Huh?

We live in a world dominated by media. All sorts of media. Music. Movies. Television. Inspirational Speakers. Politics. You name it, we've got it. At the same time, we also live in a world filled with devastatingly different people. These people create media, so our media is conflicting.
This is no secret to us.. but still we somehow get so caught up. And we are utterly confused. We are confused about how to feel and how to act.
Some of us love television shows whether that be a daily news show, a late night drama or a talk show. Others of us love movies. Others search for meaning through inspirational gurus. Some like to live their lives as if it were a music video. The bottom line is no two people are alike. And no two forms of media are alike.
We like to think that the use of media in our society doesn't touch us. "I live my own life. Nobody in a TV screen or on the radio is going to run my thoughts..." You've heard this before. Maybe you've said this before? We don't mean for it to, but it just happens.
I am not ashamed to say that I am one of those that lives my life as if it's a music video. A deep, country love ballad if you will. If you haven't noticed, life's just not like that. Which is sad, right? Anyway. Country songs fill us with conflicting expectations. We hear slow songs about finding love and being so deep that you can't see a foot in front of you. We also hear songs about crazy ex's and sad goodbyes. We hear songs about partying and acting a fool, but there's also songs about getting our act together and settling down.
Don't give up, right? But don't take anybody's crap. You deserve more. But don't be too full of yourself. You're young; have fun and throw caution to the wind. But don't do anything you might regret. Find the man of your dreams. But don't tie yourself down before scoping out your options.
I mean, this is insanity! We hear, "Follow your heart and do what makes you happy." But we have all been in a place or with a person that makes us so incredibly-dance-on-the-table happy, but soon... that fades. That same thing that once made us so happy is making us curl up in a ball in our bed with Ben & Jerry close by. How does that make sense?
Just like all of you, I have had times that I truly thought I had it figured out. Oh my heavens, I have really thought that I knew where life was taking me. But that's the only thing we have to count on in life: the fact that we really have no idea what to count on!
I went to a concert this weekend. And I noticed something. At Lakewood, the whole lawn is a lot like a big, fat sing-a-long. We were at the Luke Bryan/ Jason Aldean concert, so of course, you had a bunch of drunk hillbillies reciting the words the best they knew how! Everybody loves the upbeat songs about drinking and being with your friends and being from the South. The songs that hit the radio in early summer and make you just smile from ear to ear. But when the songs about heartbreak and unrequited love come over the speakers, the voices don't die down. Just because something doesn't work out with a happy ending doesn't mean that the feeling should be avoided completely. It should be FELT!
I know that more people than just me were thinking of a certain relationship or a certain person when Jason Aldean belted out "The Truth" or when Luke Bryan sang "Someone Else Calling You Baby." The conflicting emotions are important. We have to get through the bad and the broken to get to the exciting and the joyful.
People support us by telling us that it's "not the end of the world" when something happens in our life that we don't like or that we weren't expecting. A breakup. Loss of a job. Fight with a family member. Death. Sickness. Affairs... etc. So WHAT if you act like it's the end of the world?? You know just as well as I do that it won't be long before things turn around and make you feel like you're on TOP of the world!
FEEL things. Feel the bad times just as much as the good times. You'll appreciate the good so much more! And you'll really learn from the bad.
Dance to the summer song.
But also...
Sing the ballad.