The Times They are A-Changing
I listened to Bob Dylan today. I didn’t listen in the realm of some deep dive into his lyrical meaning or for the undertones of a generation. I listened as a first-timer, to get a better idea. That is not to say that I had never heard a Dylan song, but I had never made the effort to listen to him for an extended period of time. I had never made a concerted effort to appreciate and enjoy the man who has fascinated millions. There is some sort of synchronicity to this, because today just happens to be Bob Dylan’s birthday. To be honest, I am not sure if this is why I made the effort today or if that was some cosmic coincidence. I prefer the second scenario there, but it was good either way.
I am not much of a new-music guy these days, but I understand the error in my ways when it comes to Dylan. (And by new, I mean new to me.) I tend to put on “the usual” while cooking dinner, but today was different. I felt like my life was missing a little something, and that something was knowledge of one of the best songwriters in history. Dylan won both a Pulitzer and a Nobel Prize for his writings, along with Hemingway. This was a fact I was unaware of until today. So if I want to join this illustrious group, I should at least know something about both of them. Kidding. Maybe.
The main reason I decided to listen to him is that I am embarrassed to not be familiar with such an iconic figure. I am very familiar, and a fan of, most of his contemporaries, but for whatever reason, Dylan never caught on with me. That is my fault, never having given a real and honest chance to his music or songwriting. My parents didn’t give me a full intro to his style, as they did with Jimi, the Beatles, CCR, and the like. Does that count as an excuse? This book has something to do with it, but I am beginning to appreciate how hard writing—of any type—is. It is an effort, an effort that takes time and energy and focus and creativity. I hadn’t appreciated that until I experienced it myself in some minuscule way.
I wouldn’t likely have considered these things at 26. Actually, I didn’t at all. I only would have cared if I liked something within the first 20 seconds of it hitting my eyes, lips, or ears. I would not have taken an extra step to appreciate potential greatness. At 26, I did not always respect quality, only immediate pleasure. It may seem like those two things are linked, but that is not the case. What is your favorite snack? Is that quality? What is your favorite TV show? Quality? Maybe it is, likely it is not—especially at 26. I am completely certain and aware that I listened to a lot of bad music at 26 (and most other ages). I listened to music that was written and performed by those who didn’t try quite hard enough. I still respect those people, and I could never do what they did (I failed at learning the guitar three times), but a lot of the music was borderline at best.
At 39, my tastes have changed quite a bit. That is most likely fortunate for all those within earshot of my speakers. Going back to quality, I have honed in on that quite a bit, and not only in the music realm. I still have some guilty pleasures, no doubt, but most of what I listen to these days would be called quality music. I wonder if Bob Dylan’s musical sensibilities—or what he listened to—changed when he was around my age. I am sure it happens for most of us if we let it. It appears to be the natural order of things.
I have spoken about how it is important—yet difficult—to change as you get older. It becomes increasingly challenging to force yourself to try new things, big or small. Today was important in overcoming some of those mental blocks. The reason for that is because it made me think about how things change in a natural way with time. For example, did you like eating onions as a young child? How about now as an adult? I bet you like onions, don’t you? Do you remember when that occurred, or better yet, why the change occurred? That happened naturally with age. So we have to assume that other things in life can change in a similar manner. Maybe we didn’t appreciate Dylan when we were 21, but he deserves another chance. That same sentiment could go for many other things in life. Your wife wants to take a gardening class, but you think you hate gardening? Maybe your level of enjoyment in gardening has changed—so go try it out. Scared to wear that pink shirt because you are still thinking like a 23-year-old? Try it out, see how you feel. Things change. It is OK if one of those things is you. Try something new. Purposely revisit things you think you dislike. They could surprise you, and you could surprise yourself. Your new and improved self.
-Houston Bailey (@BumpBailey)