Monday, January 11, 2016

Sweater Beats, Experiencing Loss & David Bowie

2016-03: The smooth mixes of Sweater Beats, what happens when the people we love pass away, and the ways we can express our sorrow (especially in the case of David Bowie).

Music: Sweater Beats
I am kind of obsessed with this mix that came on while I was writing the rest of this blog post (no, I don't write these in any sort of order!) and I think it is sounding really funky. I don't know anything about it, but why not try something new along with me? It won't hurt, I promise.


Accomplishment:
I haven't done much since last week, but I have been practicing my ping pong skills! I've been feeling a little restless without running every other day (and being cooped up inside because of the cold weather), so it's good to be moving around. God bless the office ping pong room.

I did stop in front of a little neighbourhood library on Crawford Street and pick up a book to read. You know what I'm talking about, these:


They're on a take-a-book, leave-a-book policy so I'll borrow this one and then put it back when I'm done. I suppose I feel a bit silly because I haven't brought any books with me to this apartment and as John Waters says:


Goal:
I didn't opt into the lunch program at work this month, so I am relishing the excuse to get away from all the delicious food I can't eat at lunchtime. How best to counteract that? By doing some Skillshare classes during lunch at work! Tomorrow at lunch I am going to complete a short Skillshare on my lunch break, and on Thursday I am going to get a library card after work! How exciting! I have been slacking on just sitting back and reading a book in my spare time, and I'd like to get back to that. I also want something to read in Mexico next week. Lucky me!

Random Thought:
I was watching Frankenweenie the other day, and (no real spoiler here), there is a scene at the beginning where the boy's dog dies. He doesn't really have any friends, and the dog is pretty much his whole world, which made it very sad. Not to mention that Tim Burton always does an amazing job of bringing empathy out in his audiences. The boy's mother tells him that when a loved one passes away, they don't go away. They just move to another place: your heart. They're still very much alive in your memories and dreams. I've heard that cliche before in one form or another, but this time it really struck with me. A family friend's father passed away this weekend as well, and he was someone that I had spent time with when I was younger. I hadn't seen much of him lately, which made me sad because I remember him as being so full of life.

Sorry for the grim subject, but my point is that I will remember him as the guy with the silly jokes who always had a smile on his face. He loved trains, and had a very interesting collection of train pins on a conductor's hat that he showed me. At the funeral, everyone was given small pins to wear during the service. I wore my pin all day, and I think it will become one of my favourite things.


Inspiration:
I never quite know how to feel when a famous person passes away. When I found out about David Bowie this morning (as I was getting ready for the funeral mentioned above), my first thought was that the world has lost a great artist. After that, I was feeling sad for his family, who have to deal with the grief I am currently facing as well as the huge crowds of fans who love him for his music (but will not be personally affected by his death). That said, what can we, the fans, do to show our gratification for the life of such a great man? We can dribbble. Check this out:



Nothing is more comforting to me than a good bit of design created in the light of the loss of someone great. I know that sounds crazy but these shots are just so good. And they make me think of how lucky I am to have lived in the time of Bowie. Maybe it's time to download that new album of his...since it'll be the last one.

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