Sharing Music with Dad

It's Fatherhood Friday again so stop by Dad Blogs and check out all the great posts before you head off for the holiday weekend. Happy Independence Day to everyone!

I have never been a music crazy kind of guy. I don't even own an iPod. I like to listen to music in the car. I love hearing some good tunes when I'm having a beer with my buddies. Music certainly is a part of my life even if I have never been a music freak.

Growing up I listened to country music with my Dad on the way to the farm. I still love the old country crooners like Merle, Waylon, Willie, and Johnny Cash. Dad also listened to the oldies station which was not my favorite. Some day Braden and I will have to share the airwaves. I wonder what we will listen to while going places in the car. Of course with satellite radio and TVs in many vehicles the experience won't be the same. I will probably be forced to adapt to Disney tunes.

Until that day comes my music enjoyment will involve listening to classic rock on the FM radio in my truck. I don't have satellite radio so I am still doing the FM thing. Recently I was thinking about the definitions of classic rock and oldies. When do my favorite classic rock tunes become oldies? Is there some sort of constitution on music classification? Is there an instruction manual? Do songs just become oldies after a set amount of years like cars becoming antiques?

When Braden gets older will the things I like to listen to be on the oldies station? One day will I turn to easy listening and find Jimmy Page rocking the guitar solo in Heartbreaker? Will Eddie Vedder become an oldie in a few decades? Maybe one day Braden will beg me to change the station from the Doors or Guns n' Roses after referring to it as oldies garbage.

I once went digging through my Dad's records as a teenager. I found Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix albums among others. This was probably the first time I ever realized that my parents might have been cool once. I still listen to those groups on classic rock stations today. I don't think they will ever become oldies. It seems like "pop" music goes the way of oldies channels. As ACDC once sang, "Rock and Roll will never die." I hope they are right. I hope some day Braden will enjoy the classics like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix just like my dad and myself.

I am aware that through his teenage years he will like whatever is popular at the time. He might even like pop music or rap. I haven't admitted this in a while, but I used to love rap music when I was in high school. So I certainly won't judge. Whatever music he likes is fine with me.

I do think it would be cool, however, if one day he found an old Pearl Jam CD of mine and decided to listen. Then upon hearing the band he would me amazed. He would come to me saying, "Dad, who is this Pearl Jam? They are awesome! Do you have any of their other CD's?" He might even come to the same realization I did years ago that his Dad could have possibly been cool once. That could lead to us talking about all my old favorites.

Good music is timeless. Classics never die, and being able to share them with Braden would be just another great connection between father and son. And to borrow from Bruce Springsteen, it would give me another chance to remember the "Glory Days."

Disagreed with Greed

As many of you know I am a huge Pearl Jam fan. I love their music and especially the singing of front man Eddie Vedder. Eddie and I couldn't be more different in our beliefs, but I have never looked to rock and roll for a role model. I like his music. His political leanings have no bearing on me.

Not long ago Eddie did his first solo album. He wrote and recorded the music for the film Into the Wild. One particular song entitled “Society” talks about the topic of greed and materialism. This song and in particular the words below are the inspiration for this post today.

We have a greed

With which we have agreed

And you think you have to

Want more than you need

Until you have it all

You won't be free

-Eddie Vedder

Everyone knows about greed. People familiar with the Bible know it as one of the seven deadly sins. People not familiar with those teachings are all too familiar with the damage greed can do as well.

The current financial situation was fueled by greed. The fat cats on Wall Street wanted more and more so they made riskier and riskier investments. Bankers all across the country wanted more and more so they made loans to all sorts of people regardless of credit. Even the people taking out the loans were greedy sometimes. Maybe they bought a house beyond their means because they felt they had to have it. This is not to say that every banker, financial advisor, broker, or home owner is guilty. The system worked in such a way that greed drove things to a breaking point. I know very little if anything about finances. I am an engineer that knows about physics and other exciting things like that, but I think everyone will agree with me that greed was a major culprit.

Corporate greed is not the type of greed that concerns me as a parent. Of course the financial collapse concerns me, but not from the point of view of raising my son. I am much more concerned about the rampant materialism in our society. Nothing is enough anymore. People must have big homes, fancy cars, boats, motorcycles, clothes, jewelry, and on and on. Many people want and want until they are in credit card hell.

