You are such a fool to worry like you do

Today's album, though not the best, is one of my favorites and I'll tell you why...


All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2

Beautiful Day

Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of

Elevation

Walk On

Kite

In a Little While

Wild Honey

Peace on Earth

When I look at the World

New York

Grace

Bonus Disk:

Summer Rain

This album was released October 30, 2000. I was living in a ground floor apartment in Annandale Virginia with two of my best friends, and the Hermanas.
One of the things I missed the most on my mission was good music. Not that I'm saying that listening to hymns, classical, and christian rock didn't classify as good music, but I wanted REAL music. Music that makes your heart pump and the decibel level that makes your chest rattle and your ears buzz. The real music that resonates with the anger, fear, love and exhilaration that a person feels in their lives. My mission musical selections just didn't do it for me.
I'm pretty sure Holly and Suzy were in the same boat, so once in a while we would make a trip to Tower Records in Alexandria (which closed in Dec. 2006) for mental health breaks. More often than not we would find ourselves riding up the long escalator to the second floor of The Landmark Plaza, to walk the isles of Tower, and listen to the beats and melodies that would stream through the over head sound system. I'd look through the racks of CD's and think about owning this or that, but I'd usually walk away with a Classical CD or Renaissance Madrigals CD that was "mission appropriate." But I missed the music.
One October evening as we wandered the isles, this CD jumped out at me. I wanted it. I Needed it. I bought it. After the fact I felt silly and wondered why I had done that. I thought of mailing it home a million times. But I never did.
Four months later I found myself living in an apartment in Alexandria, with a companion whom I hated with the burning passion. We didn't get along. I hated her, I'm pretty sure she hated me. There was a day when I couldn't stand her any more and for some reason I closed the door to the bedroom and popped this CD into the player and hit play. I listened to the bonus disk first with Sumer Rain. I don't know what I was really expecting, maybe something loud to drown out the anger, (something more like the POP album had been able to do) but it was more acoustic then rock and roll, it was quiet, and it calmed me and reminded me to take a deep breath.
At the time I didn't love the new sound. I put in the first disk and listened to the other 11 songs on the album I wasn't impressed at first, but each song, like most U2 songs, spoke to my soul. the songs spoke of hanging on to things, and letting go. Of learning tour lessons and becoming better. I have listened to this album a million times now, and I love it more each time I hear it. Strange how this rock star named Bono can have such an effect on people. Once in a while I'll hear people joke (or not so jokingly) talk about the Church of Bono, or the U2 Sermons, but I do agree with them. I have learned from his words. I have listened to U2 in my dark moments, in my high moments, and every emotion in between.
Who know that a U2 album, I wasn't even supposed to have, could give a random missionary girl such comfort on a day when the world seemed so bleak.

What are some of my favorite songs from this album:

Beautiful Day - What a fantastic song to open the album with. It makes me feel happier every time I hear it.
Elevation - I didn't truly appreciate this song until I had seen Tomb Rader. Now it's one of my favorites. This is just a fun song to listen to. I own a ton of Elevation remixes that make me smile each time I hear them.
In a Little While - I love this song. This is the one I loved the most from the very beginning. "In a little while, this hurt will hurt no more, I'll be home, Love."
Summer Rain - The first song I heard from this album. although I didn't like it at the time, it's become one of my favorites.
Grace - I'd almost name my child Grace after hearing this song, but I'd probably just name her Grace because I like the name. "It's the name of a girl, It's also a thought that changed the world."

The back of my iPod is engraved with this quote from Bono:

"Music can change the world, because it can change people"

I believe it. I have felt it. I have shared it.