Smash Yourself To Freedom

For the last three weeks I have lived without certain things I used to think were essential. In fact, I came to rely on these things so much I doubted I could live without them. Being dependent on something has never been my thing… the only idea I have ever allowed to control my life is something I believe I have equal control over- music. So what am I living without…

Item 1: Alarm Clock (that’s right, I use one from the 50’s, big whoop… want to fight about it?)

My alarm clock just stopped working about a month ago. The time still works but the noise that screams at me to wake up every morning just went away… how nice. So how do I wake up? The same way you do. I open my eyes, roll around for a while, and think about how weird my dream was. The only difference is my mind is no longer racing for possible excuses to stay in bed longer. I wake up when my body decides to, which means I’m ready to get out of bed when the windows open. My semester is over so I am no longer teaching. This means my main focus now is creating songs and chants for my radio program, which has no clock-in time.

Item 2: Cell Phone

The bad guys took my phone! Funny because a week before I was robbed I actually joked around with a friend about how I wish I would lose my phone sometimes, so I would be forced to get numbers again and weed out over half of my contacts that I saved as “place I met you + description” (I’m talking about you Arlington Girl and Colombia DJ). Google, however, spoiled that idea by saving all my contacts without me even knowing. Kudos. I have realized in the last couple weeks of not having the leash that I really don’t need it as much as I think I do. No longer having the social escape tool of looking at my phone like the president just sent me an email when I don’t have anything to say to someone has made me stronger. I just hope the guys who stole my phone get a call from Tigo and Colombia DJ every morning until they go crazy and give it to some deserving kid.

Item 3: Credit Card

Getting this stolen turned into a great thing. I no longer tap into my BOA account and only buy things that I can afford with the money I have in my pocket. BOA was slapping me with a 5 dollar charge every time I used that beach also… I’m a better man without it.

This chapter of my life has been very relaxing… but don’t get it twisted, it’s not all pretty girls and fresh squeezed juice. You are probably saving money- I’m watching student loans eat my bank account. You probably have a nice tan from a trip to the beach- it’s so hot here I stay away from the sun as much as possible. You probably bite into your Bojangles sausage egg and cheese biscuit and find yourself laughing about how I am thousands of miles away from the closest one- American Broasted Chicken just isn’t the same (the verdict is still out on what a broasted chicken is…).  I won’t tell you to smash your alarm clock and throw your phone and credit card into the closest body of water you can find because you probably need those things to live your productive life… but for the next week or so I’m going to enjoy what I got going on here. If you got an issue with that, try calling me…