Is it just a dance?

The lights flicker. The audience gasping for breath, staying silent, as if it were Christmas night. The woman walks out, in her elaborate, sexy new heels, prepared just for the occasion. Her dress, shimmers as she twirls into the spotlight. Her arms, flowing with the delicateness of a gentle stream, moving with the grace of a swan, lure the man over.

The man strides over, ever the cool cat. With a deliberate gesture, tips his hat and flips it onto the woman's locks. He hands her a long stem red rose, still fresh with the misty dew. With a powerful array of footwork, he works his way behind the woman, still in her statuesque form.

Their eyes lock. Without any spoken words, the man lets the woman know exactly what he's thinking. Breath-takingly beautiful never had a better use. He twirls her, posture flawless like a top, she spins and ends in his arms, locked into the beginning of an intense milonga de amor.

What is Love.

For You.

VERSE A: (G-D-e-C, moderate)

I heard it first from the tip of your lips.

"Love is important, but it's not enough."

I didn't know there was more to a relationship

But now, ex post-facto, it's nothing but rough.

REFRAIN: (G-D-e-C, faster)

I didn't want it to end like this

Tried so hard but it's what it is;

Seems like yesterday when you told me

"We're not right for each other."

Will be tough to get over you;

Keep on doing what you always do.

Please don't hate me for what I've done

I'll still always love you.

VERSE B: (G-D-e-C, moderate)

We've had a lot of problems, big and small;

Tempers and yelling, misunderstanding.

But when it boils down, don't matter at all,

We've tried for so long, it's finally ending.

-REFRAIN- (G-D-e-C, faster)

VERSE C: (G-e-C-D, slower)

With you, it's been one hell of a ride,

Have no regrets, I couldn't have lied.

Let's both focus on what needs to be done,

I will be cheering; you're my number one.

-REFRAIN- (G-D-e-C, faster, slowly fade out)

The Old Man

I step outside.

Almost like it was anticipating my entrance, a cold breeze blows past me. Shaking it off in black coldgear, shorts and running shoes, I start my journey. Looking around, I see a familiar sight: the old porter. He looked so much more impressive and intimidating when I was a prospective freshman: everything looked more so when I was a prospective freshman. Now, I could tell he has seen better days, fulfilling his duties with a heavy sigh, standing resolute in everything that nature throws at him, simply telling the time to anyone who even gives him half a glance.

I stop to chat with the old watchman. Tying my shoes whilst making conversation, I ask him how he's been.

He tells me of everything he's noticed. People coming and going, hardly anyone bothering to say hello; he tells me about the good old days back when people were more courteous. I laugh, just like a young'un, he jeers. He says how across the river of black asphalt, there has been a war going on. Buildings being torn down, piles of rubble and debris left to be cleaned up, free territories becoming occupied with newer, even bigger fortresses, laying claim to all of its surroundings. I tell him how I've ventured into that war zone often, within just two years of becoming familiar with the place, everything's changed. Old places that I've visited, turned completely inside out, it's like I've never been there. Even the local tavern was forced to close its doors. The old porter, in his worn-down green windbreaker, shakes his head in disapproval.

I blink, and breathe a breath full of chilled air. I stretch out, half expecting the porter to continue his story. I look up; the old man returns to his somber, silent watch. As I get ready to take off, "11:30pm", he whispers. I look back, thank him, and jog into the darkness, knowing he'll be here to welcome me back for when I return.

The Game.

As I look down the road, with the proverbial spinner in hand, I think to myself: "What do I want to be?" I've already picked the longer of the two paths, which involved going to college, most likely resulting in a higher career path, higher base salary, the works.

I stare at the long, winding, colorful path in front of me, with all sorts of unknown surprises at every turn. Before I give that spinner a turn, I begin to ask questions. What color car am I going to have? When will I have a life-long companion? What kind of house will I have? Is insurance worth it? How many people will there be in that car that I'll be supposedly driving? How and when will I retire?

Taking a step back, I look up and realize what is truly important: the people I'm playing the game with. It doesn't matter what choices that they make, the different paths that everyone will inevitably will branch out on, the similarities and differences in the path that all starts with the same choice, and ends with retirement. The stuff in-between is where the fun comes in; fun comes not from lowering other people and disrespecting the choices they make, but rather, the process of everyone going through the process together, and the good/bad times that come from it. If you're not having fun while playing the game, you're probably playing the game wrong. The point is not to see who "wins," but rather how much you enjoyed the entire progression.

Looking back, I don't think anyone actually knows or can know the full extent of all the rules of the game. By definition, it's not possible for anyone to be completely sure of where they're going to end up, there are near-infinite opportunities, risks, chances lining the path. Each card that is drawn and choice that is made will affect those sitting around you, and thus affect what they do when it is their turn.

