ooh baby, do you know what that's worth?

Oh, heaven is a place on Earth.
In heaven, love comes first.
We'll make heaven a place on Earth.

I LOVE THIS SONG! Especially this version by Katie Thompson. (The original, by Belinda Carlisle, is good, even if the video is kind of silly).

Lyrics are always important to me when I consider a song (for the most part, anyways), and it's been a personal philosophy of mine to 'make heaven a place on Earth' for a while. I know that it is a love song but the chorus is really resonating with me right now.

Let's say it's been a rough couple days, and this was a pleasant surprise to lose myself in. Healthy escapes are always good for the soul.

Beautiful Music

So, in my own opinion my last post was kind of harsh. To make up for it, I decided to post one of my favorite pieces of classical music. I have always loved listening to classical music (in moderation) and sometime use it to help me focus when I study. The summer between my sophomore and junior years in college, I took a course on Music History, and this beautiful piece by Bedřich Smetana called Má Vlast Moldau is the only new piece that has stuck in my mind. Smetana was inspired by the Vtlava river (Moldau in German), and wrote six symphonic poems to represent different lengths of the river on its way to joining the Elbe.  

You can almost see the streams running over rocks and crevices, then joining together through woods and forests. You can hear the dancing and merry making of the farmers' wedding, you can see the grandness of the ancient ruins and castles. Or none of these things if you decide to just listen to it as background music. I think it's beautiful.

Sweden on my Mind

Yesterday, I spent some time looking at Sweden. This country has slowly taken over my life. (Not really, but it has popped up a lot more than it usually does). I was perusing one of my favorite websites, andrewsullivan.com, when I found this very cool video:

Believe it or not, this guy, FreddeGredde, is Swedish. I am also Swedish (well, there are a few Swedish drops of blood in me, I'm sure). I read on his blog how he was a student and that had me thinking about how most things (like education and health care) in Sweden are free, because of all their taxes (which I would rather pay, and get free health care and education).  

That got me thinking some more about my future. I'm a political person, a wary political person who always has an escape plan just in case one of the many anti-gay politicians find themselves in power. I know it's silly, but some of their biggest supporters advocate for us to be expelled from the country, so why not get a head start, eh? It's always good for my mental health to be prepared. Anyway, I looked up Sweden on their official website, Sweden.se and found a lot of really cool stuff, including a bunch of great short films! TAG! was my favorite. 

I don't know if I'll ever make it over there, and Neil has vowed to never have to become fluent in any other language than English, so that makes things a bit harder. At least now I know why I have this Robyn song stuck in my head.

We have similar dance styles. :)

OneWheaton posts letter of Solidarity to current LGBT-Ally students

Today, a friend of mine from LA posted a story from OneWheaton, a LGBTQ-Ally group of alumni from Wheaton College in Illinois. This school, like many of its kind across the country, does not recognize the value of its LGBTQ students, making all except the most bold to live in the closet while on campus. What I wouldn't have given for something like this when I was at Anderson University, an even lesser known Christian college in the middle of the midwest. For years I blocked out my sexuality, out of fear: fear of being found out, fear of being ridiculed, fear of being cast out. This isolation is so unhealthy Finally I came out to myself my senior year at Anderson and mentally, things started to get better. Opening myself up in counseling sessions helped me to begin taking those first steps towards my own mental wellness and healthy relationships with others.

A song that helped me through some of my rough times was Coldplay's Fix You. If you ever need help, find someone you trust that you can talk to and find other ways to express your feelings, like art or listening to music.