Little Moments

I had a teal colored swimsuit when I was young. I also had a belly and I think I stood funny and never made an effort to "suck-in." I still remember what it feels like jumping into the Riverton City pool. The coolness of the water spreading from head to toe. Thinking to myself "ahhhh this is what summer is all about." The sting in my eyes, the bubbles out of my nose, the weightlessness. I loved the feeling of the summer heat on my wet face, slowly evaporating each drop of chlorinated water.

I remember many things about growing up in Utah. My light blue bike with white tires, our red pickup truck with the revealing woman painted on the hood and my father painting appropriate undergarments on her so as to not shock or offend the congregation at church on Sundays. I remember getting my pinky caught in the blender while trying to make play-doh for the first time in my life, or the first time I saw a green rock. I'd seen brown and black rocks. Never a green one. I assured my brother it HAD to be worth something. He laughed at me and threw it in the bushes and I spent what felt like hours looking for my little treasure. I never did find it.

Most of all, I remember our first Christmas in Utah. It was 1987 and we got a Nintendo that year. It was by far the coolest present EVER. I can still recall running down the red carpeted stairs and hearing the sound of Super Mario Brothers blaring from our black and white TV set. I felt lucky. Lucky to have a family, lucky to have a home. 13294 South Redwood Road, that was our first home here in Utah. A tiny two bedroom duplex where my four siblings and I shared one bedroom. In a town, where 21 years later I still find myself residing in, feeling luckier than ever before... and with my own room now :D

Leia Mais…

Drive

A drive on my day off....

Leia Mais…

Sacrifices

I had a dream last night…..

I found myself living in a cave, many people lived in these caves on the edge on a huge orchard. I didn't understand why we lived in caves, stealing from each other to survive when we knew damn well we could return to our modern homes. Still, in my dream... we CHOSE to live in these dreadful caves.

One morning I went to the edge of the orchard and I found out why we chose to live this way. As I stood there I saw the most incredible sunrise of my life. The sun didn't rise gradually in these parts the way we're accustomed to…. Instead, the sun rose instantaneously, immediately delivering it's beautiful, shimmering golden tones behind the huge orchard of trees….. THAT is why we chose to live as animals in caves…. So that we could stand at the edge of this orchard every morning and see the most beautiful landscape known to man.

So, in spite of the struggles, in spite of the darkness we feel sometimes...there's always a light in our lives that makes everything worth it...

What are you willing to sacrifice for the beautiful in your life?

Leia Mais…

Lillian

I saw you today. You were riding in a car about to visit the same resturant I had just left. You looked beautiful, elegant, but not so happy.

It's your 28th birthday today. I still remember.

It's been 11 years since I last saw you.

That last summer day we spent under the trees. It's a day that I could never forget. Sticking gummy bears in your dimples, laughing, counting leaves, falling asleep. I loved you so much during a time we were both so innocent and so naive. The world had not shown us anything. Little did we know that we controlled nothing. Ignorace was bliss. For that's the kind of happiness that can only exist in youth. When you know nothing of lives realities and everything is all about the love you think you feel inside....

Leia Mais…

Roma

Rome came and went, or I went to Rome and came back home.  Either way, the trip was fantastic.
I finally had the opportunity to see so many of the things I have seen over and over again in art and history books.  Dreaming of the day that I would see those things with my own eyes.  The Sistine Chapel was by far the most moving experience.  I don't have the words to describe what I felt, far too beautiful for mere words.  It's unlike anything I've ever experienced or will ever experience again. I literally felt weak at the knees....

Leia Mais…

Barack Obama: "Yes We Can"

Official Song Site




Take a few minutes to read this.... I think a lot of people, especially younger people, are feeling this way today. I have never been inspired by a politician... but this man moves me....

Don't disregard your responsibility to vote.


Get registered to vote. You only have a few days to do so.



The Yes We Can Song

by will. i. am

I was sitting in my recording studio watching the debates...
Torn between the candidates

I was never really big on politics...
and actually I'm still not big on politics...
but 4 years ago, me and the black eyed peas supported Kerry...
And we supported Kerry with all our might...
We performed and performed and performed for the DNC...
doing all we could do to get the youth involved...

