It’s hard to believe nearly 18 months ago Monica, Farrah and I moved to Brooklyn. Remembering the fun times, it seems to have blown by. But, when looking back on each of our posts for this blog it seems like a lifetime ago. While I know each of us will admit this was a difficult task to take on, I’m glad we took the challenge.
As a result, we spent the majority of the last year questioning our faith, discovering what is most important, and sharing it with each other and Busted Halo readers. I think we all learned a little more about ourselves in the process too.
Before I met Monica in college I didn’t have any Jewish friends. So, when I moved in with her and Farrah I was quickly introduced to many new traditions and beliefs. I attended my first Shabbat when Farrah hosted one at the apartment and soon learned to steer clear of her kosher cookware. Farrah’s unwavering faith and my heart-to-heart talks with Monica made me question my Catholic upbringing and the majority of my posts have reflected this as well as intertwined my love of music.
Writing for Busted Halo opened me up to new adventures including a trip to Madrid for World Youth Day, something I will always be grateful for. I stepped foot in Spain unsure of what would occur during my time there and left in awe. The people I met; the kids, nuns, priests, all provided answers to my innermost questions and while I wouldn’t quite call my experience a spiritual awakening, it did make me more conscious about praying and accepting my Catholic beliefs. In part, I think it did have an impact on my decision to attend church every week this year.
While 2012 ends this blog as a writing outlet for us, the things I’ve learned about myself and my roommates in the process will stay with me forever. Additionally, my ability to open up and write from my experiences in first person has continued to shape me and …
Full disclosure: I never thought much about prayer before Farrah, Monica and I started this blog. Praying wasn’t something I did on a daily basis and I certainly didn’t openly talk about it. But, a change of events and a new job opportunity has made me reflect on the power of prayer.
When I was in Madrid this past summer covering World Youth Day and went to confession for the first time in 10 years, the priest told me I should pray every day and talk to God as if he was a friend. I had trouble doing this at first as my prayers and thoughts in my head would ramble. So, I decided to write them down instead and found this to make more sense.
Going to church each week made it easier to pray and reflect and though I often prayed I felt weird asking for things. I didn’t want to be selfish when so many people were worse off than me, even though it became clear that I needed a new job or to take on more freelance work to remain living in Brooklyn.
After talking with a friend, she stressed that its not wrong to ask for something. Two church services further contributed to that idea when the takeaways that left the biggest impact on me were “Ask and you shall receive” and “Make your requests known.”
So I prayed and asked for my second New Years resolution — a full time job in music. Maybe the stars all aligned, or I was in the right place at the right time, but I’m fairly certain countless prayers had something to do with it.
After receiving and accepting a full time job offer in music I was overwhelmed by the response from everyone around me. My dad said every time he passed a cemetery he’d pray for me, my aunt and her prayer group prayed for me when my mom told her about my first interview and all my friends and cousins showered me with endless support and confidence. Overall, I …
Earlier this month, I wrote about one of my resolutions to go to church every Sunday. After doing some research I was surprised to learn that there are five Catholic churches within walking distance of my apartment. Now I really don’t have an excuse to not attend.
However, when I woke up New Years Day after hosting a New Years Eve party the night before, church was the last place I wanted to be. But, when Monica told me one of our friends woke up early to head back to Jersey for church I knew I couldn’t complain, especially since the Mass I planned on attending was right across the street.
So, I went.
But the next Sunday I didn’t.
Feeling that Catholic guilt I’ve heard so much about but never experienced firsthand, I decided to find a Mass to go to during the week. Determined not to break my resolution I realized while attending every Sunday is ideal, sometimes life gets in the way of things. But, that doesn’t mean I have to forfeit church the entire week.
Freelancing from home gives me the flexibility to take a break during lunch and head to the 12:15 service, which I did that week and earlier today.
