Random Adventures, Good Music, and Reflections

There are certain distinct areas in the Twin Cities that I loved. Uptown was the hip and upcoming area that always seemed to be crawling with MIAC alumni. Washington was within walking distance from the Dome and had a great microbrewery with a ton of outdoor seating. Grand was laid back, great for wandering, and home to the amazing street festival known as Grand Ole Days. Each area had its own unique flavor.

I had never really found an area like that in Charlotte. Granted, I probably hadn't been looking too hard but every place I went, as good as it was, seemed like a similar version of some of the other places I've been or like similar versions of the areas in MN but not quite as good (and yes, I am biased!). But this weekend by chance I finally found an area that really stuck out to me. It's known here as NoDa for North Davidson.

My friend and I were doing coffee in Dilworth on a whim on Friday night and then she suggested I should check out this area. We had nothing else to do so we drove over to a club called The Evening Muse. It's mainly known for its live music and is right near a bunch of fun, eclectic bars and galleries. The main act for the night was Honor By August and they were a great surprise. We both fell in love with the band and bought their CD.

I have always been a fan of live music and therefore the NoDa area suits me well. And one of the main reasons I like seeing bands live is I can hear a bit about what the song means and what their inspiration was in writing the song. Before they played their song Black and White we were told that this song was written right after an incredibly bad break-up that had caused the songwriter a lot of pain. And it was a great song that I think most of us can all empathize with.

This got me to thinking. We all deal with our pain with a different ways. I just happened to be lucky enough that the songwriter happened to be able to translate that pain into a good song. However, some of us don't find such creative outlets to live out our pain. And I'm not just talking about relationship pain. This can be anything from mourning to disappointment to losing something important to you. Some of us deal with pain by bottling it up inside us and acting like everything is alright. Others throw themselves into work and daily tasks with extra fervor. Others lash out at people. Some decide to try something new or take up a new hobby. Everyone has their own different way of coping. And some of these can be very constructive. I have the CD to prove it. And some can be negative and destructive not only tearing up the one feeling the pain but also those around them.

Pain is something we're all going to have to deal with sooner or later. The question becomes how are you going to deal with that pain. Are you going to write music? Are you going to withdraw from the people are simply trying to help you? Are you going to deny, deny, deny?

What do I do with my pain? A little bit of everything. I'm lucky enough to have friends that won't let me bottle it up. I throw myself into my work which happens to be what I love, working with high schoolers and young adults. I blare my music in my iPod headphones or car. I run long distances. And most importantly, I fall to my knees and acknowledge that I can't do this on my own.