Facing Truth: Why Are Growing Pains so Painful?

Every year, everyday for that matter, I’m forced to face and accept certain truths about myself that either kill me, help me, or encourage me to change. I’m sure many of my readers can relate to such a reality, and can even think of a time in which they had to grow up or go home. But, for me, I feel as though I’ve done more growing in the past 5 years than I have in my entire life. The first time anyone has to, forgive me, look at that “man in the mirror” is always the worst, especially because people are demanded to acknowledge the good, the bad, and the ugly about their personalities and, often times, come to discover that they, like all people, are not perfect. Sometimes, people fear accounting for their faults because they are compelled to travel to dark or even morbid places in their mind, and ones that they avoid venturing to out of apprehension for the inevitable personal distress that will likely occur. Though it is frightening, uncomfortable, and unsettling, it is always necessary. 

How are we expected to grow and develop if we aren’t willing to change or face truth? The way I look at it, and please bear with me, is by the fact that the only person you can every truly change is yourself, no one else. For example, and this can go several different ways, if there is someone in your life who is consistently providing you with a negative energy, inflicting a pure damper on your own happiness, you do not have the power to change this individual. You do, however, have the authority to alter the way you accept this specific energy by either distancing yourself from it, or even dismissing it altogether, or even by trying to understand why you have been chosen to receive this energy and that you may not be lily-white either. Though this is incredibly difficult, even depressing at times, sometimes it is needed. 

Sometimes we need to be strong to make ourselves better in the long run, as awful as it may feel. Sometimes we need to look toward the future, and know that we will not always feel as though our chest has been ripped open by accepting our imperfections. There is always beauty in growth, and we should never feel ashamed to acquaint ourselves with such an experience, with such a blessing in disguise.

A Beatles’ Ballad: “Hey Jules?”

Paul McCartney and Julian Lennon

Listen to "Hey Jude" Here! (My favorite part begins at approximately 3:03)

The beloved Beatles ballad “Hey Jude” is commonly perceived as a love song in which the speaker is offering guidance to a confused young man on the verge of an incredible romantic relationship. Well, I have chosen to dispel that rumor and iterate the actual truth behind this incredible orchestration. At the time the song was composed, John Lennon began a relationship with Yoko Ono, who was viewed by Lennon’s family as the “Other Woman.” Lennon was still married with children when he fell in love with Yoko, provoking a whirlwind of chaos among their closest relations. 

Lennon’s son, Julian, was only 5 years old at the time, naturally feeling an enormous amount of unneeded stress while his own father was leaving his mother for an unfamiliar, eccentric woman. Now, here’s where the song arose: Paul McCartney was visiting Julian and his mother out of worry, simply to ensure that they were coping well with the entire situation. He penned the song before his visit, changing the original title “Hey Jules” to “Hey Jude” because it flowed better in the song’s composition. John Lennon had always assumed that the song was about him, never once pondering the notion that it was, in reality, about his own son. Julian, however, found out that the song was actually about him approximately twenty years after its release. 

So, that’s the story behind “Hey Jude.” Seriously though, look over the lyrics for yourself and one can easily comprehend how the words are more appropriate for Julian than John during the time in which the song was developed. For example, the advice “to let her under your skin” is encouraging Julian to let Yoko under his skin, and open up to her, despite how hesitant he is to do so. 

There are several reasons why I adore this song, and even more for why I can listen to it endlessly without feeling an ounce of boredom. But, above all, I love how McCartney didn’t intend for this song to reach the level of success that it did, he wrote it strictly for Julian, who was struggling during such an awful time. McCartney didn’t care about the reception of this song, he just wanted to let someone he loved dearly know that everything will be okay, which are words we all need to here from time to time, from day to day, or even from second to second. Everything will be okay someday. It will all be okay.

I invite you to peruse the lyrics for yourself to develop a further understanding of its intent for Julian, NOT John (or anyone else)!

"Hey Jude" by The Beatles

Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

Hey Jude, don't be afraid
You were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better

And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah

Hey Jude, don't let me down
You have found her, now go and get her
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin
You're waiting for someone to perform with
And don't you know that it's just you, hey Jude, you'll do
The movement you need is on your shoulder
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah yeah

Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her under your skin
Then you'll begin to make it
Better better better better better better...