I know going to church every Sunday shouldn’t be a difficult thing to do, but I’m still working at it. After attending Mass once each week in January, I’m more certain I can make it work.
As my friend Esther calls it, what occurred a month ago was the shave heard round the world. Yes, famed former Chasidic reggae star Matisyahu, aka Matthew Miller, did what the general public saw as a drastic act, a visible break from Chasidic Judaism, leaving some to question if Matisyahu was even Jewish anymore.
I saw the photo in the morning via comedian Ari Teman‘s comment on Facebook. Yes, it was surprising, and it took me a minute to realize what I was looking at, but I don’t think I gave it more than 5 minutes of thought. So he shaved off his beard. So what? Yet mine didn’t seem to be the popular opinion. Soon posts about Matisyahu’s beard, or lack thereof, were all over my Facebook and Twitter feeds. Gossip sites and news outlets were reporting on it. Fans were in a panic, as if Matisyahu’s beard was responsible for his talent. Religious Jews were scared that he was headed “off the derech (path)”, questioning his observance. Even my friends were asking if I heard about it and what I thought this meant. My only concerns were for his three young boys – that they should be able to understand that their dad is the same person even if he looks differently — and his wife – that their marriage should be able to sustain any other changes this external one might bring.
But other than that, I really thought everyone was making a bit too big of a deal. After all, isn’t Judaism supposed to allow for change? For growth and evolution, the ability to question, to try out different practices and find what’s right for you? And shouldn’t this apply to everyone and not exclude “Chassidic reggae superstars” despite that our children look up to them?
A man can do whatever he wants with his facial hair and the rest of his external appearance. His speech and his actions are what really count.
Happy (belated) New Year! 2012 is finally here and each person I come across has such a positive feeling towards what this year will bring, as do I. I’ve made a few resolutions this year and while I’ve failed to achieve some years prior (ie. learn guitar), others I’m determined to keep. This year, one of my goals is going to Mass each week.
A rather lofty resolution, after writing about and questioning my faith over the past year-and-a-half on this very blog, I’ve been reflecting on a lot of the comments I’ve received, many of which have advised me to spend time in church every Sunday. I admit I’m still conflicted on why it’s a necessity to go to Mass each week, especially when my friends or family ask me why this was my major resolution of the year. But, today it all came to me, fittingly while sitting in the Catholic church a block away from my apartment.
After the priest talked a great deal about vocation and how important it is that more young Catholics consider a career with the Church, he went on to explain how Jesus often asks us what we’re seeking from life. Which, in turn made me think, “What am I seeking?” Why is my resolution this year to go to church every Sunday? While part of it was sparked by the article, “What To Know When You’re 25(ish)” in Relevant Magazine, the other part was clearly out of my own free will.
As I reflected on his message it hit me: I’m seeking stability. My career has been a roller coaster ride and my personal life has been equally unpredictable, but my faith doesn’t have to be. I would love for at least one part of my life to make sense and be reliable, and maybe going to church every Sunday will provide that for me. At least I hope so. While I realize prayer is important, maybe physically going to Mass each week will provide that stability that I crave. We’ll …
Earlier this week, a friend sent me an article that linked to two YouTube videos Ben Breedlove posted a few days before his death on Christmas Day. At just 18-years-old, Breedlove lost his life to his battle with a heart condition. Having cheated death several times, Breedlove posted his thoughts and fears when he approached that “big bright light” above him.
What struck me most about Breedlove is that he is just like all of us. Though he had a severe heart condition, he hoped that “I could be the same as everybody else. But that is one thing that I learned to live with and accept.”
At the age of 4, he cheated death for the first time and recalls when he saw that “big bright light.”
“I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. And I couldn’t help but smile,” he wrote. “I had no worries at all, like nothing else in the world mattered. And kept smiling. I can’t even describe the peace, how peaceful it was.”
In his second video, he discusses the third time he cheated death, only a few weeks before Christmas. His heart stopped for three minutes and he says, “When people’s bodies “DIE” the brain still works for a short time.”
