Fantasy by MS MR featured in Songplaces.com

Check out my latest article in Songlplaces.com featuring the song "Fantasy" by MS MR.

Here's a snippet:

"Every time I hear the soft, sultry tunes of "Fantasy," clearly recognizable as the Brooklyn/London duo MS MR (pronounced Miz Mister - made up of Lizzy Plapinger and Max Hershenaw), I’m instantly propelled into the most beautiful memory I’ve ever had. It was the first time I ever visited the beautiful mountains of the Olympic National Park in the Pacific Northwest."

http://www.songplaces.com/Fantasy/Vassar_College_Poughkeepsie_New_York


Visit SongPlaces to read the rest of the article.

Complete Honesty

Path to Ruby Beach - Olympic National Park - 05/31/2013

This famous Buddha quote has me a little conflicted.  I’ve always believed this sentiment, just under a different context.  “And the Truth shall set you free.” I took the meaning to say bondage of mind, heart and soul comes from the lack of being completely honest, and if we brave to be vulnerable, face the Truth, we will be free of all those things that bring us down and bind us.

I grew up among lies, manipulation, deception and abandonment.  The truth became something precious to me; a treasured jewel.  It’s actually something I cannot tolerate the lack of in those I allow in my life.

The first person I had to learn to be truthful with was me.  I’ve spent the last twenty-five years healing, facing the truth and trying to discover who I am.  It’s only been recently I’ve taken a huge leap of faith, lowered my defense mechanisms, and exposed my heart through complete honesty.  It’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done, and proving to be quite painful. 

The reason it’s called facing fears, is because the possibility of pain increases with every morsel of truth released.  We live in such a judgmental world, most often our greatest critic being ourselves. Our expectations are often unmet, in ourselves and in each other, and so our first reactions are to pull back and hide behind the lie, “I’m fine.”  It’s easier. It’s safer.  But, it’s wrong.

My first reaction to pain is to run.  My first reaction to confrontation is to fight.  My first reaction to fear is to throw up walls and harden my heart.  I’m trying to fight against my first responses.  I’m trying to remain open and completely honest even as my heart breaks, seized with panic attacks, and bombarded with overwhelming feelings of abandonment and disappointment.

Maybe Buddha knew what he was talking about.  Maybe the Truth really does set you free.  But, they should have a disclaimer, saying it’ll more than likely be the most painful and hardest thing you’ll ever have to do in your life.

Till next time,
~T.L. Gray

Mission to Move

Walker Viewpoint - Olympic National Park 06/01/2013

There is nothing scarier than uprooting my life and moving, especially if I’m planning to move to the other side of the country, away from my support system of friends, family and familiarity.  There’s also nothing more exciting.

That’s exactly what I’m planning to do and I can’t help but wake up every morning with an exciting new beat in my heart, a new dream in my spirit, and a new song in my soul.  I also get flooded with new fears … of the unknown, the unexpected and the unfulfilled.  I don’t want to fail.  But fear of failure has never stopped me before, and it won’t stop me now.  

I recently fell in love.  I’m not talking about a gentle infatuation, but a deep-seeded true love.  I wish I could say this was with a man, but in this instance it’s with a place …the beautiful state of Washington.  Most places are referred to in the feminine, but for me… Washington is the new man in my life.  I fell in love with his beauty, his mountains, his oceans, his woods, his cities and his people.  

For the first time in a long time, I took a breath… a vital gasp of air needed to bring me back to life. I opened my eyes and saw real beauty… true, honest beauty. I have now become lost in his charms.

So, I am now on a mission to move. Every thought, action, penny, and effort is being put into planning, dreaming and making arrangements to go and be with my new love, to allow him to wrap his beautiful arms around me and pull me into his embrace.  My deepest hope is that Washington will love me back.

Till next time,

~T.L. Gray