Monday, June 29, 2009

On The Floor

Popular superstition is a pretty interesting phenomenon.  As many of you know, my brother and I have relocated to Long Island City.  We're living on the "14th Floor".  At first glance, whether it be at the mail or at the door which reads "1408" you'd think. . well probably nothing.  But, introduce yourself to the buttons in the elevator and you might take notice that there's no 13th floor.  The floors advance from 12 to 14 rather inconspicuously.  So much so in fact, that when I was introduced to a girl in Pat's building who also lives on the 14th floor she said she had never noticed.  And why would you? 

Excuse me, but this is just the most ridiculous practice in the history of humanity.  I hate to break it to everyone, but contrary to what it says on my door and the door of every other apartment on this floor, we live on the 13th floor.  Doesn't bother me very much.  I'm rather at home with it as a matter of fact.  I'm not concerned with the dangers of admitting that I live on the 13th floor.  I'm more concerned with management's attempt to pull the wool over my eyes and sell this to me as a 40 floor building when it's actually 39, and trying to trick me into believing I'm one floor higher than I actually am.  It's apparently an effective ruse.  I've taken notice of every building with an elevator and 13 floors or more.  Shock of shocks, none of them have a 13th floor.  Or, more accurately they all have a 13th floor but not a single one is named as such.  I flat out disagree.

Moving on.  I spent most of the day with the following lyrics stuck in my head:

And you won't have to worry no more. 
No you won't have to wonder again,
About how this song or story ends,
About how this song and story will end.

That's the closing lines to "From A Balance Beam" by Bright Eyes.  That song is awesome.  I've been listening to it pretty consistently for at least the last 5 years and I dig the fact that it's got such staying power.  I love the fact that music, as a whole, is relatively timeless.  Hearing that song brings me back to a place in my life that I haven't been for quite some time.  Having an opportunity to relate the lyrics of songs I fell in love with as one incarnation of myself to the period of my life I find myself in now is pretty special.  Having the things you love grow with you is something to behold and something I appreciate about music above most other things. The words to that song were just on repeat in my head all day.  On the subway, off the subway, up the stairs down the stairs, lock the door, unlock the door, pay the meter and so on.  I actually hadn't realized that I knew all of the words to the song until today when I "sang" it in its entirety, and got stuck on that last phrase which frankly just captures the essence of most things.  

Don't wonder, don't worry.  Eventually you'll find out the ending.  And all the whispers will be quite clear.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

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