let me begin by saying that the day has finally arrived: john mayer's new album, "battle studies," is finally available. granted, i aquired a contraband copy last week, but now it really feels official. most of you probably know that i am quite the jm fanatic, but this album has really pushed me over the edge of "healthy appreciation" to "sick obsession." the music on this cd has such a new blend of sounds and even genres of music that just soothes my soul. the lyrics are wonderfully abstract, but they make perfect sense - and i guarantee you that anybody who listens hears a little bit of their own story in the songs. no matter what track i'm listening to, i feel like i'm caught up in this swirly blend of jazz and blues and southern rock and 70's tunes, and i'm not just singing along - it moves me. i'll stop this pathetic confession of my fervor for john mayer now, as there are multiple other posts that convey a similar message.
i have learned in recent days that i am far too concerned with the future and the "big picture," and that i rarely take time to appreciate all of the little things that make up the "right now." what distant point in my very unknown future could be more important than the right now, because the truth is, this breath i'm letting out in this moment is the only one i can feel sure of. there are so many beautiful things - no matter how tiny and seemingly insignificant - that make up each moment of my life. some of those things include:
a random text, call or email
finding that the next month begins on a sunday
having someone pay for your lunch
taking a break in your office to have a dance party
having a puppy fall asleep in your lap
a goodnight kiss that makes your knees weak
watching elizabeth hear jm's new album for the first time
drinking sweet tea instead of water at lunch
overhearing a coworker say positive things about you
sleeping an extra 5 minutes
watching leaves fall
catching a glimpse of the sun through clouds
when the cheese on your grilled cheese is the perfect gooeyness
when the entire population of death valley is singing "rock you"
breaking an earring only to find that it actually looks kind of cool broken, so you break the other one, too
trying on a dress that you bought over the summer and finding that it's a little loose
when your cowlick lays flat on your head
remembering something that you really wanted to tell somebody but had forgotten
when something you really don't want to go to is cancelled
running into old friends unexpectedly
lunch with a new friend
the way skinny jeans look with sjp ankle boots
the way hot tea warms up your whole body as it's trickling down your throat
random picture texts from your brother
when your nail polish doesn't chip for a week
finding a gift certificate to a boutique that you had forgotten you had
coming up with great christmas gift ideas
catching up on laundry
steaming hot bubble baths
blowing on a pinwheel for the first time since you were 5
those are just a few little things that make life so happy. i'm going to choose to focus on all of the small things that string together so perfectly to build my beautiful life, instead of trying to jump the track and miss all of the details.
