Columbus, Wild Rumpus, Internal Compass

What do these three things have in common? Well....they all hold a special place this week in October, today being of course Columbus Day; and at the end of the week the long awaited "Where the Wild Things Are" hits theaters! An internal compass?...well, this has more to do with finding yourself than it does a distant land. And why not take advantage of all this inspiration and start searching within?

Discovery. Columbus made a big find, this we all know ...although it can be argued a great deal that this is really a European "discovery"; that other explorers from different countries found the New World long before he did and that there were in fact people already settled here. Nevertheless, it's an important holiday and it's fun for some of us to get the day off and enjoy the crisp fall weather, eh? :) And while Columbus traveled across the Atlantic from Spain to the America's, Maurice Sendak's character Max makes a discovery of his own in the beloved children's book "Where the Wild Things Are" when he leaves his state of punishment to travel the seas of his imagination, sailing to the land of the Wild Things. There he conquers the great monsters, becomes King, does a little dance and returns home upon a wave of homesickness. He finds his dinner waiting for him when he arrives.

But not all quests and discoveries are to new worlds and distant lands filled with monsters. No...some epic journeys don't require you to even leave your country or your bedroom. Sometimes the greatest discoveries can be made within yourself by using your own internal compass...figuring out where you are and where you need to go.

I won't delve into details but it's no secret by now that this album project is, in a way, riding my emotional and psychological coat tails, existing as an entity that has much greater meaning due to the crazy unfolding of events in my own life to make it so. It's become apparent to me that my life and the album seem to be running parallel to each other, holding hands in this journey to figure ourselves out and for me.... to learn what is most important in life. Maybe then, it's not the album that is benefiting.....but perhaps myself. I really do feel that I'm figuring out where to go throughout this entire process.

However, I don't think my compass necessarily points anywhere special. Like many others, I'm in this constant push and pull of direction in life...one day being so entirely sure of what I want and where I'm going and the next not having the slightest clue on how to even open my eyes to see the options. It's a merry-go-round and roller coaster all in one with only a couple barf bags to get you through. But the insane ride is all part of it! The discovery of where you're going and how high you're willing to go, how fast you're willing to fall just to get back on with a weary smile across your face and a "wow, that was actually great!" shining from your soul.

So this week in October we celebrate Mr. Columbus, little Max and the compass inside us all...for they all three help remind us of grand discoveries, outside and in.