Reassurances
November 19th, 2005 by rsm
I was talking with my close, personal friends The Indigo Girls the other night and Emily said, “You know, one of the things I like best about you is that you’re not a name-dropper, unlike that guy… oh… what’s his name? Blackfive?”
“Yeah, his name’s Matt. We’ve hung out some.”
Well imagine my surprise when I received this email from Toby Lightman the other day:
wow, i just went onto your website and am flattered that you chose those lyrics for the title! thank you. i’m glad you’re into the music that i make. keep an eye open for another record next year!
toby
I was nervous she’d issue an injunction.
So let’s dig deep into that email: she doesn’t capitalize and yet she double-spaces after each terminating punctuation mark. Clearly she was trained in school on classic keyboarding techniques, perhaps even a manual typewriter, and yet she challenges some standard rules: a bit of a rebel who is still grounded in the basic values of decency she was taught as a youngster. She will politely refuse to put up with what she views as unnecessary and arbitrary conventions. Equal ratio of exclamation points to periods: she is either excitable and loving life or else is a manic depressive. It could go either way. I’m not over-analyzing, am I?
And if you are asking, Toby Who? SHAME ON YOU! Do your research. Try out “Everyday” or “Front Row,” especially just past the 2 minute mark. Now go buy her music.
But I’ll see better when the smoke clears
… when the smoke clears inside my head.
And I can listen when the screaming
… doesn’t repeat everything I’ve said.