This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2025 the theme is a random assemblage of things that are on my mind--or that just pop into my mind. Whatever! Let's just say I'll be "Tossing It Out" for your entertainment or however it is you perceive these things.

Sunday, February 1, 2026

Feeling Yourself Disintegrate ( #BOTB & #IWSG )

       Just the other day I celebrated another birthday.  Seventy-five years old seems so unreal in many ways.  But I can feel the effects:  I am disintegrating in one sense and yet I feel fantastic for the most part.  Much of the time I feel like I did in my twenties or thirties.  However, the reality exists that I am getting old.  I am in a process of deterioration.  I hope it keeps on feeling as good as it does now...

Battle of the Bands


 

        Battle of the Bands is the blogging event started by Far Away Series and  StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands.   I do this event  each month on the 15th and the 1st of the month.  The premise is simple:  Listen to the songs presented below and then in the comments vote for your favorite and tell us why you liked it.  Then visit the links listed near the bottom of this post for more Battle action.


  

Feeling Yourself Disintegrate

        A year ago I used this song in a Battle in which I used the original version by Flaming Lips against another relaxing dreamy song.  To me this is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard.  And it seems so relevant as I get older.  

       Here are two versions that I find particularly nice.  Take a listen and then tell us which one you like best.



Kathleen Edwards  "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate"  (2015)



The Bad Plus  "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate"   (2009)



Time to Vote!


       Don't disintegrate yet!   Vote now please.   Which song interpretation do you prefer?  Battles are no fun without you the reader participating.
    Hopefully you have an opinion of some kind.  You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.

        Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours. I don't know if anyone else will be doing a Battle this time around, but you can still check out these sites.




Results on Monday February 9
       
      At least we'll say that for now.  It's probably when it will happen, but plans can change.


The Insecure Writer's Support Group


Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who gather to talk about writing and the writer's life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog
     The co-hosts for the February 4 posting of the IWSG are J Lenni Dorner, Victoria Marie Lees, and Sandra Cox.




February 4 question - Many writers have written about the experience of rereading their work years later. Have you reread any of your early works? What was that experience like for you?


    Through the years I have often looked back on old writing that I've done and often I have been somewhat surprised how well my writing seemed at that time.  Just the other day I was looking at a comment I had left on someone's blog post about ten years ago and thought to myself, "Did I really write that?  It seems so well expressed."   Same goes with writing from my college days fifty years ago.  I might find an old paper that I had turned in for an assignment or a short story that I had written and be quite surprised at how mature my writing had seemed back then.  

         Recently I pulled down from my closet a box of some of my old writing that I was planning to go through.  The writing goes back to my high school and college days and I think I'm going to find some writing that seems almost unrecognizable now as something I had written in the past.  Was I a better writer back then?   Am I starting to forget words and concepts as I grow older?  Maybe, but I'm not sure that this is the answer.  Probably I just haven't been writing enough lately.  

       I guess I need to start writing more again to hone my skills.  Couldn't hurt.  And maybe my mind will sharpen as well.  More writing would be good.  I need to do that.


      Did you seem to write better when you were younger?   Do you still care about writing as much as you did in another time of your life?











       




20 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Chris, you got it!

      First vote goes to Bad Plus.

      Lee

      Delete
  2. R. LEE BOID ~

    Well... that Kathleen Edwards rendition struck me as being like an exercise in minimalist-melody and repetition. I'm not at all convinced that there's really a song within those four minutes and fifty-two seconds... which felt longer to me. Sorry.

    The Bad Plus version, while still being too repetitious, was at least a bit more uptempo and I did dig the Jazz vibe with the Bim-Bom-Bang-Bonk drumming. Therefore, my vote lands soundly on The Bad Plus.

    ~ D-FensDogG

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. POSTSCRIPT:
      I hope you had an enjoyable birthday.
      I know exactly what you mean about your age seeming unreal because I feel the same way about my current age. There are times when I find it nearly impossible to believe that it was six decades back when I was running around the neighborhood barefooted! It feels more like maybe 18 years ago.

      I wrote a poem titled 'Days Long Past' which included these lines:

      For the days moved very slowly
      Yet the years fell behind so fast
      And now I've come to realize
      The best is in the past.


      What's funny is that I wrote that poem just 4 days after turning 21. I guess I was always feeling that time moved too quickly and even when I was young, I had a pronounced nostalgic streak in me.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. STMcC, the days do seem to often move slowly while I'm in them, but, yes, the years seem to fly by. I'm still thinking that some of my best days are yet to come on this Earth and beyond that I'm expecting the best of everything.

      Another Bad Plus.

