Surroundings and Something New

“Dope” has never been apart of my daily vocabulary. Instead, I’ve grown up saying sick, rad, and gnarly. But since I’ve left my days of skateboarding behind and I’ve moved away from Florida, gnarly too has slowly made its way out of my vocabulary. And to that point, I find interest in the words we choose to use and the influence that other people’s vocabulary and our surroundings have on those words. While I’ve never been one to say “dope,” I’ve found myself using it lately. The reason being, my co-worker Andy uses it. After just a few months of working together, ”dope” has been slowly sliding its way into my sentences. Such is the inevitable influence of those we choose to surround ourselves with. And with that being said, it is helpful to have an awareness of who is around you because their influence is both invisible and inevitable. Just as your vocabulary can change, so can your habits, mindset, and attitude.

Beyond just the people that surround us, I can’t help but consider the influences of all which surrounds us. The space you occupy, the air you breathe, the chair you sit in, the color of your walls, the background noise you no longer hear, the products you buy, the music you listen to, the shows you watch, and so on. All of these things—everything—contributes to what you think about, what you idealize, and ultimately what you become.

Always remember, all which surrounds you influences you. When you become conscious of the presence of influence, you can decide its direction. The thing is, influence is always present. It’s as though you are a ship in the open ocean, and the influence of the water constantly surrounds you. You must first take note of the wind and the current, and then adjust your sails.

Manila Folders

Ever since High School I’ve dreamed of started a music blog. I’ve flirted with the idea off and on over the years but never actually started anything. This dream has only intensified over the years and I’m finally making it a reality.

Manila Folders is the weekly music newsletter I’ve always wanted. There is no focus on any single genre. There are no intended themes. There is no standard of quality, length, or medium. Instead, this is a gathering of musical observations and experiences. Think of this less as a music blog and more so as the beginning stages of a collage. What is being collaged has yet to be discovered, and so each clipping isn’t concerned as much with your musical tastes as it is with your willingness to listen.

I suspect that Manila Folders will be just as abstract in its content as it is in its description. There will be music videos, songs, photos, poetry, stories, and whatever else may contribute to this collage we call Music. If this interests you, you can sign up at Manila-folders.com