The Heroine's Journey ("One of the Greats" by Florence + the Machine)

For the past few years, I've created a pair of playlists every year. One is the vibe of the year, which is based on the energy I'm sensing around New Year's and add to it as I find songs that fit that energy; the other is my "Jess is Awesome!" playlist, which I've made for my birthday every year for the past four years. While the Vibe of the Year usually grows as the year progresses, I make an effort to choose about 10-15 songs for my birthday playlist to encapsulate the moment. To some extent, it captures my mood at the time of creation. For example, "Volume 2: In My Feels" featured "Desert Song" by MCR, "Stronger" by Hanson, and "Jenny, You're Barely Alive" by Rilo Kiley - clearly, I was going through something. Volume 3, in contrast, featured songs like "Golden" by Huntr/x, "In My Blood" by Shawn Mendes, and "Across the Universe" by the Beatles. One of the themes for that year was "Dying Star," which still feels like taking a deep breath of air when I listen to it. The first year was mostly songs that capture my essence, including my namesake, "Jessica" by the Allman Brothers. 

There are some eccentric and unofficial rules around the "Jess is awesome!" playlist. The first is that there's usually a theme song I choose (sometimes two, if I'm feeling especially Gemini Rising). The second - and this seems to be unintentional - but there must always be one Hanson song. Luckily, they have a pretty sizeable repertoire. And third - it's not going to change after July 6th, so the songs must be selected with intention. I was struggling a bit with composing the playlist this year. but I finally put it together a couple of days before my birthday, in a fit of inspiration. Right in the nick of time. For this year, the songs are largely aspirational and motivational - the attitude and perspective I would like to embody (or am embodying) as well as ideas I would like to bring into my life this year. As you may have guessed by the title of this post, "One of the Greats" is my theme for my 39th revolution around the Sun.

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I've been pre-occupied with this idea of greatness. Or, more precisely, this intense introspection into whether or not I'm doing what I was put on this planet to do. More often than not, the answer feels like a resounding "No!" Don't get me wrong - I am really good at my mundane job. And I could probably keep climbing up the ladder indefinitely....but do I want to? True, it keeps me busy - my days are a whirlwind of bullshit that keeps me spinning from task to task. Occasionally, it gets interesting. I'm proud of the things I've accomplished. I like the people I work with (for the most part). And I love the financial stability - arguably the best part of the job (and most mundane jobs) is the salary. That being said - if I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd be out of there in a heartbeat. It's a means to an end.

The harsh reality is that purpose is pursued in the dim light of early mornings and the darkness after bedtime hugs. It's built in the span of a couple free hours on weekends and on breaks during the work day. Often it feels like toiling with no outcome - there is only The Work. Often, there is no tangible reward so you must learn to love the process. It's about the journey and not the destination. And even then, even if you love it, you can burn yourself out from the disappointment. It takes discipline and devotion, when you have nothing left to give. At which point, you just start digging out the bottom of a dry well. In theory, that's where the good stuff is anyway.

In the past - and even now - I struggle with wondering if I'm wasting my time on this. I'm no good at this writing thing, so I should give up. There's no money in it, there's too much competition, everyone is writing something - what more could I have to offer? It used to make me quite depressed and - as the huge blank spaces in the timeline of this blog can attest - unmotivated to write anything, even when I'm overflowing with inspiration. But lately, there's this little voice inside saying, "Who gives a shit?" And instead of scrolling another hour when I get those thoughts, I've been coming here or to my Scrivener projects or to one of my many notebooks....and doing the work. My mind has been so loud this year. And there's really only one way to quiet it. 

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There are some songs I wish I could just shoot into my veins, they are so thoroughly in my blood when I hear them. This latest album from Florence perfectly captures where I am right now. Her albums often do that.  I think it's because we're so close in age (she was born in 1986, about 10 months before me), so we're going through a lot of the same milestones at the same time. That's why I originally wanted to write a 33 1/3 book about "Ceremonials" - in my 20s, it perfectly encapsulated where I was on my journey. Recently, I realized I don't resonate with it as much anymore. Maybe I've overheard the songs too much, or maybe I just have the latest album to compare the feeling to. I still love it but in a different way. The songs on "Everybody Scream" speak of overcoming loss and grief, and I've been through a bit of that in recent years. Florence experienced a miscarriage due to an ectopic pregnancy prior to writing "Everybody Scream." She nearly died herself. I cannot begin to tell you how devastating pregnancy trauma can be. And though I haven't experienced a miscarriage myself, others in my family have gone through the pain of losing children they desperately wanted. It leaves a scar. My heart goes out to her. Art often exists as a byproduct of healing these deep, soul-sucking wounds. I want you to keep that in mind as new technology brings up questions of what the purpose of art is, who gets to be creative, the importance of the creative process, and what is art anyway. Be prepared - we are about to go on a long journey through the lyrics of "One of the Greats." 

I crawled up from under the earth

Broken nails and coughing dirt

Spitting out my songs so you could sing along, oh

And with each bedraggled breath, I knew I came back from the dead

To show you how it's done, to show you what it takes

To conquer and to crucify, to become one of the greats

One of the greats

The first verse begins where many stories do - at the end. She went through a Death. This may have been her miscarriage story - in your story, it could be a loss of identity brought about by any number of things - and yet, in spite of that Death, she has to carry on. There are expectations, responsibilities, contracts she needs to fulfill. The show must go on, regardless of how she's feeling. Regardless of what she is going through. That's what it takes to be one of the greats - you keep going, even when you have nothing left in you. Yes, we state the underlying lesson at the beginning, because that's how you tell a story. The conflict and the lesson are usually co-present at the start, albeit dressed in poetic drapery. 

I kept a scream inside my chest, killed everyone I'd ever kissed

Hung them on the wall like trophies, each name, a stain upon my lips

I told the truth but could never see it through

You see yourself hung on the wall but that song is not about you

I wrote down all my fumbling visions transmitted by a television

Got everything I thought I wanted and cried hungover in a hotel closet

This is, arguably, my favorite verse. It's about the creative process. One of the most amazing things about Florence is that she's very soft-spoken in interviews - at the concert we went to in May, when she would talk to the audience, she sounded so quiet and delicate. But, man, when she sang, she filled the arena. It was amazing to behold. I find that's true about a lot of artists - even myself, at times. When I was acting, I was often told it was "scary" how I could transform into the characters. I became a different person on the stage and then morph back into this quiet, shy girl when rehearsal was over. This is the magic of the creative process - it draws something out of us when we don't feel like we're able to express it in other ways. When we don't feel like we can scream, even though the emotions we're feeling are bursting out of our chest. "I told the truth but could never see it through/You see yourself hung on the wall but that song is not about you." I found myself ruminating deeply on this lyric during my daily commute this summer. It reminds me of Anne Lamott's writing advice (which I'll paraphrase) - tell the truth but change the names....for legal reasons.

What I've realized lately is The Movie Star - or The Journalist or The Poet or The Exorcist or whatever stupid name I give people to explain their place in my story - they're all just characters in my performance. They're shadows at best. The Muse has always been me. These voices in my head are mine alone. The magic flows from my thoughts and ideas, regardless of what's happening in my life. Art is a process. You hear a song or read a book, and we think it's about a certain person in the artist's life, but it's not! It's about their experience. It's about them. A prime example of this is Taylor Swift - we point to lyrics and scream it's about Jake Gyllenhaal or Joe Alwyn, but no! All her songs are about her experience, her feelings, her fears and aspirations and troubles. Except "Wood" - I'm 99% sure that's about her husband's cock. Weird choice to put on an album but I'll allow it. I'm sure I've written spicier stuff so I've no place to judge.

Did I get it right? Do I win the prize?

Do you regret bringing me back to life?

Arms outstretched, back from the dead

Streetlights bursting overhead

Arms outstretched, back from the dead

Streetlights bursting overhead

I did my best, tried to impress, my childhood dream made flesh

And my dresses and my flowering sadness, so like a woman to profit from her madness

I was only beautiful under the lights, only powerful there

Burned down at thirty-six

Why did you dig me up for this?