      Lee

      Delete
  3. Belated happy birthday.
    I read older pieces and I realize I'm a much better writer now than then. Although like you, it's hard to believe I wrote those things.
    Definitely like the second song best. Bonus points for the Legos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alex, practice makes perfect so they say!

      Again, a vote for Bad Plus.

      Lee

      Delete
  4. Hello, Lee! It's me, CAAC, freezing in east TN. Brrr! I really hate winter! In this battle, I found Kathleen Edwards' cover quite relaxing with its dreamy edge. The instrumental arrangement worked beautifully with her voice. The other contender while the vocals were nice, the female singer doesn't possess that same surreal vibe and the music arrangement was too loud putting a damper on the experience. I'm giving my vote to Kathleen Edwards. Her recording is one I can listen to over and over. Nicely done!

    I think the same as you about my old writings. Sometimes, I'm awed by how I put something together and like you've I questioned myself on having written it. Obviously I had but you know it's really strange. I believe in the past I was perhaps a bit more passionate about putting my thoughts into what I wrote and I don't believe I am at the same place now. I wish that I were. I miss this part of me. I do care about writing, I just lost my way and again like you maybe I need to do more of it. Maybe after things settle down with my blog repairs then I can concentrate on writing more.

    I hope your weather is better than ours. Have a good week, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cathy, still sunny and in the 80s here. Yeah, I don't seem to write as much as I used to, but maybe I make up for that doing online stuff.

      A vote for Kathleen Edwards.

      Lee

      Delete
  5. Disintegrate is a good way to describe it. Happy birthday

    I like The Bad Plus.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Lee, you old fossil!

    I am a big fan of The Bad Plus, and I like their version best. I have seen them in concert twice over the last ten years or so. I refer to them as "The Bald Plus" since they were a jazz trio and two of the guys were bald. Also, I was surprised to hear the woman's voice singing: I figured their version would be an instrumental since they don't have a girl in the band and they don't sing (that I know of.) So I don't know how they did this particular piece and if maybe their is some collaboration album I don't know about.

    Anyway, they get my vote. I am sad to note that they are ending the band this year, FYI.

    Sixgun McItchyfinger

    ReplyDelete
  7. A belated Happy Birthday! I hope it was nice. I prefer Kathleen, the first rendition. It sounded more dreamlike and less repetitive than the 2nd one. I used to write stories when I was young and they were not half bad

    ReplyDelete
  8. The first song gives more emotion, I think. it's link a song from the end of a movie.

    Belated HBD!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I haven't done any academic writing in a long time, and I'll keep it that way. I feel like I had to unlearn a lot of what I learned to get kudos for that kind of writing. I no doubt produced more words back in my school days, but very little fiction as I hadn't much time. For the last five or so years I've been more disciplined about my writing than ever before.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Happy day, my friend. And a belated birthday wishes too.
    A tragic and lovely song, and you're right, both versions are good. The Bad Plus made me think of tumbling down a flight of stairs after a single misstep - yet surviving ;'-) I'm going with Bad Plus for being not so bad.
    I'm pretty sure I'll always care about writing.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi,
    I definitely think my writing gets better every year. The depth in my writing is intense and more realistic.
    Shalom shalom

    ReplyDelete
  12. Writing is a great method to sharpen one's mind. So many choices to make. The story or essay needs to be logical. It needs to flow. Of course, interpreting music is another way to sharpen one's mind. Good for you, Arlee.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Bad Plus.
    Happy birthday! Quite the milestone, my friend.
    Happy IWSG day! I'm co-hosting this month.
    "A good book gets better at the second reading. A great book at the third." — Tyler DeVries

    J (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) @JLenniDorner ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author and Co-host of the April Blogging #AtoZChallenge international blog hop

    ReplyDelete
  14. Belated Happy Birthday. Right there with ya on disintergrating:) The fantastic comes and goes. Heh.

    ReplyDelete
  15. It's nice to hear you feel great at 75. I feel like when I hit 55, the warranty ran out, and everything started breaking. But I still feel good, just not as energetic as I did even ten years ago. I'll take it.

    I wish I had my old writing from high school and college. My old papers got lost in one of my many moves. It would be fun to read things I wrote so long ago.

    ReplyDelete

Go ahead and say something. Don't be afraid to speak your mind.
I normally try to respond to all comments in the comment section so please remember to check the "Email follow-up comments" box if you want to participate in the comment conversation.

For Battle of the Bands voting the "Anonymous" commenting option has been made available though this version is the least preferred. If voting using "anonymous" please include in your comment your name (first only is okay) and city you are voting from and the reason you chose the artist you did.

If you know me and want to comment but don't want to do it here, then you can send me an email @ jacksonlee51 at aol dot com.

Lee