Cardboard masks of all the people I’ve been
Thrown out with all the rusted, tangled,
dented god damned miseries
You could say I’m hard to hold
But if you knew me you’d know
I’ve got a good father
And his strength is what makes me cry-Jann Arden
It’s a song always staying with me many years after purchasing Jann Arden’s Happy? cassette in the 90’s. (Did I buy it on CD? Do you know how many formats have changed in my lifetime?)
The song came along during a difficult time. On the surface my path seemed assured; Beneath the surface things crashed like waves against the rocks. Good Mother gave me a very important message: choose my own path. For the past decade I have reworked the script in my head;It’s a bit like overhauling a house. You paint the walls, put in new flooring, but the bathroom renos prove more difficult than first planned.
In the end, take Jann’s advice: Just be yourself. May you be yourself, and remember it’s never too late to get things started. (Make sure to repeat the last part many, many, many times as it’s easy to forget.)
Unpaused Life 