Moving on. They - and by they, I mean the earth-bound ancestors who have written books about writing and the creative process - say that you start putting out the best work when you don't care anymore. When you're not trying to win anything. When you don't care about the views or the money. When you've scraped the bottom of your grief and have come up empty. When you're doing it just for yourself - that's when the magic becomes unbound. I wonder if I've gotten to that point yet. Or is this the same old drivel I've always written? If it is, do I care? I paused to consider it just now and all I felt was silence. I guess that's as clear a "no" as any. The truth is I wish I could profit from my madness - I think we all do - but even if I never make a dime from my writing, I'll still be doing it. I'm burned out from trying so hard, from being so aware of what I'm putting out there - hoping it's good, hoping it's worth reading, hoping it won't be misconstrued or misinterpreted. The expectations are overwhelming, when it feels like so much of what I'm writing is just screaming into the void. And that's where I am right now - the Void. Nobody can hear me scream here, so why am I doing it? The best answer I've got is I just gotta do it. 

You'll bury me again, you'll say it's all pretend

That I could never be great being held up against such male tastes

'Cause who really gets to be one of the greats, one of the greats?

But I've really done it this time, this one is all mine

I'll be up there with the man and the ten other women

And the hundred greatest records of all time

It must be nice to be a man and make boring music just because you can

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a fan

You're my second favorite frontman

And you could have me if you weren't so afraid of me

It's funny how men don't find power very sexy

So this one's for the ladies

Do I drive you crazy?

Did I get it right?

Easily one of the best bridges I've ever heard. Because who really gets to decide who becomes one of the greats? Historically, it's been men. That's not just me being radically feminist (even if I am) - every day seems to unearth another woman whose contributions to the world have been forgotten or overshadowed or even stolen by the men she worked with. The truth is, women often feel they need to be extraordinary just to hold on to what they have, because the bar is set too high in order to keep them down. I've seen it myself, being in a heavily male-dominated industry. The assumption I've most encountered in my career is I'm too timid to be a leader. And I'm not - I've shown time and time again I am outspoken and smart and have good ideas, sometimes better ideas than my male counterparts. The people I work with closely learn this pretty quick, but it's always the men (and occasionally women) two or three levels above me who have developed this false impression of who I am. That starting assumption is difficult to overcome. Recently, I've realized I've been taking on a lot of extra work at my job and the underlying reason has been to prove I'm worthy of a promotion. But I know I'm worthy of a director-level position. In many cases, I've been doing work my own managers should've been doing, advocating for things my leadership should've already been planning for - and I'm tired of burning myself out for people who have already made up their mind about me.

But the flip side of that coin is being a capable and intelligent woman means that the men you encounter who recognize your brilliance are often intimidated or even afraid of you. If I had a dollar for every man who said I scared them, I'd probably have like $10. Which doesn't sound like much but, psychologically, it takes a toll. Most women's response to this fear - including my younger self - is to make themselves smaller so others feel comfortable and safe. Dimming their light to be less frightening. Even in romantic relationships, many women worry about things like being the breadwinner or letting potential partners win at competitive games so they don't damage a fragile ego. After nearly four decades of living the female experience, I can tell you this isn't the way to go. You deserve to be seen for how beautiful and amazing you are - and if that scares some people away, the Universe is doing you a favor. It's trying to save you from the heartache of losing yourself, which is way more painful than any breakup or lost promotion could ever be. 

Side note - and this absolutely will come up in the future - I love the lyric "you're my second favorite frontman." It always makes me wonder who she's talking about. I've decided it's Dave Matthews. I know I'm probably 100% wrong but it's way funnier than whoever she's actually singing about. It is now official lore. I declare it.

There are many other things I love about this song. The supernatural elements of Florence's work always excites my witchy spirit. I love the symbolism of Death and Rebirth, because Life is just a continuous cycle of Death and Rebirth. It goes without saying but I highly recommend checking out "Everybody Scream." I have quite a few favorites from this album, all of which I plan to write about throughout the rest of this year. I have the posts brewing already.

Thanks for reading my friends. If you feel called to comment, here's your question: What are you creating today?

"One of the Greats" Music Video

"When the Darkness Comes" by Colbie Caillat

This song showed up on one of my Spotify mixes. I couldn't tell you which one, because I have so many. Most people only get 2 or 3 Spotify mixes - I have more like 7 or 8 because my tastes are conflicting/diverse/divergent and the algorithm prefers to only put similar genres in the same playlist. I'm all about breaking algorithms. I think this showed up in the one with all the emo music (i.e., MCR, the Spill Canvas, Breaking Benjamin). Which I find weird, because this is as dark as Colbie Caillat gets. Don't get me wrong - my inner Basic Bitch loves some Colbie Caillat but that's the shit you put on when you're enjoying a nice cup of tea and journaling about your feelings. Super girly. It probably does not belong in an emo playlist.

When I heard this song and realized it was from a movie, I instantly wanted to watch the movie because that's how I am. This song is on the soundtrack for "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" and, given how closely the lyrics match up with the events in the film, it was probably written specifically for it. I watched the movie last night. I enjoyed it but it's the sort of shit I seek out on my own - half-Angel demon slayers (called Shadow Hunters), a beautiful heroine who doesn't know how she is a part of this secret world, and lots of magic and pseudo-goth fashion. Also, it stars Lily Collins, who I think is gorgeous. She's kind of my ideal and, if I had the opportunity to choose what I look like (for example, if real life had a Character Creator -type function), I'd choose to look like her. I'm starting to realize I have a very consistent type, regardless of whether someone is male or female.

Lily Collins

Anyway, I liked the movie but they never made the sequels from the book series, which means I now have to read the book series if I want to know what happens next (Oh...How tragic.) It wasn't a bad movie, it just wasn't a popular one when it came out and I'm trying to put my finger on why. I think the reason is because Clary Fray, unlike other heroines in young adult paranormal/dystopian fiction, isn't an all out badass. She's more on the feminine side and she spends most of the movie either in awe of the magic, confused about what the fuck is happening, or enamored with mysterious Shadow Hunter, Jace. During the action sequences, she's hesitant to jump into the chaos and when she does take the initiative, her actions often seem reckless considering the circumstances. In short, she behaves like how a normal young woman would act if thrust into an unfamiliar shadow world where she doesn't know the rules. In general, the American movie goer wants their "strong female lead" to be a specific type of "strong woman." They're looking for a heroine who is skilled at and willing to engage in violence - like Katniss Everdeen in "Hunger Games" - or is the most intelligent person in the entire story, like Hermione Granger. And if she is a milquetoast female character, like Bella Swan in "Twilight," she sure as hell better not know she's attractive. Clary Fray defies these rules - upon her first encounter with the Shadow Hunters, she nearly exposes them because she's horrified by their inexplicable murder in the middle of a dance club of someone who she believes is human. She seems to be of average intelligence, with more emphasis on her creative pursuits (she's a talented illustrator and attends poetry readings for fun). Finally, she knows she pretty and often uses her attractiveness to her advantage. And you know what? There's nothing wrong with that.

Now the door is open

The world I knew is broken

There's no return

Now my heart is not scared

Just knowing that you're out there

Watching me

So believe I'll be here waiting

Hoping, praying that

This light will guide you home

When you're feeling lost I'll leave my love

Hidden in the sun

For when the darkness comes

Also, there's some weirdness in that Jace may or may not be her brother. Again, there's a story behind that - I suspect he's not actually her brother and telling them this is just another manipulation by the villain in the series. However, still an iffy direction for the author to go in terms of plot twists. Especially since, when this information is revealed, it's after Clary and Jace have already had a hot make-out scene. But, hey, apparently that's what people are into nowadays.

"When the Darkness Comes" Video

"A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum

This is one of those songs you've definitely heard before but never knew who sang it. It's one of those dream-like songs from the late 60s that you're not sure really existed outside your mind, until you hear it in the background of a show or movie. Every couple of years, this song pops into my head, which eventually gets me yearning to watch "The 10th Kingdom." "The 10th Kingdom" is one of my favorite mini-series of all time. Weird favorite to have but it's definitely up there with "Gormenghast" (it's okay if you've never heard of this one, because it's rather obscure....my sister and I discovered it on PBS and were obsessed momentarily) and "Pride & Prejudice" (the one with Colin Firth....which is the only acceptable adaptation of P&P in existence). "The 10th Kingdom" is your typical quest story, with a female protagonist named Virginia. As you may have guessed, it's a twisted fairytale, where the fantasy world is just as fantastic as one would hope but still weirder than anyone could imagine. This is the point in my rant where I point out that I had a celebrity crush on one of the lead characters - yes, Virginia's love interest was exactly my type. Wolf, played by Scott Cohen, is a roguish werewolf with shaggy hair, piercing eyes, and a perpetual five o'clock shadow. Throughout the mini-series, he struggles with taming his animalistic instincts (which is mostly just being sex-crazed and overtly aggressive in his romantic pursuit of Virginia) because it always seems to get him (or Virginia) into trouble. He's also torn because he has inadvertently fallen in love with Virginia, but he's pledged allegiance and loyalty to the Evil Queen (more on that later). Overall, Wolf is a surprisingly complex character because, as the story progresses, his narrative reveals why he is the way he is. Because the viewer sees this development, it becomes understandable and even desirable for him to get his happy ending, too, in spite of the "bad" choices he makes in the beginning of the series.

Scott Cohen as "Wolf" in "The 10th Kingdom"

As much fun as Wolf adds to the plot, we mustn't forget that "The 10th Kingdom" is ultimately about Virginia's story. When we first meet Virginia, she's a responsible waitress living a predictable and lonely life in New York City. We learn that, at some point, her mother abandoned her and that she's spent the majority of her childhood looking after a lovable but somewhat foolish father. She's not really interested in doing much of anything, including dating. Thus, the stage is set - our Hero, who believes in nothing but the mundane world she knows, will now be met with Destiny and be called to adventure. That adventure turns up in the form of a golden retriever, who is actually a prince from a fantasy realm you can only get to via mirror portal. Of course, she thinks it's just a dog at first, until weird shit starts happening, including the arrival of a handsome stranger who keeps threatening/joking that he's going to eat her (you can read into that as much as you want...I'm not going to spell it out for you). Long story short, she ends up in a quest to the 9th Kingdom (in case you were wondering, the 10th Kingdom is NYC) to return the Prince to his rightful form and function.

As I've mentioned before, in The Hero's Journey, there comes a point where the Hero must address long-standing issues and underlying pain with one or both of their parents - The Atonement of the Father. In the Heroine's Journey, this is often in the form of Reconciliation with the Mother. In Virginia's case - although she is hesitant to admit it - her mother's abandonment has left a deep wound. She blames herself for her mother leaving and, thus, has been avoiding happiness and intimacy. Eventually, we discover that the Evil Queen is Virginia's mother, who ran away to the 9th Kingdom after having a mental breakdown and nearly drowning Virginia. The audience learns that Christine married Virginia's father, but subsequently fell out of love and became disillusioned with her life. Instead of facing that reality, she chose to escape to a fantasy world instead. Towards the end of the series, Virginia has an opportunity to confront her mother for having abandoned her. I can't remember the details exactly, but it wasn't a pleasant conversation. Unfortunately, in some stories, the protagonist's fears are confirmed. Their mother really didn't love them or their father is disappointed in them and will never be proud. This is just another trial the Hero must see through 'til the end. At the end of Virginia's quest, the Evil Queen is still intent on continuing her plot for world domination and will stop at nothing to make it happen. Virginia ends up killing her mother in self-defense, which saves the 9 Kingdoms, but will certainly add tons more in therapy costs when she returns to New York.

She said, 'There is no reason'

And the truth is plain to see

But I wandered through my playing cards

And would not let her be

One of sixteen vestal virgins

Who were leaving for the coast

And although my eyes were open

They might have just as well've been closed

Joseph Campbell asserts wholeheartedly that we are able to apply the Hero's Journey in our own lives, so what can we take away from Virginia's story? I think it's a lot about facing uncomfortable truths, especially those about our parents. This is hard. For children, their parents seem like mythological figures, particularly in the first few years. It's not until we're disappointed by our parents that we begin to realize that they are mere mortals, like us. That they had/have their own dreams and aspirations, their own pain, and definitely their own insecurities. As a parent, I know I myself feel the pressure to maintain that facade of being the all-knowing, all-wonderful Mom, but that's not reality. And I've always believed that honesty is the best policy when it comes to children, because the thing that makes children feel the most insecure is when they aren't given the opportunity to understand what's going on. Obviously, children don't need to know everything about a situation - no one does - but they at least need know enough to recognize that it's not their fault. I am lucky that, in recent years, I've received more clarity about my childhood. That's allowed me to not only to show compassion and forgiveness towards my parents, but also towards myself. That's part of the Hero's Journey, too. To not only recognize your faults, but to embrace them, because they will help you understand what you need to continue with the journey.

