Somewhere In the Middle

"Somewhere between the new and the old - Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be - Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me - Somewhere between the wrong and the right - Somewhere between the darkness and the light - Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me - Somewhere in the middle You'll find me"

Lyrics from Casting Crowns, written by Mark Hall from The Altar and the Door

On many different levels, this song totally resonates with me.

It is so easy to live on one side or the other. The extreme is safe. Red States vs. Blue states. Protestant vs. Catholic. Yankees vs. Mets.

I was at Chilis about 7 years ago during playoff time watching a Laker game in the bar, and I was wearing a Clippers jersey. I like the Clippers--I'm a fan. I also like the Lakers. I'm an NBA fan, period. I like basketball. So there's this one guy sitting at the table next to ours, and he says something like, "Dude, which is it--are you a Lakers fan or a Clippers fan?" The stupidity of this statement still amazes me to this day. But for so many people, in so many areas, this "one or the other, either or" mentality is all they seem to understand.

During the early days of Reality Rock, back in the '80s, preachers would get on their soapbox about the evils of rock music. "You are either for the devil or for Jesus--music is either Christian or satanic--there is no in-between. If you listen to the music of the world, you are a compromised Christian. Burn any tapes/records that are of Satan and the world--only keep those whose songs glorify Christ"

Now, some reading this may wonder what beef I could have with that? Simple: it's not that simple. When I would be invited to speak to youth groups about music, I was very clear about why the above stance is wrong--it's way too simple. Way too easy. Way too wrong! When I asked the kids to raise their hands if they liked to sing "Happy Birthday" at parties, all hands went up. "Ok, is that a Christian song?" I would ask next. "Um, no, not really." How about no, not at all--not even close. It is JUST A SONG. It's a song people sing when it's someone's birthday. It is not satanic. It is not Christian. And, if one would actually take the time and effort to engage their brain long enough to realize that if there is a song playing on the radio about horses, it does not, CAN NOT fall into the "either or" category of Christian or satanic. It is simply a song about horses.

It would be so nice if life were black and white all the time. We really wouldn't have to "wrestle" with those gray areas that don't easily fit into our little boxes.
On my Facebook page, where it asks for my political affiliation, I put the word "hybrid". No, that doesn't mean I'm driving a Prius. It means that I am a registered republican who is pro-life, but against the death penalty. What a terrible republican I am! Arnold is a hybrid. Many republicans feel he is a democratic wolf in sheep's clothing. Bush was a republican, but many republicans called out his immigration policies as being WAY too liberal.

Labels are convenient. Labels are easy. But labels don't always tell the full story.
I am so sick and tired of our two-party system. Yes, there are other parties out there, but let's face it. We have backed ourselves into a corner as a country when it comes to political races. If you're not one or the other, you don't have a chance.

People who attempt to label me usually come up a bit frustrated. I am thankful for that. I am who I am. Somewhere in the middle, you'll find me . . . .

cassette tapes

Within the last year I treated myself to an IPOD for the first time, ditching (once and for all) my Sony Walkman. However, on this warm, cloudy Saturday afternoon, I find myself listening to cassette tapes--yeah, those things that replaced 8-track cartridges back in the '60s.

The occasion--celebrating the survival of old Reality Rock program tapes!

A couple weeks ago, I reconnected with a friend of mine from Atlanta who is a college Chemistry professor. He asked if I kept any program air-checks from KLRD or KUOR. When I told him they had been in a storage unit in Yucaipa since last spring, he grimaced. "Was it air-conditioned?" Well, no. He told me there was no way they had survived the summer heat.

So today, while moving some other stuff, I was determined to take a sampling from the unit back home, pop them into the cassette player and see what I found. Lo and behold, chemistry professors aren't always right, I am happy to say!

Since joining Facebook, I have reconnected with many of the Reality Rock listening/program staff family over the past few months; this listening experience sort of completes the walk down memory lane. Mike Stand, The Call, King's X and Violet Burning are taking me back to some of the best 15 years of my life. Almost makes me want to hop back on the airwaves again--almost . . . .