In one form or another, overall, personal taste is acquired through influence and choice. It truly is amazing as the years go by how we develop our own personal favorite items and subjects. As we well know, taste can greatly differ from person to person…yet, realistically, is it an accident how we arrive at the things we want to see, hear, and do?

Fashion, hobbies, electronics, the arts, and even our occupations are affected by what we choose on a day to day basis. Just about everything is open to the voice of opinion. Personal taste is supposed to be freedom of thought…we freely choose what it is that we want and need. The scenario looks wonderful on paper, until mankind gets a hold of it and starts to mold and sculpt to a given person’s viewpoint. For example, can you believe that an individual could enjoy both the music of Led Zeppelin and the Partridge Family? I kid you not….I remember waiting on line in a record store growing up and seeing this long-haired hip looking guy go up to the counter and buy both albums. The clerk behind the counter did a double take, and this is where influence started to have its affect. Because it was not cool to like the Partridge Family, but totally cool, ultra-cool, to enjoy Led Zeppelin, the guy buying the records, when seeing the reaction on the clerk’s face, replied, “Hey man, don’t you know I’m only getting the Partridge Family for my kid sister?” Years later, when I went back to my old neighborhood, I ran into the guy who still lived down the block from my house…I reminded him of the incident, and he said to me, “Jennifer, in all honesty, I loved the Partridge Family, but I couldn’t, to save my life, tell anyone!” Same rules apply across the board…movies, cars, vacation spots…it matters what people think about our choices and personal tastes. Unfortunately what’s “cool” matters.

Let’s raise the bar a little. Three ladies go into a showroom to see the latest model Jaguar. One likes it in blue…one prefers red…while the other likes green. They all agree that it is a great car, so each one purchases the automobile, with the color of choice. Over coffee a week later, they start to have a full blown discussion of whose color is the best. They all have the same car, but the color now has become the new standard of excellence. As the weeks roll past, everything on the car is scrutinized inside and out…and each lady starts to incorporate into their car their own personal tastes…new radios, new radial tires…..hey, one even applies a clever bumper sticker…each person trying to make their car stand out as the best, while all along they’re driving the same car. Personal taste totally changed their perception.

Is it any wonder why this world is so hard to figure out sometimes? Why so many have such a hard time getting along? My house is better than your house, my kids are smarter than your kids, and why not throw in, my religion is better than your religion? At this point we have hit the motherlode of the world’s problems. You see, if I am willing to die for my religion, and you are willing to die for yours, and we have a disagreement, guess what? we both die!!

Personal taste is a wonderful form of individuality…as long as we keep it within reason, and respect someone else whose taste may differ. What are the chances of two people agreeing on everything? Practically zero. Multiply that by a few billion, and you get one confusing square dance. If everyone at the dance makes up their own steps without any regard to a basic standard, then chaos reigns, and everyone gets stepped on.

We don’t always have to agree….but we do have to respect our differences. There is Life and there is Law. It’s what’s in-between where we can get lost. Passion isn’t perfect…and neither are we.

Dosey-doe,
love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2005 Jennifer Avalon

This week we look forward to the start of a new year, untouched, like a slate that is unmarked and clean, just waiting for us to paint our thoughts and impressions onto it. Many of us will start to compile a list of New Year resolutions….setting goals for 2005. For a lot of us, by the end of January many of those goals start to unravel, and we become discouraged, wondering why we should continue on the course that looked so bright at the beginning.

I think if we approach the New Year with a different perspective and keep a symbol or image in our minds it may be easier to stay focused and navigate the road ahead. I approach the New Year as a builder, a person who sees a piece of land, and the possibilities that can come forth. I look at the formulation of my goals, hopes, and dreams as a house….a beautiful shining building that by the end of the year I can be proud of. A builder needs tools, not just hammers and nails but Faith, encouragement, conviction and the belief that when you put your mind to it, anything is possible.

In January we start the foundation….we make sure it is strong and has the potential to hold what we place upon it. We make sure there are no cracks. Each proceeding month we add to our house….floor by floor we put in the plumbing, the electrical wiring, the heating system, etc. Sometimes we make mistakes, one room may not be wired right, so we go back, repair the damage and continue on. By the Spring, we see that our house is off the ground and rising. The contributions we have made to our house are beginning to show. People pass by and are amazed how “fast” the house is starting to come together….but little do they see the problems that we encountered to get to our level. So on we go, each day building brick by brick with the sky above us…..and with each brick a feeling of accomplishment comes over us and a better understanding of the mistakes we have made so that we try not to make them again. God looks down and sees a person trying to push forward with a house of meaning and purpose. A badly built house with a weak foundation won’t stand very long….but a good house can last forever. God understands how hard it is to built good houses.

