This, folks, is an erhu:
Here's something that has been resonating with me lately. And it has nothing and everything to do with music.
First, does anyone recall me giving props to water at a show any time in the last year or so? Well, I have. Pretty frequently. It probably started from needing to say something on the mic while others were tuning or whatever, but also needing a drink of water. As y'all know, I lose a lot of water in the form of sweat during a show, so I need to replenish. Ever since the first time, I find myself talking about water almost every show. (I said something Friday night, even.) Anyway, I recognize its importance even if I still probably need to drink more every day.
Last fall, Phil took all us Wilders to see this film/documentary called "What the Bleep Do We Know?" -- it's mostly about quantum physics, but also mostly about who we all are and why we are and how we can be... there was a little segment in there that showed photomicrographs of water crystals. The researcher, Masaru Emoto, had pictures of water that had been shown information. Like, "Love". Water responds to ~hado~, or vibrations. It can come in the form of the written word, or spoken, and also through music or images.
Many of the interviewees in the film have written books and I always meant to check some out. But honestly, as life keeps on going, it's easy to pass by and not follow through. You know how it is.
So, when we were in Middlebury, Vermont last month, we had a couple of hours to kill before the show. Everybody went their own way... we were staying in a beautiful inn, right downtown, and I took a walk down the street to window shop. I went into a bookstore and glanced at new releases. There was a book from Emoto, "The True Power of Water". I picked it up and started reading it that night.
Finding this book is a turning point for me. I won't try to summarize it for you. But you can check out the link (in the title) for yourself. I believe in the power of water. I'm going to read Emoto's other books now, and every morning I thank my water before and after I drink it.
You should try it, too.
Wow! Far Out, Solid and Right On !!
ReplyDeletei saw that movie (Netflix has it) earlier this year.
Most of it was way over my head, and i even took some physics classes @ KU in my quasi-educational period.
I did, however, really enjoy that part about the water crystals, and their behavior after being exposed to different things.
I exposed some bottled water to the live version of "Arkansas Sheik" from the wonderful CD, "Cornbread, Molasses, and Sassafras Tea" ... you shoulda seen that water get up and dance !!!
Hey .. speaking of "Arkansas Sheik" .. i remember when you played that on the big stage at the last Santa Fe Trails festival after i kept yelling for it. I also remember somebody with some professional equipment videotaping that show. Any idea if those videos are for sale? Should probably contact Leo about that.
Loved the show Friday !!
BC
Random thoughts:
ReplyDelete- Crazy Water Crystals was a major sponsor of old time music on the radio back in the 30's. Coincidence? I think not.
- I'm gonna' have to read the book, 'cause I don't understand what and how the effect of the water on the human body changes if you thank it. I'll look for it at the library tomorrow.
- Water crystals = Ice, right? Just wanted to make sure of that.
- Overall, the weirdness quotient of thanking water seems a little high. Not saying it isn't valid, lots of weird stuff is perfectly valid. Thanking stuff that died so you could eat it seems more valid, stuff like beans and chickens. At the very least, we ought to thank the universe for providing whatever we take in.
- Wonder what would happen if I started thanking whiskey? Wait, I already do that.
- All matter is really just energy behaving in a specific way, there is no material existance except as a complex dance of energy. That opens up a whole bunch of possibilities.
A couple of thoughts in a more serious mood. By all means, drink your water. Yes, it is possible to drink too much, but you have to really try. Filtration is good, but it only takes out solids, not dissolved stuff. Distillation takes out a high percentage of pollution, so buying distilled water and running it through an activated carbon filter is best. Chlorination is slow suicide, only reason it's done is so that the recycled sewage that most cities supply won't cause instant sickness.
ReplyDeleteSweating is good, even if it is inconvenient at times. Better than overheating. It is almost impossible to get too little salt if you eat any prepared foods. They are mostly salted even if you can't taste it. Years ago when I ate a typical diet, I would have salt deposits on my skin after a prolonged period of sweating. I quit eating salty stuff, quit adding any salt to any food. Haven't used a salt shaker in probably 20 years. No problems in spite of lots of physical activity including marathon running. Potassium is more likely to be depleted than sodium, and the two work together during muscle activity. Cold water is absorbed by the body faster than warm, so drink ice water to rehydrate quickly. If you absolutely have to function in an overly hot environment, put some crushed ice in a sturdy sandwich bag and put it under your hat. You may get a headache or become insane, but you dang sure won't get hot.