He heard the EMS say “He’s not breathing. His heart is stopped and he has no pulse.”
Fearing his ultimate death this time, he talks of being in a white room with no walls. The same peaceful feeling he had when he was 4, only this time he was there with his favorite rapper, Kid Cudi. While looking at himself in the mirror, Breedlove says he couldn’t stop smiling and he was proud of himself, of his entire life and everything he had done.
He woke up soon after and admits that he didn’t want to leave that place, ending his video with the question, “Do you believe in angels or God?” before writing, “I do.”
I’ve always wondered about heaven and facing that “white light.” Breedlove gives us some insight into what life is like on the other side and I’m thankful for that. With nearly …
I said goodbye to my Birthright group in Ben Gurion airport outside of Tel Aviv. I was a little sad to see them go, but happy to see my friends. I arrived at my friend’s apartment and after 10 days of already being in the country, that’s when a feeling of jet lag started to creep in.
Life got pretty normal. While many just assumed I was on vacation for a month, I dove into catching up on work and finding cafes suitable for the freelance life. Of course I went out, saw friends, ate my way through Israel, and eventually made myself talk to strangers to practice my Hebrew.
It was nice to be back, but I have to be honest – I didn’t feel torn the way I usually did. I was definitive about where I wanted to live. I missed Brooklyn. It had become home, and I missed my synagogue and my community. I missed my friends and the potluck lunches in the park and my bike. I missed cheap drinks and bars that weren’t pretentious. I missed bodega coffee for a dollar – in Israel my pockets were emptying from the equivalent of $4 coffee.
Friends asked me if I wanted to move back to Israel. It was nice to finally give a definitive answer. “No” rolled off my tongue like a reflex. I didn’t even have to think about it, but when I did I realized that no didn’t mean never. It just meant that I’m really happy where I am right now.
It’s been an exhausting 16 months, to say the least. No one told me it would be this hard to go back to school. I actually thought it would be more party and fun and less heartache and headache. Many times I said I would quit. Thankfully, my closest friends and supporters rooted me along until just a week ago (phew!) I graduated.
It was in the New York Times Center where, with my mom, roommates, and my closest 90 friends graduating alongside me, I finished the marathon. It reminded me of that hilarious sign (see below) during the New York City Marathon that read, “No one made you do this.” That’s how I felt. That I finished something based purely on passion and a will to pursue a goal. No one made me do it.
Blame it on the holidays, or getting my social life back, but I am a strong believer that everything comes to an end when we’re ready for the next step to begin. Arianna Huffington had said that when we put our 10 percent in, G-d puts in the 90 percent. After so much hard work, I am surprisingly eager, excited and optimistic, to find out what G-d has in store for me next. I know that it’s not a perfect science. That many people put in hard work without a return on investment. However a small tick inside of me says that if we pursue our passion, that thing only we or I could be designed for, there is no other choice. Optimism, faith, drive doesn’t come from nowhere. It comes from knowing oneself or, at the least, knowing that we belong here to serve an underserved, untapped purpose.
The moral of my post is that if you know what it is that makes you tick, keep ticking. That alone deserves a lifetime achievement award. As I finally take off on my journey –feeling hopeful for what 2012 brings my way – I wish my friends who are now returning to school or changing careers the absolute best. I’m so excited …
I haven’t been able to get into the Christmas spirit this year, which is strange for me. Maybe it’s because we didn’t decorate the apartment until yesterday. Or, possibly it’s because it hasn’t snowed enough yet. Either way, I haven’t even blasted holiday music around the apartment (shocker!).
All that changed this Friday when I saw the New York Pops performance of “John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey Wish You a Swingin’ Christmas.” Putting a twist on the holiday classics we know and love with so much energy and prowess, I couldn’t help but smile. It was a rare and special treat to be seated in the audience at Carnegie Hall for the first time.
