Alleyways and side roads.

Have a listen to this song first 🙂 (It will open in a new tab so you can click back here to follow along with the lyrics).

Lyrics: Alleyways – Hey Ocean!

I’ll take the alleyway todayNo need for streets

They just compete with other people

Walking side by side on sidewalks

With their clocks all ticking simultaneously

That’s where I’ll be

Stick to the alleyway with me

There is a way

Another way to go and I’ll take it

A secret way

Some people know about but know one ever sees

You will find it if your heart is open

And I’m hoping it will lead you straight to me

Fast or slow

Take the shortcuts and side roads

Pay no mind to the signs or highway lines

We’ll get there our way

I’ll take the train tracks there

The ones that run behind the houses down on Pine Street

Traveling side by side like lovers

Never crossing one another so to speak

And I would walk these tracks forever

Even if the weather doesn’t change in weeks

And though we were deserving long ago it doesn’t hurt to notice I’m free

Fast or slow

Take the shortcuts and side roads

Pay no mind to the signs or highway lines

We’ll get there our way

I was feeling like listening to some Hey Ocean! today and randomly selected this song in my iTunes. As I was listening to it I was, once again, struck by the truth of it. I am especially always taken by the line, “with their clocks all ticking simultaneously”. It’s so, so true. Most of us are usually trying to get everything done as quickly and efficiently as possible and don’t often slow down to appreciate the moments in between A and B.

I also love the lines, “take the shortcuts and side roads,” and, “pay no mind to the signs or the highway lines.” Upon reflecting I realized that I’m constantly paying attention to the “signs” and avoiding the “side roads”. I think a lot of us, my generation in particular, are always plugged into the mains. We never want to miss anything big. We avoid the side roads for fear of missing out on the mainstream hubbub. But I think in doing this we lose sight a little bit of the intimate and meaningful quirks of life’s alleyways.

When we take shortcuts, it’s usually for convenience, not for a new perspective. And we usually don’t even take a minute to look around while taking these shortcuts. It’s simply a quicker means to an end. I think I’m gonna start taking the shortcuts and side roads more often. Whether fast or slow.

I think it’s just, as most good and important things in life, about finding a balance between being the efficient robots we can sometimes be and being extremely human and organic. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes have trouble accepting that there are a million creative ways to do and accomplish things if I’m willing to go there.

I read an article today about a study showing that CQ (like IQ only based on creativity) scores being on a drastic decline in America and I fear that I am one of those people who is losing my creative abilities because I’m not using them. I need to trust my imagination more; be more me. Which leads to the final favorite line I’ll point out, “We’ll get there our way.”

Peace xx