Ray Of Light Appreciation :-)

[DontTemptMe26 2,422]

I truly am in disbelief that 19 years of life has passed since the sound of this album was traveling through my ears. This sound made its way to my heart and for the first time in my life it established for me who I was meant to be. At only the age of 11, I was given such an amazing gift. That gift was one of comfort and the ease of life being okay. Prior to this point, I was a young child that was discovering life and what it had to offer. I was establishing likes and dislikes. Growing up, I participated in gymnastics, soccer and baseball. This would be a good place to show a photo I know doesn't exist anymore. My baseball photo of me with the bat. Looking upset and mortified. Anyone who knows me now, they know that isn't me at all. We all grow and develop into the person we are meant to portray. Sometimes in life we make attempts to try these different outlets. Its in those moment that become the person were meant to be. I had and still have a true fondness for media and arts. Music, film and television. Artists come to mind like Toni Braxton and Vanessa Williams.The movie "Grease". The sitcom "I Love Lucy". I grew up with my sister and my cousins. We all found a love that for us was on a sibling level. It was precious and wonderful. I recall endless hours with my cousin as we would watch "I Love Lucy" and play with our TY Beanie Babies. Almost embarrassing at this point to say that we were playing with our Beanies, but those times are so innocent and pure. I miss them terribly. It was in 1998 when my Grandpa Pitcher had passed away. As a child, emotions and sadness can be so confusing and overwhelming. Not sure how to react, not sure how to respond. It was very sad and hard to watch. I know I have memories that for me have assisted in the process of my growth. I can remember this just like it was yesterday. My Dad was driving my sister and I to the funeral for my Grandfather. On the way there, the radio was playing and the song "Frozen" by Madonna came on the radio. I know a lot of people can relate a song to a time and how within that time there was a lot of sadness. For me, the sadness can be a very powerful reminder of our ability to live and to love. To prosper on and live in the memory and strength of one another and those that have left us. There was something so uplifting and spiritual about the song. It had a power and strength that to this day gives me chills. The lyrics, orchestration, presentation and message truly resonated with me. This electronic ambient sound was so earth based. I found what would give me a true respect for the beauty that is music. "Love is a bird, she needs to fly. Let all the hurt inside of you die. You're Frozen, when your hearts not open". The 13 track album "Ray Of Light" would go on to always be a staple of mine in the years that have lead to this point. Every track on the album gives me an an immediate visual of a different time and place. These visuals are from years ago and for that I'm beyond grateful. A time when I was growing in to the person I am now. A time when the adult responsibilities didn't exist. Freedom and innocence. We all can get so caught up in our daily lives and rituals. Our desire to succeed and find what direction our life is going to take. We all go through our lives and have made good and bad decisions. Mistakes, gossip and negative behavior. We all fall victim to these thoughtless tendencies. I know for me, I have over time found peace and serenity in myself and in how I view the world. We cannot live in fear and denial. We should never be ashamed of our past lives. Regretting what you may feel bad about will not resolve anything. All of our behaviors and decisions have developed us into the person that we currently are. The past has developed the present self. I know I may sound like I'm preaching here, and if that is the case so be it. As I've grown throughout my twenties, I have been in a variety of situations where I have made bad choices. In both my personal and professional life. At this point in time, I let go of something that I refer to as a demon. That demon truly was taking away my life and the person that I used to be. I wanted that person to come back into my life and I can gratefully say with each new day, that being is making its way back. "Nothing really matters, Love is all we need." Lyrics once again that always remind me that everything is going to be okay. Within our differences as human beings and how we individually want to view the world. I'm so grateful that this album by Madonna was introduced to me at such a young age. It opened my eyes and assisted me in my development as a human being. The state of our world is so unbelievably destructive and the one thing we all can have is Love. Love is free, beautiful and powerful. Love will always win.

[Enrico 15,869]

To a certain extent, this is similar to the revelation lesson Bedtime Stories gave me when I was 20:

 

"Happiness lies in your hands, it took me much too long to understand"

"Until I learned to love myself I was never ever loving anybody else"

 

"I'm too busy surviving, whether it's heaven or hell I'm gonna be living to tell"

"Here's my story, no risk no glory"

 

"And I must confess that I am usually drawn to sadness, and loneliness has never been a stranger to me"

 

"But this heartache isn't going anywhere, in the public eye I act like I don't care, when there's no one watching me I'm crying"

 

Unfortunately, 20 years after, I am still trying to learn this lesson...