The richest city, the saddest city

From what I've heard, the most satisfied people are not necessarily the ones who have the most choice. In fact, the opposite is often true (does anyone know where I can find that study that shows customers who had fewer flavors of jam to choose form were more satisfied with their purchase?) If this is the case, and I believe it is, a city like NY would be inherently the least happy. Just in the short walk to work you see a zillion more possibilities -- cars, homes, food choices, potential friends and lovers -- than you might see in a life time in a small town. The more you put in front of people, the more they are dissatisfied with what they have. And then the more they seek more. It's a self0perpetuating cycle...and the keyword is self.

Edging closer to making music

Well, now that I am done with my masters degree and have returned from my assignment in Africa I am ready to embark on a new prject again. Things at work are lining up to be very busy, but even if I end up in the middle of the major galactic project that seems to be taking shape, I will need more.

I've been wanting to get back into making music with more regularity -- or at least more frequency. Over the past couple years I have all but given it up. I have a zillion reasons I could list, but the only one that matters is energy. I have a finite amount of energy and it was spread pretty damn braodly and deeply on other things. It's no wonder it took me five years to put out the my album.

So over the past few days I have been going through and just listening to all the songs I have recorded over the years. Say what I will, I've been pretty prolific. I have written dozens of songs. What's weird is that I've truly forgotten them. Forgotten the words, forgotten the chords. And so last weekend I transcribed the lyrics to a few and found a few sets of lyrics that Dan and I had typed out a while back. I've started to collect the lyrics in a folder. This afternoon I'll do a little more transcription and maybe try to work out some chords.

It sounds silly, but I am really reluctant to pick up my guitar and play. I just haven't done so for so long I really feel like I have lost my touch. Or is it just exhaustion?

The word that comes to my mind lately is "mobilize." I need to mobilize my energy, my talent, my skills, my desire...the alternative is to just spend my weekends watching the internet grow.