I'm here. There's a whole story about the "Clean Sweep Weekend" starring members of my family and my VERY over-stuffed house. The story ends with 110 garbage bags about about 25 items that couldn't go in garbage bags. This is the reason for my absence. I hope to post this story on my blog sometime soon. I think this short version should suffice for this blog that isn't mine.
ReplyDeleteI went to the Pitch thing on Thursday, drank my first beer since May 1st, and my whole face turned red, along with my neck. I loved the new stuff as well as all the other stuff. LVJ, what were you wearing? I was the guy in a red button shirt, shorts, one white Converse Hi-Top, and a black "boot". I left after the Wilders, because I had family coming in the next day, and wanted to finish preparing my house.
Friday night I ended up bringing one person with me: my great-niece. She's 10. The nearest parking spot we could find (handicapped, even) was in the nearby school parking lot. (We were there right at 7:30.) As for where we were... we were about 10 "rows" back, on "house" left. We were right by the four guys who "really loved this band" and felt the best way to show this was to talk all the way through the set. Even the 10-year-old--who was mostly playing with whatever green things she plucked out of the dirt--was annoyed. During one of the new songs (slow, beautiful, touching, etc., but I have no idea what it was about or what any of the words were), the boys were talking about a guy they'd nicknamed "Cletus", and some wit in the quartet felt it would be a great time to sing "Cletus, The Slack-Jawed Yokel" from The Simpsons.
Apparently nobody told them a better way to show your appreciation for a musical group is to SHUT THE BLEEP UP AND LISTEN TO THE BLEEPIN' MUSIC, YA BLEEPIN' BLEEPHEAD!
But I digress. And vent. I'm multi-tasking.
When my great-niece said, "I'm getting tired, can we go?" I ignored her, but then the next song was the last one, and I asked her if she'd rather go, or stay around for Split Lip (which was apparently the group the BLEEPIN' BLEEPholes where there to see) and stand right by the chatty Cathies, talking and singing as loudly as we could.
She was tempted, but decided to leave. I didn't argue, because I was ready to remove the boot and use it as a blunt instrument. Apparently, with the total lack of justice there is in this world, I'd be considered to be in the wrong.
I jest.
I forget what I was wearing, but the boot would be a give-away.
So, maybe someday I'll get to hear Split-Lip. I should probably wait until the thought of them doesn't make me want to find a certain quartet of their fans and explore my violent side.
But my house is junk-free. (I had to end on a positive note, after all that previous stuff.)
Oh, P.S.: Hooray for water. I drink very much every day.
ReplyDeletePeggy, didn't mean to ignore your quesiton. Tickfest is sort of a Rural Grit family reunion that happens more or less at random sometime in July. I'll possibly talk to you about it at Winfield. May or may not be your cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteEr... hu are you asking?
ReplyDeleteOh, and now that I've been angry...
ReplyDeleteThe Wilders were GREAT on both nights. I want to go to another LONG Wilders event, though. I can't get enough.
I love the new stuff, by the way. But then again, you guys are so good I think I could listen to you play advert jingles for hours and not get tired of you.
P.S.: Don't play advert jingles for hours, ever.
ReplyDeleteBo be Mr. Peep's daughter who lost her sheep.
ReplyDeleteAnything else? Am I helping?
Folks, bobe is my Mom. "bobe" is a long-standing written signature for her, as her name sounds just like that (but spelled different), and my Dad's name is Bob... I bet you can figure out the E part. Oh, I just realized if you didn't know us, you might want to pronounce bobe as one syllable! No, try this: Bob-eeee.
ReplyDeleteAnd she is kidding around, folks, talking about asking Clay -- he's my young (but oldest) nephew. Although, who knows, he might have some great ideas about water!
And I'll hopefully never leave behind my Arkansas roots... hey, lots of water in the Natural State!
Mom, I'll loan you the book and you can check it out for yourself. And, no, I'm not playing erhu (this is an ancient Chinese 2-stringed, bowed instrument)... though I'd love to try!
It may be a few days before Mom-bobe writes in again as they were headed out of town this weekend.
But welcome, bobe!
I think the Pitch music awards were announced last night. Anybody seen results or know where to find them?
ReplyDelete