. Perhaps that way she could hold on to it as a living thing and not have it become something called a memory. […] She brought her eyes close to the surface of her desk and examined the patterned grain of the wood […] She dropped it into the metal wastebasket counting the seconds it took to fall. She listened intently so as not to miss its almost noiseless thud as it hit the bottom. […] Francie heard, as it for the first time, the sound the desk drawer made when she opened it to get her purse. She noted the device of the purse’s catch – the sound of its click. She felt the leather, memorized its smell and studied the whirling on the black moiré-silk lining. She read the dates on the coins in her change purse. There was a new 1917 penny which she put in the envelope.”
If Francie (or the author, Betty Smith) was alive today, I would like to read her blog. Sorry Francie, I know blogs did not exist in 1917 – but I’m glad we get to read about you in your book (which is a new favorite).
That’s when it kind of hit me. Maybe it wasn’t that there was nothing new in life. Maybe I needed to PAY CLOSER ATTENTION. These details were not to be overlooked.
The connections haven’t stopped there. At the end of last year, I wrote about how I was inspired to declare “perseverance” as my word for 2017. Since that day, the word and concept have been jumping out at me everywhere. Like, everywhere.
I have been inspired to write new songs, and the literal metaphors (those words are confusing next to each other, but bear with me) that I used later showed up as themes in a conversation participated in, or a sermon listened to. This has happened a lot, and I hesitate to try and explain it all, but it has been too present to ignore. Do you ever experience one of those blessings that you know should just be absorbed and not shouted from the rooftops? Yup. There have definitely been some of those.
It is so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that there is nothing new. As long as we are breathing, there is purpose here. “[God’s] mercies are new every morning” (Lam. 3:22-23) There is something incredible that happens when we pay attention. Suddenly, we find our lives intersecting with the lives of others in ways that we never planned or anticipated. Maybe it’s a new friendship. Maybe it’s having the opportunity to help a total stranger, only to realize that by helping them, they have helped you even more. In reality, there are so many things in our lives that beg to not be taken for granted.
These past two months have reminded me of two quotes that I love:
“…that beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will or sense them. The least we can do is try to be there.” – Annie Dillard
“Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” – Mary Oliver
I don’t know about you – but I am actually really looking forward to paying attention, being astonished, and telling (more like writing/singing) about it soon. What has amazed you recently? I’d love to hear about it.
- originally published February 1, 2017 -
When I moved here, I was reeling from all of the transition a bit more than I wanted to admit. When conversations with friends were suddenly made via phone or long texts sent at stoplights (rather than walking 10 feet to the next house over, letting myself in the unlocked door, and helping myself to my friend Rachel’s groceries before she even returned from class), I started falling into a daze of nostalgia with way too much time to think. But I’ve learned that the best way to get excited about living in a new city is to explore as much as possible…
It didn’t take me long to realize that there was something really special about living right next to a river. When I was a kid, I would read book after book of historical fiction goodness where characters escaped through the forest next to their little wooden house and spent hours adventuring by the nearby river, or creek, or pond. I used to pretend that I lived by a river too – but the only body of water that I could see on a daily basis was a man-made pond near our neighborhood, full of keep out signs about “electric shock” and “no fishing.”
Now that we live in a city right next to a river, I have realized the effect that this has on my mood. Sometimes, the river is peaceful, sunny, and a bit too bright to look at until sunset. Other days, I’m driving to work and the water is full of dark fog and haze. Other times, I’m running and the clouds are full of color, whispering over the water. Sometimes the water is choppy and stormy, completely mirroring my emotions. And then there’s the water at night: with city lights, the bridge, the ferris wheel. Riding bikes over the pedestrian side of the bridge after dark and seeing the whole city across the water. Sitting on the bench by the water and writing. Watching little sailboats glide across the blue on an early July morning. Seeing the water ice over in the winter. Visiting the hidden lighthouse and taking photos of rocks by the water.
Can you tell I’m obsessed?
Living by the river has reminded me to be patient, and to never give up the opportunity for a grand adventure. What is special about the place where you live? What makes your neighborhood, town, or city unique? I’ve lived in a variety of places and I can assure you, there is always something.
some river photos:
