Life and Music

"Some people have lives; some people have music." --John Green, Will Grayson, Will Grayson 

Human existence can be plotted on a simple Venn Diagram.
(You remember those circle things? Like in first grade, when your teacher would give you 10 objects and you would have to categorize them by their characteristics?)

Some people have lives. Some people have music. Some people, the lucky few, have both. And then there are the outsiders. People with lives: Emma Watson- she has a career AND a presence in society. People with music: Beethoven. (Haha- he's dead, get it? :P) But seriously, this is more along the lines of those undiscovered talents and emo kids with the headphones in 24/7, I suppose. People with BOTH: ...Bob Dylan? Taylor Swift, surely. And finally, the outliers. All the people without lives who maybe listen to music, but don't really CONNECT with it.

At the moment, I'm not sure where I belong. Sure, I listen to music. I LOVE music. But is that enough? Having favorite songs and listening to them for hours? What does that really mean? And I guess I have a life. Somewhat. I'm alive, I sing, dance, learn, read, and fill the daily quota for activity. But again, what IS living? I'm not completely devoted to anything- my existence (however debatable) is entirely for me. Does this constitute living? I have no idea. I guess I'll just have to live and find out.

I always say that if you have nothing to die for, you have nothing to live for, either. And that's sort of what this comes down to to me. John Lennon died because of his music, not because he wanted to, but he still did. And I don't think that if he had another chance at life, he would choose not to make music. Merope Gaunt of the Harry Potter universe died giving life to her son. Regardless of her son's eventual destiny, she loved him. Because she wanted to be part of something bigger- better- than herself. And because she loved her baby's father and wanted to be loved, herself, she wanted desperately for her son to live for her. Because she didn't- couldn't. Even if she had known what Tom Marvolo Riddle would become, she wouldn't change a thing. Maybe it's selfish, maybe it's foolish, but that's life. And thus, I argue that Merope Gaunt did have a life because she cared so much about life.


~Ellen~