Bitter and Venting

I love country music. I do. I love the new AND the old. I am not one bit ashamed that I have Johnny cash, Willie Nelson, George Jones, etc on my I-Pod. I love them all. I love the twang and it... well it loves me.

I grew up on country music. Katy and I would dance around the house to these songs all day long and they are a part of who I am. I am obsessed with it. It isn't just something I like or kind of prefer. I LOVE it, it is a huge part of who I am. That being said...

I can appreciate many types of music. I have a wide variety on my I-Pod. I have old rock, hard rock, classical, pop, punk, indie, local, hip-hop, even a couple of rap songs (thank you linds). I try to be open minded and when I have other people in my car I go out of my way to play music they will like.

What I don't understand is why people feel like it is okay to make fun of it? To ask me to turn it off? To call me a redneck or a hillbilly for listening to it? To sing along in a thick hick accent and think that it is funny? You may hate country but did it ever occur to you that I may hate what you are playing? Because I hate "music" that to me is just someone screaming to a drum beat, and I hate music where you can't understand what the heck they are even saying, and I hate music where the artist's voice is so airy and light that I feel like they are whispering. I, like everyone else, like music that speaks to me, music that stirs something inside of me, music that makes my heart feel better, music that pricks at fond memories, music that I can sing along to. For me that is country music.

I have been called closed minded many times for listening to country. But maybe just maybe you are closed minded for not being open to it. I love that it is a genre where we aren't afraid to talk about God, where we aren't afraid to be patriotic, where we sing about real things. Yeah we may sing about our dog, but I have one that was part of our family. That is real to me. And we may sing about our trucks, but boy do I feel closer to my mom when I am driving her jeep through the pasture. And yes we sing about break ups but isn't that the time in your life when you need validation the most?

Why is it that if I dislike your music as much as you do mine that it is still always yours that is playing? Anyway I think I am done venting now. I just hate that it seems socially acceptable to put down something I love so much. For those that are interested I have posted a playlist here on my blog. You have to hit play because I won't force my music on you. But give it a listen, they are my favorite songs, you may find something that you can tolerate.

P.S. Can I tell you how much extra I love my friend drew for playing some country on the way to lava? It was the first time someone has done that for me in ages and it meant a TON to me.