Then I thought, perhaps it is for the same reason.

We’ve all probably have either heard or used this American idiom, but today I thought, “What does is mean, exactly?”

While we require food to live, we make a conscious decision to eat, what to eat, and when to eat it.

“Eating” music means that I listen to music on purpose…various types of music, at various times.

We also require sleep, and can choose to do so. However, we sometimes dream while we sleep and what we dream is often not, or not directly, in our control.

“Sleeping” music means that it is in my subconscious. I at times dream that I’m somewhere playing music

Lastly, we have to breathe, but do so involuntarily.  Although, we can often control how we are breathing, somewhat, and make limited attempts to stop breathing.

“Breathing” music means that it naturally and automatically flows in and out of me. Noise to other people becomes music and with or without an instrument at my fingertips, I reproduce and create music.

I realize now that the things that I don’t recall well are also things that I don’t eat, sleep, and breathe in the same way that I do for music.

Frankly, I don’t follow celebrities. I do enjoy watching movies and TV shows but the identity of the actors typically aren’t as important to me in contrast with the story. Many times while driving or riding in the car, my mind is more focused on something else besides the names of the streets and landmarks that I’m passing. I’m not focused on fashion, so I don’t mentally take note of what people wear (I feel a lot of other people have “did you see those shoes?” or “did you see that girl in the 2nd row with the pink shirt?” conversations).

Lastly, I’m working on being more conscious of lyrics. I had forgotten how deeply I had trained myself to listen to music when I was young. Focusing, like a a cat focuses its ears on specific areas of its surroundings, I learned to hear that musical instrument layered very deeply in the composition. Then I learned how to reproduce it, consciously, subconsciously, and eventually automatically.

I’ve learned to realize that it is the sustained focus on any one discipline that makes anyone great at what they do. It what makes each and every one of us special and an important part in the body of Christ.