Reflection on the Natalie Merchant Concert

So I just got back from the Natalie Merchant concert at the F.M. Kirby Center. It was pretty darn awesome. Not only is her voice beautiful, but I love the way that she just moves through each and every song. Now when I say move, I really mean move. She dances and taps and motions and sways her hips. She conducts with grace. She truly gets into the feel of each note. Just stunning.

Her movement got me thinking. Natalie Merchant, no doubt, has so much passion for what she’s doing. You can tell by the way she moves, her voice, and her thoughtful lyrics. Passion is something we put into the things we love. In her case, it’s music. In my case, it’s writing.

I’m not the next great American novelist nor am I an award-winning journalist. I do have passion for what I’m doing despite my cool and calculated exterior. Most people tend to think that I’m very logical by nature, and to some degree, I am. If you really got inside my head, I’d think you’d be surprised though. I’m very emotional – but I’m guarded in the ways in which I express myself.

Cheesy as it sounds, seeing Natalie Merchant got me thinking about my own methods of expression. Maybe I should get more emotional. Maybe I should be more expressive. Maybe I should let myself get angry and frustrated and not always so optimistic. Maybe I should just indulge in the things I’m so passionate about.