The New York Pops performed a truly touching performance of “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep” intertwined with “Seasons of Love.” Pizzarelli sang powerfully the part of “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep” while his wife, Molaskey sang “Seasons of Love.”
When I’m worried and I can’t sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
I’m sure I’ve heard this song at some point in my life, but for some reason the words struck me on Friday. Maybe this is why I haven’t been in the holiday spirit. I’m constantly worried of the future and (sad to admit) money. Will my freelance checks come in on time? How can I sustain a career as a journalist? On an extremely limited budget, it’s sometimes hard to find holiday cheer. But, Friday’s concert made everything clear:
Why don’t we count our blessings instead of sheep? We all have so much to be thankful for, why don’t we remember this on a nightly basis?
When times are hard it becomes more and more difficult to find faith and actually count your blessings. I really am so blessed. To be able to live in Brooklyn with amazing roommates who are my
Last week, I wrote about being thankful for having faith. I found it serendipitous that a few days later, when attending the commissioning of my cousin Ray as a pastor in New Jersey at Christian Community Chapel, his entire sermon was about faith.
After he handed out packets of mustard (something I’ve never witnessed before at church), he addressed the congregation with his message, appropriately titled “The Possibilities of Mustard.”
I soon learned that mustard dates back to the Romans who first started experimenting with the seeds. During the 4th and 5th century, recipes containing mustard were found in Roman cookbooks. It’s obvious where you use mustard: on food. You wouldn’t use it as oil in your car or as hair gel (pretty disgusting when you think about that). Just like mustard, faith has it’s rightful place, Ray said.
Quoting Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Ray’s message struck a chord.
“If faith doesn’t work its way into the core of who you are, you are not walking in faith. Faith is day-to-day trusting God and God’s word knowing that even if you don’t see it or understand it, He’s wise and He’s good, and He’s right and we trust Him.”
Most importantly, faith should implicate your life.
This past year I’ve been struggling a lot trying to define my faith, but I don’t think I should have to. Yes, I’m Catholic but does that mean anything in the scheme of things with what I believe, who I am? I might not go to church every Sunday or pray every night (I’m trying to) but that doesn’t lessen the fact that I do have faith and believe in something bigger than me, something that has led me to the path as a music journalist. And, for some reason, call it faith, call it determination or possibly stubbornness, I refuse to give up.
My faith is believing that God gave me a purpose in this life and despite the many obstacles I face on a daily basis, at the end of the day …
As Thanksgiving arrives, it’s hard not to think about what we’re thankful for. Perhaps Madison Square Garden is an unlikely spot to feel gratitude, but I was overcome with gratefulness Monday night while covering Taylor Swift’s performance.
After I picked up my press tickets for the show I was shocked to find out that my seats were three rows from the stage. For over two hours, I was transported into Taylor’s fairytale world where dreams come true, Prince Charming sweeps you off your feet and, most importantly, love exists.
At a time when Occupy Wall Street is all I hear about, I’m continuously worried if I’ll be able to pay my rent next month, and the scary realization that I’m now much closer to 30-years-old than 20, I’m thankful for everything Taylor Swift represents. A hopeless romantic and optimist like myself, it’s a blessing to know someone like her exists in today’s society. A respected role model, her songwriting alone is like none other. The ability she has to have her listener relate is a feat in itself and something I wrote about in my MusiCares submission, “Changing Lives One Song at a Time.”
Earlier this month, I found out I’m one of six bloggers nominated to attend MusiCares person of the year event honoring Sir Paul McCartney during Grammy week. I remember opening the email and shaking in disbelief. Sheer amazement and being thankful that I had the determination to follow my passion overcame me. It’s in these moments of accomplishment that I’m able to look back at my life and assess how far I’ve come, but also realize there’s a lot more I hope to do too.
