I'm learning to talk again

I've never been a huge Foo Fighters fan, but they've been growing on me this week.

In the store a few weeks ago, I saw Dave Grohl's book, The Storyteller, sitting on the shelf. I made a mental note of it, and then went on with my little life.

I kept thinking about that book, for whatever reason. Last week, I went back to that store and threw some books into my cart. 

It's perfect. 

Literally.

I love writing, and I especially love it when songwriters write about their passion. To me, it's magical to read. 

I'm not even close to being finished with the book, so you might get another 'Dave Grohl is a genius' blog post, or 12 more of them. Who knows.

Plus, yesterday I read a story online about how we bought a pit ticket to see Metallica in concert.

No backstage pass, no special treatment, and he didn't even take anybody with him. He showed up at a Metallica concert in the pit because he wanted to see them.

I like him a lot.

It's a perfect read for me at the perfect time in my life. I love good writing from normal people who aren't pretentious about their words or their life in general.

Here are my favorite quotes so far. 

---

On his daughter and her love of music: "It was clear that she had the gift. Now it was only a matter of time before she found the spark. That spark eventually became a wildfire."

-

"As I lay there staring at the ceiling, it dawned on me that maybe my guitar was the love of my life after all. Maybe I didn't need Sandi. Maybe my Silvertone could help me heal my wounded heart. Maybe I could write my way out of this mess. I was more determined than ever to make this rock and roll dream come true.

"This is perhaps the impetus behind every song that I have ever written...to guard my most vulnerable corners by using heartbreak as fuel. What could be more inspiring than the exposed nerves of a wounded heart? In a way, I cherish my numerous heartbreaks almost more than the actual love that preceded them, because the heartbreak has always proven to me that I can feel. 

"Trust me, the sweet sting of a love refused is powerful enough to send any scribe scrambling for pen and paper, aching to find beauty in the pain of being eighty-sixed by another. And more often than not, the result is good, because it's real, and it fucking hurts so bad." 

-

"This band, born from the heartbreak and tragedy of our broken past, was a celebration of love, and life, and the dedication to finding happiness in every next day. And now, more than ever, it represented healing and survival."

---

Walk

A million miles away
Your signal in the distance
To whom it may concern

I think I lost my way
Getting good at starting over
Every time that I return

I'm learning to walk again
I believe I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?

I'm learning to talk again
Can't you see I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?

Do you remember the days
We built these paper mountains
Then sat and watched them burn

I think I found my place
Can't you feel it growing stronger
Little conquerors

I'm learning to walk again
I believe I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?

I'm learning to talk again
I believe I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?
Now

For the very first time
Don't you pay no mind
Set me free again
You keep alive a moment at a time
But still inside a whisper to a riot
To sacrifice but knowing to survive
The first to climb another state of mind
I'm on my knees, I'm praying for a sign
Forever, whenever
I never wanna die
I never wanna die
I never wanna die
I'm on my knees
I never wanna die
I'm dancing on my grave
I'm running through the fight
Forever, whenever
I never wanna die
I never wanna leave
I never say goodbye
Forever, whenever
Forever, whenever

I'm learning to walk again
I believe I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?

I'm learning to talk again
Can't you see I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?

I'm learning to walk again
I believe I've waited long enough

I'm learning to talk again
Can't you see I've waited long enough

-Foo Fighters

On news and reading things correctly

I would consider spelling, paying attention to the news, caring about the world you live in and reading all really important things.

Yesterday morning I woke up around 5 a.m. Bleary eyed, I looked at my phone. I saw a breaking news update about the president nominating someone for the secretary of defense job.

The person's name is Ashton Carter.

At 5 a.m., sleepy and barely awake, I read that name as Ashton Kutcher.

Um, I thought, is this a weird Dennis Rodman type of thing? Is this really happening? What's the world coming to? Am I safe here? Do I need to pack up and move somewhere?

I was kind of angry, in a sleepy way. When I read the correct name a minute later, all was okay with the world again and I peacefully went back to sleep.

Ashton Kutcher.

Ha, ha.

Not really related, but still relevant.

Things I worry about.

I read "Gone Girl" in about 12 hours.

On my trip to South Carolina, I finished "Bossypants" and had a few hours to read another book had I brought one.

I like to read books cover to cover. I'm not a person who can read for an hour here or there. I have to do it all in one or two sittings.

I have a vacation coming up where I'll be doing mostly nothing. It will be amazing. But...there's always a but.

How many books will I need on this vacation? I'm actually a little stressed out about it. Five books? Six books? Two books?

Then there's the problem of what books to take. I don't want anything heavy (that poor Dan Brown book on my bookshelf is never going to get read because of this). I have some Mitch Album books to take, but those are really easy, quick reads.

The list of books that are contenders at this point:

- The Fault in Our Stars

- The other Gillian Flynn books

- The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan, the young Yale student who died in a car crash.

- Like I said, there's a couple of Mitch Album books I have that I don't think I've read yet.

Other vacation notes:

• I ordered some shorts online a few weeks ago. They were hugely embarrassing on me and I had to send them back. That left me with exactly zero pairs of shorts to wear on the beach. Yes, I should have thought of this sooner, but I had my mind on other things over the summer.
• In a twist of fate, I went to the mall this week and looked at the clearance rack. Shorts were $8. Score! I bought three pairs. I also have a beach bag (thanks, Ikea!) and a small purse to take.
• I briefly read through an email earlier this week and laughed. It seems as though I'll be flying out of the Atlanta airport. Ha, ha. If you don't remember, me and that airport go way back. (There are often subtle ways in which I know God is paying attention to my life. This is one of those ways.) This time my anxiety will be centered around flying to another country. Oh, anxiety, you funny thing.
• This time around I might relax and have a drink on the plane. I was too scared to last time.
• Speaking of shorts, my legs are embarrassingly white. Sorry, people who have to see them. Luckily, I'll burn in the first 20 seconds on the beach, so I won't have to apologize too much while I'm there.