Marriage Equality: Why Can’t We All Have Our Cake and Eat it Too?

“The government has to treat all citizens equally. I am a strong supporter not of a weak version of civil unions, but of a strong version, in which the rights that are conferred at the federal level to persons who are part of the same-sex union are compatible. When it comes to federal rights, the over 1,100 rights that right now are not being given to same-sex couples, I think that’s unacceptable."

-President Obama on August 9, 2007

With hopes to renew his presidency, President Obama’s recent statements of his support for marriage equality has created a new wave of controversy and conflict, simultaneously inspiring my latest blog post. As a caucasian, straight, economically privileged female in our current American culture, I have never truly experienced the sting of prejudice, especially in comparison to other classifications of people, like our homosexual population. Presently, same-sex marriages are legal in D.C. and only six states: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. This social imbalance raises a particularly unsettling question, especially regarding the core values by which the United States conducts itself. 

If, referring to the tenets of our Constitution and Declaration of Independence, we endorse ideals of equality, justice, and honor, how can we possibly deny those basic, fundamental human rights from fellow citizens? To me, this discrepancy is not only unconstitutional, it is purely unethical. Though there is little one can do to improve this social condition immediately, there is certainly much we can do to alter and influence the attitudes of those who are not supportive of marriage equality.

We can probably start by refraining from incorporating derogatory, demeaning language in our everyday speech concerning homosexual people, or even by making an effort to demand that those who use these words explicitly should stop as well. It is only the ignorance of others that causes this type of discourse, representing our culture poorly and shamefully. In addition to this measure, perhaps we could focus on educating ourselves more about the movement of marriage equality, and gain an understanding of same-sex marriage from varying perspectives. Specifically, we should look into the reasons for its necessity in society, like its aid in the improvement of our suffering economy, promotion of adoption, and its contribution to our overall culture. 

These are just a few among the many reasons for its essentiality in the United States, and I hope that individuals who are not willing to support the social and legal recognition of same-sex marriage gain a greater comprehension of its advantages. A marriage is a union of one person with another, it should not discriminate against any human being based on gender, it is for those who are truly in a loving, healthy relationship, regardless of their sex.

Let Them Eat Cake: When is It Time to Take Off Our Rose Colored Glasses?

As some of you may know, the famous phrase “Let them eat cake” was supposedly uttered by Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution in response to the rebellious social atmosphere instigated by the impoverished, oppressed masses. Fortunately, for me, these words have inspired my next blog post- a blog post, I’m ashamed to say, that I have been weary to write simply because of the degree of criticism I might receive, or even the potential backlash from readers who absolutely hate my writing. These particular concerns are what drove me to stop writing for approximately the past month and, I know it may seem rather petty, I realized that placing myself on such a platform in which judgment was inevitable isn’t necessarily the smartest move. Specifically, when anyone joins the blogosphere, especially if their blog acquires the attention of a solid amount of people, you will receive harsh opinions, and ones that will very likely hurt you.

So, I’m sorry that “The Open Book” has been so, well, open, and I’ve learned what is okay to write about and certainly what is not. If, however, some of my future posts offend anybody, I really am sorry, because I’m the one who needs you more than you need me. I’m the one who wants a larger, stable audience because I really never know who could be reading- maybe it’s my next employer, maybe my future in-laws, or maybe even my idol Britney Spears. I really never know.

With that said, I will make a true, honest effort to keep my rose-colored glasses far from my reach, and think about what I write before I post. And, in any upcoming posts, I may unknowingly include a sentence or two that might make me sound like a huge idiot, like Marie Antoinette, or maybe the smartest girl in the world, but I will do my best to focus on writing about topics that are interesting, without offending my readers. 

I am only human, after all, and we were born to make mistakes, but it is learning from them that makes us better, and that is all I can promise to do. So a great thanks to the people who are supportive of me because it means more to me than I could ever put into words. So thank you, thank you, thank you!! xxx 

P.S. Will strictly stick to content regarding politics, music, and the other intellectual, boring topics I presented in my profile blurb. (And, of course, some astrology from time to time...)