I still vividly remember the awe I felt as I listened to my cousin describe attending a concert when I was thirteen. It was 1968 and a new breed of rock and roll was just coming to the attention of kids and parents alike. Hard driving, loud, and explorative were all keys, but there was something more. I wanted, more than anything else, to go to one of “the” concerts. The bands have now faded into memory; consigned to yet another Hall of Fame.
Fortunately for my parents, they never had to express a “final” decision because a specific opportunity never came into the realm of possibilities. Different concerns were floated; something about losing a portion of one’s hearing, lyrics that had little to nothing good in them, and the free exchange of drugs by band members and listeners alike. In my mind at the time these issues only served to increase my desire to be there and part of the scene. This was a real life priority!
As I look back, I feel little urge to criticize the music that appeals to any generation. I am much more interested in talking about what is personally an important value. I want to explore and understand the things that you want to goal after. What are they? How do you intent to pursue this end? Are there ways that I can help the process along? Would you like to journey together for awhile?
Too often I find myself caught in being a contemporary critic. Is this right? Could this possibly be wrong? If you want to discuss the framework and various points, I get excited; but giving you your answer is not my role or responsibility. It is up to you, and you alone to decide your next step.
All this brings us to priority one. What is it for you? For me it is simple; I want to live and walk with God, now. Anything else is, well, dumb.
“The stupid ridicule right and wrong, but a moral life is a favored life.” (Proverbs 14.9)