It all comes down to having faith. The other night I watched “Miracle on 34th Street” with Farrah. A holiday classic, a few quotes stuck out for me, mainly this one: “Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to. Just because things don’t …
As I said in my earlier post, Birthright Israel is a free trip for young Jews who are 18 -26 years old (Christian and Catholic philanthropists ought to start a similar program as well!). I went on my Birthright trip in 2003 and I can honestly say that my life has never been the same. I was bit by the Israel bug. I instantly fell in love with the landscape, the nature hikes, the people, the language…everything. So much so that I felt like 10 days in Israel wasn’t enough – I needed to go back and I needed to go right away. So 2 months later off I went on a similar, but heavily subsidized trip. We were given more freedom, as this trip was designated for young campus leaders who had been to Israel before. We had been there and were trusted to know enough about where we could and couldn’t go on our own. While it was a different trip than my Birthright trip (and included much more promiscuous behavior), it continued to solidify my love of the country and the people in it. I wanted more and I let everyone know it.
The following June after I graduated from college, I went to Israel for a month to share an apartment in Tel Aviv with three girls, study in a Hebrew language program, and experience the country as more than a tourist. It was a wonderful experience, and I’m so grateful to my parents for (finally) supporting my decision to live there for a month.
When I returned to New York, I started my first job like a good girl fresh out of college. A year and a half later, including a short vacation in Israel, I knew that I wanted to explore something else. I quit my job with the intention of spending a few months in Israel with maybe some travel in between. I knew that I wasn’t the type to just lay on the beach all day and go out at night, so in the first week of being in the country I made a …
It’s been a while since you’ve last heard from me, so I’d like to bring you up to speed. When I last posted I had recently broken up with (ex-)boyfriend. End of August, it was the perfect time for a change. And that’s when I learned that sometimes life just happens. The Universe does what you don’t even need to ask it to.
A friend who made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) and works for a Birthright Israel trip provider, asked me out of the blue if I wanted to staff a trip that was leaving in a week and a half. For those of you who don’t know, Taglit-Birthright Israel is an organization that sends Jewish 18-26 year olds to Israel on a free 10-day trip. It’s an experience of a lifetime, and while I went on the trip 8 years ago, I had never gone back as staff.
I partly blame that on selfishness. I mean, if I’m going to be in Israel I want to hang out with my friends, right? But this time it was different. I finally felt ready to contribute positively to someone else’s experience of Israel. And I needed to get out of New York. And then a free trip surfaced. Thank you Universe for making things happen!
I left for Israel for an undetermined length of time. I knew I was going to stay beyond the 10-day trip, but I had no idea going into when my return date would be. In the end, the month of Jewish holidays was the deciding factor. For those of you who don’t know, holidays that have the same restrictions as shabbat last for one day in Israel (except for Rosh Hashanah). Outside of Israel these holidays last for two days. And if the end of the second day of the holiday falls into the beginning of Shabbat…well, that’s a lot of time to spend unplugged. So I asked my friends for their input, as I would be staying with them and didn’t want to overstay my welcome, and a month later it was already time to say goodbye.
Last week, Monica posted her reaction to a film we saw together, “Mister Rogers & Me.” I interviewed filmmaker Benjamin Wagner before the New York premiere and was excited to finally see the film he had been working on for the past seven years. As a result, Monica and I walked out of the theater inspired and with a new outlook on life. Below are 10 takeaway quotes that left a mark on me.
1. “Deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.”
The premise behind the film, when Wagner explained his position at MTV, Mister Rogers simply responded, “You know Benjamin, I feel so strongly that deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.” In the end, life isn’t about material things. It’s about the relationships you have with one another and yourself.
2. “There’s something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”
Throughout the film, those closest to Rogers explained that he left a great impact after their first encounter. His ability to focus on the person he was talking to as if they were the only person that mattered to him was unlike any other. When you’re in conversation with someone, look them in the eyes. Don’t scan the room for who is passing by or check your phone for email updates. Be completely focused and attentive.