Some degree of materialism affects everyone. I am certainly not above the fray. Right now I want a new fishing rod and a four wheeler. Sometimes I want a new video game or something else. This is simply a part of our human nature.

I believe that the ability to be satisfied with what you have can bring a great deal of happiness into someone's life. Being thankful and content is quite a blessing. I am not saying that we shouldn't want nice things. Buying a new car is definitely not a punishable offense. I do think, however, the constant desire for something more that leads to dissatisfaction and unhappiness is damaging.

I want to teach Braden to enjoy the things he has been given. He will always want toys and other fun things, but hopefully I can teach him to accept it when he is denied. I want to raise a kid that is content with his family, friends, and the things he has. I have no idea how to go about doing this. There is no great plan in the works, and I know it won't be easy. The effort will be worth it though, because success means Braden will grow up to be a better adjusted, happier person. Hopefully he will grow up to be the type of person who gives to others rather than lining his own pockets.

I have not always been the best role model for this type behavior, but fatherhood is helping me learn in a hurry.

Spring 2009 Is Almost Here

Here in Arkansas we get to experience all four seasons if only for a brief while. Summer seems to last forever so we have a relatively short spring and fall. The winter is mild but it is enough to make me yearn for spring every year. Eddie Vedder once crooned "No matter how cold the winter there's a spring time ahead." That sentiment keeps me going through the cold short days of winter. Now here in Arkansas spring time is right around the corner. The first signs are the daffodils blooming. They have already come and gone. Then the Bradford Pears and Dogwood trees bloom with limbs full of white flowers. Our neighborhood is full of them. I thought about taking some pictures, but getting out and wandering in other peoples yards for photographs of trees just seemed too weird. Instead you will have to use your imagination. Most trees are putting on leaves now and my yard is full of fast growing weeds leading to the one drawback of spring... mowing.

It has been so warm here that Arica, Braden and I went for a walk the other day. Being born in winter has pretty much made Braden an inside fixture for the first months of his life. I am always glad for spring to come, but this year I am even more excited because I can go outside and play with Braden finally. On a perfect spring day in Arkansas you can expect clear cloudless blue skies and 70 degree temperatures. It may not last long but those few perfect days make it worth while anyway. Spring feels like a new beginning every year as everything turns green and growing. The pale grays of winter turn to the bright glowing colors of spring, and it lifts my spirits. Not to be overlooked, baseball season begins again in the spring. Opening day is one of my favorite days of the year. As I wait anxiously for full fledged spring and baseball season mother nature threw me a curve ball today. It is raining and 40 degrees. That will temper my excitement for a short time while I look for that Pearl Jam CD to remind me that there is still a spring time ahead.

Immunization Baby!

I own about 15 Pearl Jam CD's most of which are live recordings from various places over the years. So I basically own about 10 different renditions of all their popular songs. For the last week or so I have listened to a live Pearl Jam concert rocorded in New York City over and over. This has warped my brain and thoughts a bit as I try to write. I am channeling a little Eddie Vedder from "Evolution" in the title today. If you don't know Pearl Jam you can see the video for "Evolution" here or you can just imagine I am a foreign visitor to our great country trying to describe what happened yesterday by screaming in broken English.

That's right yesterday Braden got his first round of immunizations. I was worried that we would have a Chernobyl type meltdown so I took off work an hour to provide my support. Mom's don't do too well when they see their little baby boy screaming from pain or at least the one living with me doesn't. Much to my surprise I was not needed at all. Braden cried but I have heard him cry louder before. The nurse was so quick it was all over before I knew it. She stuck him 3 times bowed to the crowd and made her exit. I am glad it wasn't too bad but I still don't look forward to doing it again in 2 months.

In other news from the visit Braden gained 2 pounds to reach the weight of 12 lbs 7 oz. He has grown 4 lbs 2 oz in 2 months and 3 days. It is amazing how fast the time goes by. I blame some of that on 6 weeks of a sleepless zombie like haze but still yet the boy is getting big. He holds his head up on his own and likes to be sitting up so he can see everything. He talks and laughs and is very interested in what is happening. He even laughed at our dogs through the sliding glass door the other day. I guess time goes by fast when you are having fun.