If I Were A Song

Our discussion in class today really opened my eyes. I felt the Spirit present for the entire discussion, and I felt the truthfulness of the things that were discussed. In particular, when talking about the lyrics and tones of songs, I was forced to reflect upon my own life. I frequently find myself enjoying a song,  and listening to it many times before ever realizing what the message of the song was. I realize now that this passive tendency I take towards listening to music could potentially be having a negative impact on me.

So this got me thinking... do any of the songs I enjoy have a prosocial message. As I reflected on my favorite songs, I realized that many of my most favorite songs are inspiring. More specifically, the songs that I truly love are the ones that inspire me to be a better person, to change the world, to treat others better, etc.

So if I could be any song.... I would have to say that I want to be the type of person emulated in the following three songs. When I listen to these songs, I feel the Spirit, and I have a strong desire to BE BETTER.

"Invisible" by Hunter Hayes

Man, this song pulls at my heart strings. There have been so many times when I have felt invisible in my life.. Just another face in the crowd. But this song reminds me of my Heavenly Father and the people in my life who have helped me feel of worth and hopeful for better days- "There's so much more than what you're feeling now." This song inspires me to be the person that tells others they aren't invisible and that they aren't alone- that I am here, even if no one else is.


"What If" by Five For Fighting

This song is definitely one of my all time favorites. It's beautiful. And the lyrics are too. They inspire me to see the best in everyone. It's such a wonderful reminder that we never know what a person is going through upon first interaction.. or second.. or even the millionth. "And what if I were you?" I want to be the person that never judges, but loves and looks only for the best in others.

"Stand By You" by Rachel Platten

And lastly, this song. This is a new song that I recently discovered. And I can't get over it. It's so catchy, and I always get goosebumps when I truly focus on the lyrics. I love this song because it inspires me to be a better wife to my husband. I love the lyrics, "And love, if your wings are broken, borrow mine so yours can open too." It emulates true sacrifice and dedication for others. 

Gosh, listening to these songs while I write this post has me feeling so emotional. I just have such a strong desire to love everyone. These songs make me want to become a better disciple of Christ. So I can definitely say these songs encourage prosocial behavior. I know music has such a power- for good or for evil. So let's all choose to listen only to the music that encourages us to be better.

Breaking Bad

Mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher, Walter White, thinks his life can't get much worse. His salary barely makes ends meet, a situation not likely to improve once his pregnant wife gives birth, and their teenage son is battling cerebral palsy. But Walter is dumbstruck when he learns he has terminal cancer. Realizing that his illness probably will ruin his family financially, Walter makes a desperate bid to earn as much money as he can in the time he has left by turning an old RV into a meth lab on wheels.

Over the weekend, my husband and I decided to try watching Breaking Bad. For anyone unfamiliar with the TV show, see description above.

We only got about 5 episodes in before we stopped watching it. Maybe we didn't give it enough of a chance, but we couldn't find ourselves getting too caught up in it. Mostly, it just made me depressed. It was depressing to think about this poor man's situation and only see him make things worse by choosing to start a meth lab. While his intentions of doing so were honorable (to help his family), he ironically only makes things worse for his family. I guess it just goes to show that nothing good can come out of bad (or should I say.. Breaking Bad.. ?).

While I cannot necessarily deem the show as good or bad, being that I only watched the first 5 episodes, I can say that I did get some insights from watching it. This show was a reminder to me of what is most important in this life...families, the pursuit of perfection, etc. rather than the pursuit of wealth and suability. And I can honestly say that the show has made me think twice about my actions and the effects they will have on those around me. But after all, these are just my own perceptions.

  

How To Get Away With Murder

I am slightly embarrassed to admit that my past week was spent watching the first season of a series I recently discovered on Netflix called, "How To Get Away With Murder." While super addicting, this show is not one that I necessarily felt comfortable watching. Two things in particular made me feel uncomfortable. One, the sex content is moderately high- frequently showing glimpses into both heterosexual and homosexual couples' personal lives. Not only that, but sex is particularly no big deal to one of the characters who is frequently hooking up with various people in order to get information. Second, the overall message I kept receiving was: It's ok to commit murder as long as your intentions in doing so are good.

The show is all about a woman, Annalise Keatig, who owns her own law firm. She is so good at what she does that she is pretty much able to get anyone free from the judicial system whether they are guilty of the crime or not. When she is not working with clients, she is an intimidating professor at a local college for law students. Towards the beginning of the series, she chooses five of her law students to come and work for her. They begin to adjust their morals and perspectives about justice to mirror Annalise Keatig. Spoiler alert: they end up committing a murder and Annalise agrees to cover it up for them and "protect" them.

Overall, I just was not impressed with any message included in this show. It is not one that I would feel comfortable letting children watch for sure.. so that tells me I should not be watching it either. I see the potential effects of this show being a degradation of values pertaining to sex and the sanctity of human life. Certainly, these are not good things to degrade. But after all, these are just my opinions and my own perceptions.

-L