"A Whiter Shade of Pale" Video

"Come Sail Away" by Styx

Staying on this theme of The Hero's Journey for this week, there is also a feminine version called The Heroine's Journey. I've been digging into this, because it is such a central narrative (and I've been gradually falling in love with writing again). It's basically the same thing, except it's more focused on self-acceptance. It's more conscious in that way, because the Heroine understands that there is something she's missing from her life from the beginning. She's probably been searching for it all her life but she usually doesn't start the journey in earnest until the reader meets her. I'm going to talk about a specific version of the Heroine's Journey, that of Lindsay Weir from "Freaks and Geeks." Unfortunately, the show only lasted a season but it was pretty brilliant and it's on Netflix if you're interested.

Lindsay Weir is the Smart Girl, but she's not sure she wants to be. That's the narrative her parents chose for her. However, that's not the only thing she is and she knows that, so as a way to rebel, she befriends a group of stoners. Mostly because the head stoner - played by James Franco - is cute. Thus begins her adventures and the show follows her and her brother, Sam, as they navigate the awkwardness of high school. Like all coming of age stories, Lindsay makes some mistakes, meets new friends that give her a new perspective, confronts conflicts with her family, has her heart broken, and breaks a heart of her own.

The heart that she breaks - Nick (played by Jason Segel) - was likely supposed to evolve into a full True Love story arc, had the show continued. Nick immediately falls for Lindsay when she starts hanging out with the stoners and he comes on a little too strong. Insanely strong, in some cases. There's a scene in one of the later episodes where Nick serenades Lindsay with a ballad. Lindsay is super embarrassed and while it is a little cringeworthy, it's also incredibly sweet and it's hard not to fall in love with Nick. That's the first time I fell in love with Jason Segel - the 2nd time was when he's singing a song from his Dracula musical in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," and the 3rd time was practically every single episode of "How I Met Your Mother." And I don't even think Jason Segel is that attractive - he's freakishly tall and has kind of an average face. But he's funny and sweet and sincere in every role that he's in, which is why he makes a good love interest in romantic comedies.

I look to the sea reflections in the waves spark my memory

Some happy some sad

I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had

We live happily forever so the story goes

But somehow we missed out on that pot of gold

But we'll try best that we can to carry on

I went on a little bit of a rant there, so let's bring it home. I like to think that I'm following the Heroine's Journey in my own life, especially when I run up against experiences that bring me to my knees and make me address my darker shadows. I try to ask myself, "What am I supposed to learn from this?" I hate to say that everything happens for a reason, because that's not exactly true. Sometimes bad things happen to you or you make mistakes that seemed unavoidable at the time - yes, elements might've been out of your control but it's what you make of it afterward that becomes who you are. I read somewhere (pretty sure it was "Eat, Pray, Love") that Heaven and Hell are the same place, you just take different paths to get there. On one path, you choose happiness and self-love; on the other, you choose sadness and self-hate. Either way, the choice is yours to make.

"Come Sail Away" plays at the end of the first episode of "Freaks and Geeks," at the Homecoming dance. Lindsay's punishment for the events that transpire during the first episode is that she has to man the punch bowl at the dance. At the beginning of the song, it's clear that Lindsay is annoyed that she's in this situation and even a bit embarrassed of how she got there. But when it gets to chorus, she decides to go on the dance floor and just dance. By herself, for herself, damn whoever is watching and how stupid she looks. It doesn't matter, because she's having fun. She makes the choice that, even though she's in a shitty situation because of her own actions, she's going to enjoy where she's at. If you listen to the lyrics of "Come Sail Away," I don't think there's a better song to play alongside Lindsay as she makes this fundamental choice for her story.

Side note: I love Styx because I grew up with Styx. Yes, it's great music, but I was also a nut about Greek mythology when I was a kid. The River Styx is the border that separates the Underworld from Earth. The dead must cross Styx by paying the ferryman, Charon, and it was rumored that the waters could make one invulnerable. Achilles mother, a nereid, dipped him in the lake and he was invulnerable except for his left heel, which is what she held him by when she put him in the water. Obviously, there's a lot of meaning behind that name - rebirth, difficult journeys and - most of all - crossing over. One of my favorite writers, Elizabeth Gilbert of "Eat, Pray, Love" fame, has a favorite Italian word. It's attraversiamo, which means "let's cross over." I think there's a wise beauty in that choice.

"Come Sail Away" Video

Nick Serenades Lindsay