3. “Human life is very deep and our modern lifestyle is not.”
At the end of the day, life is about the deep connections you make. “The movie really looks at media but it’s also looking at culture and values and choices we make about materialism, reflection, and quiet time,” Wagner explained. “Ask questions, dig a little deeper, spend more time reflecting on the world and what you can do to be a better person.”
4. “Who we are in the present includes who we were in the past.”
As a child, Mister Rogers was bullied because of his weight. It was then that he decided he would never demean another person. The way he was treated as a kid greatly inspired his outlook …
Annie was so kind to take me to see a documentary last night called Mister Rogers and Me. The premise was about these two filmmakers, Chris and Ben Wagner, who actually were neighbors with Fred Rogers, the “Won’t you be my neighbor” man himself. What the filmmakers wanted the world to know is that the person on camera was the same person off camera.
The film could have been a quick look through the life of the man’s career on and off the 40-year run show, but instead was an 80-minute life lesson that I hope to take with me as I go through my own life. Here are the lessons that stuck with me the most and that I want to share with you:
1. TV can be a congregation
Nothing is good and nothing is bad in itself. It’s how we choose to use it. While Mister Rogers was a religious man, attending church once a week wearing his brown cardigan sweater, he once said that TV is his church. It’s a reminder that we can do good anywhere – in our homes, in our job, in traffic. It’s how we choose to use it.
2. Speak slower. And don’t judge.
Mister Rogers had this way of speaking really slowly and looking right into the camera, as if he is speaking directly to you making sure you hang on to his every word. Every episode he would say, “I like you just the way you are.” When was the last time someone said that? How much better off would we be if we heard it more often? When filmmaker Ben Wagner hesitantly told Fred Rogers that he works at MTV, the antithesis of the PBS show, Fred listened and simply said, “Deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.” It’s a lesson that might not stick with the MTV ratings committee, but it had stuck with Ben who is promoting the message through this film.
3. Life is made up of every moment
When we talk about our life, we often define it by …
For five years, Gilad Shalit was held captive by Hamas for fighting for his country, Israel. After the global fight to get him back – the art work, the protests, the diplomacy and the hundreds of Facebook users who put his photo as theirs, he returns home. This week is the celebration of Sukkot, a holiday we celebrate our good harvest. And for an exchange of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, Israel got their harvest as one soldier returns.
Yesterday, I saw a performance by the soulful singer India Arie together with Idan Raichel, the Justin Timberlake of Israel (only a very different kind of music). Together they performed songs in Hebrew, sang one another’s lyrics and celebrated for a brief moment the return of Shalit. While the Beacon Theater was filled seat to seat mostly with Jewish and African American New Yorkers, it was incredible to see the global effort that was taking place on that stage. Despite color, religion, sexual preference, background, the two brought in artists from all walks of life to join them on the stage. They hope next year they will have Palestinian musicians on their stage too.
Just to get a glimpse of how magical they are together, watch their performance for the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in 2010. The message is: “We can debate until the end of time who is wrong and who is right. Or I’ll honor your choices and you can honor mine.”
While there is debate going on about whether that was a smart move on Israel’s part to release so many prisoners, while there were protesters outside of the Idan Raichel show protesting G-d knows what, while there are protestors down in Wall Street fed up with the system, I would say that this week, Israel and the musicians on the stage last night, chose to see the good. The opportunity was to save one guy, to touch one person in the audience, and they did.
“Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” – Steve Jobs
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a journalist. As a writer my dream has always been to help people. Whether its to allow them a brief escape from the struggles of everyday life, or to introduce them to a new band they never heard of, it’s really always been the same goal.
After I received much animosity from an article I wrote last year I’ve been scared to write so candidly. To be shunned by the people who matter most to you is a feeling I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. Although it was impossible to imagine at the time, the good outweighed the bad in the end.
