character

I love 90’s music more than any other decade’s.

I was oblivious to the transformative powers of music during the 80’s, so when the 90’s rolled around, hearing music for the first time hit me like a full-on Rick Flair chest slap.

Three songs showed me a new dimension to life that I never cared to explore: Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang, Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Under The Bridge. I was hooked. This music stuff is really cool.

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The Foo Fighters are one of my favorites. I’ve seen them live, and it’s quite mind-boggling how Dave Grohl has so much energy. He is literally running around, head banging, and screaming at the top of his lungs for two hours nonstop. Many consider them to be the last true rock band, a throwback to when rock had edge, subversion, and charisma. I still believe there’s plenty of good bands still out there – The Black Keys and Cage The Elephant, for instance – but I don’t know if any of them are as essentially rock n roll as The Foo Fighters.

This past Friday exemplified that notion. Dave Grohl had a nasty fall from a stage dive during a concert in Sweden, only to finish the set with a broken leg.

I’ll call in sick if I have a cough or a headache, while Dave finishes the job with a broken leg.

Photo courtesy of The Foo Fighters Twitter Account (@foofighters)

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I bring this up to say that adversity is inevitable.

We’ll come across people we don’t like at work.

We’ll have some not-so-pleasant stretches with our significant others.

Our ideas will be rejected and ridiculed.

We’ll endure periods of financial struggle.

What do we do when adversity strikes? Is our response fight or flight?

Adversity is a good thing; it forces us to evaluate what’s worth fighting for in life. It helps us to say fuck it when we need to, and it helps us to buckle down and tough it out when necessary.

We should thank our lucky stars for hardships and challenges. We learn about our personal values and grow in character.

Besides, who wants to be around someone who’s never had it hard in life? I’d rather hang out with the guy who broke a leg in the middle of a show and finished the motherfucker.

– Chris.