MY FAVORITE SONG

Casey Riland

English 1A                                      Music and Culture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj_ZznMMRic&feature=player_detailpage

    The song that touches my heart is by Faith Hill and it is called “It Matters to me” it is of the country genre. The song is about how men and women communicate and the pain that it can cause deep in your heart. I am currently in a relationship that has or was assaulted on many levels from infidelity to addiction. This song has a very special place in my heart because my partner and I have stayed the course of our love and fought to keep together a loving union that we had never experienced before...

    We were both married to other people and experienced very different types of dysfunction in our previous situations. In our relationship I believe we found in each other a new way to experience love from another person. Though our love that was assaulted many times. We have discovered through many sad and troubled times even a long separation that love can conquer all things and through learning to communicate and loving each other unconditionally we have and are building a union that cannot be broken again.

         In the song she says “Where did you learn to fight with no words” explains how men can withhold and not show their feelings. This is a common problem I had and silence can be more hurtful than words when someone is so in love that they cannot break through the walls that created when hurtful things happen that are not always deliberate or even when they are such as infidelity. Sometimes people do things because of their behavior or fear of being hurt. In my experience the other relationships were an escape from allowing me to be truly loved.

        I had never met someone as outgoing and dynamic as my girlfriend was and instead of embracing what I now know was a true love that makes me a better person. I could not trust that this relationship was going to be what it has become .In another part of the song he sings “Maybe I still don’t understand ,The distance between a woman and a man, So tell me how far it is and how you can love like this, “Cause I’m not sure I can” has helped me to see that talking and sharing your feelings and emotions with one another truly is the way to build a lasting union between two people who obviously care enough about each other .

       Country music has always been close to my heart. I remember listening to it as a child while my mom would sing outloud and dance around the house then I thought she was embarrassing.

        Now I can see how the feelings of joy and emotion this genre of music really do touch your heart and through maturity and experience I to have danced in my kitchen and cried to lyrics that can truly move a persons soul if they are open to it.In conclusion my heart belongs to country music with all of the sadness and joy and yes even heartache I have experienced throughout the years of my life country music seems to explain it best and I think Faith Hill has also helped me learn to be a better friend ,lover ,son and father…

Identity paper

Identity                      Casey Riland

                                                                                                                      English 1A 9:15

         Out of class Essay #1

    I feel that my identity was derived from my heritage. Being Irish was about pride and hard work. I remember my grandfather taking time to tell my stories about Traveling from Ireland to the U.S.A.The hardships that were endured and the loss of life and property looking for the opportunities that were promised for immigrants’ is the United States of America.The destination was New York City and the promise was unlimited success based on your efforts not your history.

  I learned to be an honest person through the living example of my father and my mother. I learned that working hard is the best way to find and live the life you want to. Traditionally women in our family have worked to support the household as well as teach daughters and sons  how to take care of house chores that would normally be done exclusively by women as mentioned in the story “Where I Come From is Like “written by Paula Gunn Allen the author states that women were often the hardest working people in the tribe. As well as the children who worked right alongside the women.

  Furthermore when I was about thirteen years old my parents got divorced and my mother took over both roles in my life. I Learned a great deal from her through her living example of doing whatever it took to provide for my brothers and I. She finally remarried a good and honest man who was good to all of us. My lesson from her was that it truly was better to come from a broken home than to live in one. She showed me that where there is a will surely is a way if you’re willing to have faith and work hard.

   In my family traditions are very important as well as our Catholic faith has for most of my life allowed me to see people through the eyes of God.Kindness is the best way to beat an enemy as well as being a good and decent human being.

  My family is the most important thing in my life and I always strive to help when I can or just try to be there if they need me. Being a father, a son and a brother have given me some of the proudest moments in my life.

  I will never forget the sweet Irish accent my grandmother had when she would call me down for breakfast during the two week vacation she would take off from work each year. She would  have my two brothers and I and my two cousins stay with her and my grandfather. She would spoil us while my grandfather would make us dig holes and relandscape his property every year.

  Knowing that I have a rich full history of hard working and faithful  people who are not afraid to stand up for themselves and be willing to exchange  blood sweat and tears to have an opportunity to get and pursue their dreams desires and goals personally makes me very proud and grateful for the man I am today.