Something to keep in mind

I am currently reading a Bob Dylan book entitled Watching the River Flow and I came across an interesting observation. "Another problem, and in a way a much more serious one, is the widespread desire to "find out" what Dylan's trying to say instead of listening to what he is saying. Not being able to hear something, because you're too busy listening for the message, is a particularly American malady. There's a tragic lack of freedom in being unable to respond to things because you've been trained to await the commercial and conditioned to listen for the bell. Take a look at a great painting, or a Polaroid snapshot. Does it have a message? A song is a picture. You see it; more accurately, you see it, taste it, feel it, (love it and/or despise it). Telling a guy to listen to a song is like giving him a dime for the roller coaster. Its an experience. A song is an experience. The guy who writes the song and the guy who sings it each feel something; the idea is to get you to feel the same thing or something like it. And you can feel it without knowing what it is."

The line of communication that has just been opened between us friends could be nothing more than another line of communication OR it could be the oppurtunity we've all been hesitant to create for ourselves. Only time will tell. I found this particular quote interesting when taken out of its context. What I mean is that it can be related to relationships as well. A relationship, similiar to a picture or song, is an even bigger complexity that you can feel, taste, see, love and hate.

What I have been thinking about lately is that maybe ive been trying to associate a certain feeling, idea, defintion, etc. to the relationships that I have. I think that the actual experience of knowing someone or that can be shared with someone can be commonly underappreciated. The types of relationships you have with others largely define who you are and you can still love and appreciate them without knowing exactly what they are.

In all honesty, there are many relationships in my life right now in which I dont exactly know what they are or where they are going. But that doesnt mean that I am not going to enjoy them or give them my undivided attention. I am a firm believer that you only get in return what you put into something. Take this for what it is worth to you, but I thought that it was something to keep in mind.


-T.C.