By the Fall, our floors are completed, and we are about to add our roof. We want a roof that will not leak, that can take the elements. If we have done all our work and done it well, by the end of the year we will be standing in front of a house amazed that we were able to accomplish this once monumental task. We look at each brick and floor and see a story. We see the set-backs and the over comings. It is possible to build a good house, God willing, with the right tools, and determination…….All things are
possible.

Good Luck with your house,

Love,

Jennifer Avalon
2004 Jennifer Avalon

“Wrong” is when God is not factored into the equation:

The day may be right, but the week will turn out wrong

The week may be right, but the month will turn out wrong

The month may be right, but the year will turn out wrong

The year may be right, but the life will turn out wrong…

Keep trying to get it right,

with blessings and love,
Jennifer Avalon
© 2004 Jennifer Avalon

I’ve touched on this topic a little in the past, yet, this Holiday Season it could not be more important. We so easily assume that people we meet absorb, retain, and maintain a full and true perception of us. Unfortunately, this observation couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s so easy to expect that Uncle Harry or Aunt Ellen will totally remember all that we have said from past get-togethers, and then, out of the blue, they say something to us that may draw a blank stare from our faces. Somewhere along the distance of time and space something got lost or misunderstood….the interaction between two or more people can become a language unto itself, where, at times, the translation can get lost.

So this Holiday Season, how can we go about solving or correcting the dilemmas that engulf the conversation? First, we have to assume that placed on top of our heads are antennas that transmit and receive information and like a long-distance telephone line there can easily be a delay factor. When we sit down to dinner, to diminish this problem, speak slow, simple and short sentences….take a breath, and continue on. It allows the mind of the other person to take in and digest your thoughts much easier. When the response comes from the other party, you may be surprised after a couple of minutes that they too may start to speak slower and simpler. Before too long, you begin to notice that the volume in the room starts to decrease, and listening and talking become unison in volume. Misunderstandings are drastically reduced. We are led to believe that there are general languages on planet Earth…English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, etc.,….but what’s not reported is that within these languages are multiple other nuances that can probably be missed or misunderstood. Of course, there is always somebody who speaks a language unto themselves with a booming voice, while taking no time to hear responses……that’s life!

Many of us only get the opportunity to meet some people once a year…that exchange can be a pleasant experience, or a sheer horror. Taking into account some changes that can be made, perhaps we can all tip the scales in our favor. Between the lines of “pass the stuffing and mash potatoes,” it’s perfectly fine to whisper, “you’re great,” or, “I love you,” or even a simple smile. It can sometimes come across better than a thousand words.

Happy Holidays,

love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2004 Jennifer Avalon

This week the website and newsletter begins it’s eighth year. Little did I know back at the end of 1996 how long and how far this journey would take me. Little by little the website started building momentum and I can happily say the most hits I’ve ever had was last month. The average hit count is now 95,000 a month. There are now 2 websites that offer the essays and music… AviatorRecords.com, and the new site, JenniferAvalon.net. This journey has not been easy, but each step forward has brought a smile to my face. The newsletter is sent out every two weeks to over 65 countries around the world.

Like any endeavor, there are those who offer help and support, and those, unfortunately, who will do anything in their power to try to stop one. I believe I am an open-minded person, and like many, feel many topics are open for discussion and compromise, but before me I do see a line drawn in the sand that I will not step over. In this age of “political correctness” having a strong point of view could be considered a statement from the stone age….but I am a firm believer that not everything that comes into one’s mind is right. Like a kid in a candy store, when a child eats a certain amount, they get sick. Just because we can, doesn’t always mean we should.

The essays and music are free to all. This model I will do everything in my power to continue. Yes, the website does not run for free, and I wholeheartedly appreciate those who have donated over the past year, towards it’s upkeep. Recently I opened a CD store on the website, where those who want finished copies of the albums can purchase them, for a price of $6.95, total. If you think this is a way to get rich, you’re wrong…the purpose of the store is in answer to those who do not have weekly Internet access and wanted to have copies of the music for their homes, work, and transportation. The music and essays are still free to be downloaded. Nothing has changed. If you would like to donate, that’s fine. If not, that’s fine too.

In the coming year I plan to add many more essays, and a new album in the Fall of 2005, where each month, starting in January, a new song will be premiered from that forthcoming CD. I have also accumulated many songs over the years which will also see the light of day, under the banner of “Early Avalon.” Many who have heard my earlier songs have asked me if I will ever release songs like, “I Still Care,” and “You Can Count on Me.” Rest assured, they are forthcoming. They were staples of my earlier performances.

Once again, I would like to thank you for your continued support. Love has many ways of expressing itself, and this, I know, is one of them. Each year, for us all, there are moments of joy, and tears of sadness, but this week being Thanksgiving, it’s important to count our blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours,

love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2004 Jennifer Avalon