With everyone finally retired, we can look back and reflect on all the different achievements that we, as a group, accomplished, opportunities we missed, and choices we made. It's just better when everyone's played the game for the game, and not resorting to cheating and ruining the integrity of an otherwise clean game. It's been a good hour of fun.

Snapping back to reality, I realize the meaning of, "Live the cards you're dealt, and play the game [correctly]." I laugh to myself, and spin the spinner; I've come out preferring the company of those with me, who will also, in turn, spin the spinner for themselves.

Milton-Bradley sure got this one right.

A new year, perspective, life.

2010. Twenty-ten. Just the year's name is different from years past. This is the mark of something big, something different, something new.

2009 came and went, with the usual customary ups and downs, and I guess that leaves much to be missed and much to be improved on. Someone once told me, "Turn to people to who you can trust, return to what you have experienced, yearn to experience more, and learn from it all."

And so, on that note, my 2010 resolutions:

1. Turn to people who I can trust:

I've made so many friends at WashU, and they have taught me the true meaning of friendship. Let it be consoling in times of difficulty, being there to enjoy the good times with me, or even something as simple as a driving motivation to bring me back down to reality, make me realize my flaws as well as my strengths, and to constantly push me to continue on the quest for self-improvement. You guys know who you are, I'm eternally grateful for all that you guys have done. Couldn't have made it through without you guys. This year, I am hoping to build this relationships stronger still, and also, get in touch with people that I've definitely been unable to talk/see as much. Again, you guys know who you are, we'll find more time to really sit down.

2. Return to what you have experienced:

Despite what people say, 20 years is a long time, with a lot of memories and experiences that may no longer be available once out of the realm of childhood and into the brutal world of maturity. Based off different standards, people are judged and viewed as mature/immature, responsible/childish, or sensitive/insensitive. I have realized that it is simply impossible for anyone to clearly fall into one category or the other. As Aesop's fables have taught us, "it is impossible to please everyone." This year, I am going to go back to the basics, really pull from the one heck of a ride that I've had thus far.

3. Yearn to experience more:

20 years is now a little more than a fourth of what the average man will experience in his entire lifetime. That being said, I've only covered (hopefully) 25% of what will be a very interesting life. If the first 20 years have been this interesting, I can only begin to speculate what will the future have waiting for me down the road of life. This year, I want to really get out there, and see what life's got in store for me. Some of you may have heard me say before, "The only way to live in your twenties, is to live like you're going to die by 30." Well, hopefully I don't die at 30, but at least I'll have experienced as much as if I was going to.

4. Learn from it all:

The accumulation of everything else, this one will most definitely be the hardest of them all. No one likes to admit when they're wrong, but even when they admit it, it's even harder to learn the lesson associated with the mistake made. I am, just like everyone else, guilty of only being able to learn from experiences that either did not concern me, or did not involve me as much. This year, I will try to face mistakes head on, accept when I'm wrong, accept it with grace, and above all, learn from it so that I won't have to repeat it later.

If I am able to achieve these four points, I'll be on the right track toward the self-improvement process.

Art.

I've always looked at mood rings with an eye of skepticism. How would something as simple as a color changing ring, indicate how someone would be feeling at any given time. I never believed something inanimate would ever be able to capture the essence of a human emotion, let alone the whole collection of emotions.

Where the mood ring fails, music succeeds. The intangibility, the flow, the power, does a much smoother job of indicating what a mood is. Regardless of what I'm listening to, it encapsulates my entire being into sequences of intertwined, synergistic series of notes. However, the ability to express myself in such a fashion is incredible, and for one, I'm glad I can "vent" in such a way.

No pun intended, but the true key to my soul, lies in the piano. If any of you have been so lucky as to been in a practice room with me when I'm just playing something/anything, you've seen a piece of "me." Not the facade that everyone else gets to see from day-to-day. It's a privilege/offer that many have rescinded, but few have been wise enough to see/experience it.

The purest moment of all, is a piano, in a practice room, with the lights off, and it's like I've shut out all the world's distractions, nothing in my ears, just me, and the notes that play straight from my heart. A similar comparison would be of an inspired painter left alone in a room with four blank walls and no windows, and all the colors in the world available in a polished, 88-keyed, black and white easel. My fingers are the brushes, the notes are the strokes, the "music" created can be chicken-scratch, a doodle, a sketch, a line, a thought, a series, a classic, a masterpiece.

What is greatness?

I mean, how would you define it?

I've always seen it as being extremely proficient in one area of skill, however, does being moderately proficient in multiple areas of skill count as well?

Does the Enlightenment-period Renaissance Man have a place of "greatness" in today's society?