Recently, we ventured out of our domestic lives into the cold harsh city for an indie rock concert, something we haven’t done since the birth of our son. While it was enjoyable at the time, I was left a little disappointed in the concert itself and I have figured out why: It was the people that were in attendance. Things looked hopeful at the beginning considering I saw no less than 10 people that looked like me. Late 20’s, dark frame glasses, semi-urban outfitters dress, and iPhones.(Am I really THAT unoriginal?) I honestly felt like I was in that twilight zone episode where the girl meets her doppelganger from a parallel universe. But as Rilo Kiley started playing I noticed that nobody around us acted like they were listening to music let alone a concert. They just stood there, dead still. No head bobbing. No swaying. Nothing. I didn’t expect the weird hippy dance (see photo) or anything but I needed some kind of sign that they were enjoying the live music.
This made me think back on some of the best concerts I’ve been to: The Hives, Guster, Barenaked Ladies and Ben Folds. In all of them, the audience was totally into it. I think one of the reasons that we go to concerts is for not only for the band but the communal experience of enjoying live music (Similar to why we go to movie theaters). Do you think I actually enjoyed the endless Greg Simpson and Ryan Shupe concerts I attended as an EFY counselor? Nope. But I was into it, as was everybody, so it made it incredibly enjoyable. So this is my challenge to all you readers of my blog, when you go to concerts, act like your enjoying it for the sake of those around you.

I'm not sure how to set this up other than to say its probably one of my favorite commercials of all time and if you haven't seen it yet, be prepared for goose-bumps:



With a little research I found out that its directed by Michael Mann, using the music from Last of the Mohicans. Amazing, no?

I know, I know. You never thought I'd be back to my blogging ways but I'm happy to announce that starting work has been slow so its given me some time to pause and get back to blogging some random thoughts. So without further adieu...

The field marriage and family was partially born out of the observation of Murray Bowen when he noticed that schizophrenic patients often improved in the hospital but deteriorated when returned to their families. Hence the term "schizophrenogenic families", that is to say that the behavior of some of these families were partially contributing to schizophrenia. So among the many things that I've learned in my first 5 months of fatherhood is that I may have a propensity towards having some symptoms of schizophrenia when exposed to a crying baby multiple times a night.

For example, when I was playing Mr. Mom while Tiff worked while we were still in DC, I got up with him and was so exhausted and out of it that I honestly had the delusion that Owen Wilson was supposed to be at our house taking care of Finn. This wasn't a fleeting silly thought, I actually believed that he was supposed to be there to assist in taking care of my crying baby and felt a lot of resentment that he wasn't. So there is an example of a delusion.

The next example is another night in a similar situation I was feeding him in the early morning and I kept seeing things out of the corner of my eyes but when I would look in that direction there was nothing. Since I was so tired my mind filled in the blank and I was convinced that there were creatures in the house toying with me and having a good time doing it. So there is an example of hallucinations.

While I don't think my actions will contribute to my son developing schizophrenia, in a cruel reversal of fate a kind of temporary mental illness of my own developed due to child care. Needless to say that taking care of him full time has increased my appreciation for my wife taking care of him full time now and thankfully the symptoms have vanished.