This morning I woke up to Lee Ann Womack crooning “I Hope You Dance” in my head. It wasn’t until I was standing in the shower and had the urge to belt out the lyrics that I became aware of the song being sung internally on repeat. I immediately racked my brain for a culprit but could not pinpoint a wedding or any other moment in recent history when I would have been subjected to such music. Perhaps it had wafted my way from the blaring speakers of a recent Guilford College baseball game?
In any case, during class this past Wednesday I spent the time allotted for visual journaling to instead take part in some audatory journaling: Sarah, Alexander, Erick and I parted ways to gather our instruments before rejoining by the lake. Sarah brought her violin, Zander and I strummed on guitar, and Erick bowed the saw.
Though Zander and Sarah had played together in the past, as far as I know the rest of us hadn’t collaborated which each other previously. I myself hardly ever play with others, in part because I’m just beginning to learn guitar and I’m pretty shy and uncomfortable with it.
Nevertheless, in just a few minutes we had established a basic melody and we fell into almost unspoken roles almost immediately.
Truth be told, I guess Lee Ann has some valid points to make. And I guess that in actuality this advice has been set on repeat in my mind since we began our class in January. So here are some of Mrs. Womack’s words of wisdom for ya:
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or danceI hope you dance
I hope you danceI hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin’ might mean takin’ chances, but they’re worth takin’
Lovin’ might be a mistake, but it’s worth makin’
Don’t let some Hellbent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to sellin’ out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or danceI hope you dance
I hope you dance
Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder, where those years have gone?I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or danceDance
The pastor’s speech in Synecdoche, New York written by Charlie Kaufman
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FASCINATING! 