The outcome of the last 2 elections has saddened me...
on how unfair, backwards, upside down, unbalanced, untruthful,
corrupt, and just simply, how wrong the world and "politics" are...

So this year i wanted to get involved and do all i could early...

And i found myself torn...
because this time it's not that simple...
our choices aren't as clear as the last elections ...
last time it was so obvious...
Bush and war
vs
no Bush and no war...

But this time it's not that simple...
and there are a lot of people that are torn just like i am...

So for awhile I put it off and i was going to wait until it was decided for me...

And then came New Hampshire...

And i was captivated...

Inspired...

I reflected on my life...
and the blessings I have...
and the people who fought for me to have these rights and blessings...

and I'm not talking about a "black thing"
I'm talking about a "human thing" me as a "person"
an American...

That speech made me think of Martin Luther King...
Kennedy...
and Lincoln...
and all the others that have fought for what we have today...

what America is "supposed" to be...

freedom...
equality...
and truth...

and thats not what we have today...
we think we are free...
but in reality terror and fear controls our decisions...

this is not the America that our pioneers and leaders fought and
died for...

and then there was New Hampshire

it was that speech...
like many great speeches...
that one moved me...
because words and ideas are powerful...

It made me think...
and realize that today we have "very few" leaders...
maybe none...

but that speech...

it inspired me...
it inspired me to look inside myself and outwards towards the world...
it inspired me to want to change myself to better the world...
and take a "leap" towards change...
and hope that others become inspired to do the same...
change themselves..
change their greed...
change their fears...
and if we "change that"
"then hey"..
we got something right...???...

1 week later after the speech settled in me...
I began making this song...
I came up with the idea to turn his speech into a song...
because that speech effected and touched my inner core like nothing in a very long time...

it spoke to me...

because words and ideas are powerful...

I just wanted to add a melody to those words...
I wanted the inspiration that was bubbling inside me to take over...

so i let it..

I wasn't afraid to stand for something...
to stand for "change"...
I wasn't afraid of "fear"...
it was pure inspiration...

so I called my friends...
and they called their friends...
in a matter of 2 days...
We made the song and video...

Usually this process would take months...
a bunch of record company people figuring out strategies and release dates...
interviews...
all that stuff...
but this time i took it in my own hands...
so i called my friends sarah pantera, mike jurkovac, fred goldring, and jesse dylan to help make it happen...
and they called their friends..
and we did it together in 48 hours...
and instead of putting it in the hands of profit we put it in the hands of inspiration...

then we put it on the net for the world to feel...

When you are truly inspired..
magic happens...
incredible things happen...
love happens..
(and with that combination)

"love, and inspiration"

change happens...

"change for the better"
Inspiration breeds change...

"Positive change"...

no one on this planet is truly experienced to handle the obstacles we face today...
Terror, fear, lies, agendas, politics, money, all the above...
It's all scary...

Martin Luther King didn't have experience to lead...
Kennedy didn't have experience to lead...
Susan B. Anthony...
Nelson Mandela...
Rosa Parks...
Gandhi...
Anne Frank...
and everyone else who has had a hand in molding the freedoms we have and take for granted today...

no one truly has experience to deal with the world today...

they just need "desire, strength, courage ability, and passion" to change...
and to stand for something even when people say it's not possible...

America would not be here "today" if we didn't stand and fight for
change "yesterday"...
Everything we have as a "people" is because of the "people" who fought for
change...
and whoever is the President has to realize we have a lot of changing to do

I'm not trying to convince people to see things how i do...
I produced this song to share my new found inspiration and how I've been moved...
I hope this song will make you feel...
love...
and think...
and be inspired just like the speech inspired me...

that's all...



Let's all come together like America is supposed to...
Like Japan did after Hiroshima...

that was less than 65 years ago...
and look at Japan now...

they did it together...
they did it...

"We can't?...

Are you serious..?..

WE CAN!!!

Yes we can...
A United "America"
Democrats, Republicans and Independents together...
Building a new America

We can do it...
"TOGETHER"

Thank you for reading and listening...
will. i. am

Leia Mais…