That article garnered over 300 comments from people who related and shared their own personal tales with me. It also pushed me to move to Brooklyn with Monica and Farrah, two people I can’t imagine not seeing every day. So much of my life would be different if I didn’t take that risk and follow my gut.
Over a year later, I find myself at another crossroads. I’ve been extremely introspective lately and while my career is a success by most people’s standards, I still find myself searching and questioning.
Will all my freelance checks come in on-time so I can pay my rent and college loans next month? How do I know if music journalism really is my path?
I was at church recently with all these questions when something someone said struck a chord. “God will never let you down. He designed you and knows what you can handle. He cares more about the journey than the destination, when in doubt take two more steps.”
When people ask me how I came to be a music journalist I have a few stories. Usually it consists of a combination of:
a. I’ve always loved to write
b. I grew up going to concerts
c. I realized I could combine both these passions when I saw “Almost Famous” for the first time
d. From the moment I covered my first show (Gavin DeGraw for my college paper) I was hooked
But, when someone asks me what it is I love most about music (as my roommate Monica did recently) I’m often stumped. It’s really not a difficult question, its just that it’s so hard to pin it down to one thing. However, while seeing Coldplay up close last week and covering the show for Rolling Stone, (two dreams accomplished in one night) and hearing one song in particular, it all hit me:
What I love most is the ability music as to take you back to a specific moment in time.
As Coldplay began “Clocks,” I was instantly transported to senior year of high school when my crush at the time recommended the song to me. It’s funny actually, how the moment frontman Chris Martin began the song on piano I was suddenly a teen again.
During their performance, a diehard Coldplay fan sat next to me and began to tell me, in great detail, the story behind their upcoming album and every song he thought they’d play. After the show, I noticed a group of fans waiting outside the backstage door, hoping for a glimpse of their favorite band. I once again bumped into my concert buddy who was beyond excited to see Coldplay’s former manager walk by and asked me to take a photo of them.
I came to learn that without that manager, Coldplay may have never recorded their debut album. You see, he lent the band the money they needed to record and release it. Without that record my former crush and I would have never bonded over music and I certainly would have never covered Coldplay’s “Live on Letterman” broadcast (watch above) for Rolling Stone.
A few weeks ago, a friend sent me an article on Kathryn Stockett, author of New York Times best seller and current film, The Help. Turns out Stockett received 60 rejection letters from agents before her novel was accepted. My friend is also a writer and we tend to motivate each other when success in our fields seems hardly attainable. After reading the article, I knew I had to pick up a copy.
While the story was riveting, it was the writer’s unyielding determination that continues to motivate me. I brought the book with me to Spain and on my way back to America three women approached me to say how much they loved it while I proceeded to tell them the tale of the author’s 60 rejections.
Maybe it was because I just experienced World Youth Day and felt more in tune with my faith, but there were sections in the book that mentioned prayer that stood out to me. In Chapter 2, Aibileen, one of the maids, began praying for Miss Skeeter and said, “That’s the way prayer do. It’s like electricity, it keeps things going.”
After I went to confession, I made a promise to myself and God that I would pray every day. Truthfully, this was harder than I thought. When I tried to pray, I just felt like my thoughts were rambling in my head. A few chapters later, Aibileen mentioned how she writes down her prayers.
“Can’t be much different than writing my prayers every night. Find I can get my point across a lot better writing em down. I write a hour, sometimes two ever day. Lot a ailing, sick peoples in this town.”
It never occurred to me to write my prayers down, but I decided to give it a shot. I found the journal Farrah gave me last year for my birthday and decided this would be the perfect place to start. So, last Wednesday, and every night since, I’ve been writing down my prayers and I have to say, it …
You might be wondering why I’ve been so quiet about (ex)boyfriend and me. I’ve always been a bit protective of our relationship, not wanting to put every detail out there for the world. But I felt like some readers really took a genuine interest, so I thought I should share the basics.
