honey and wax: an anniversary list
January 2002

"Instead of dirt and poison we have rather chosen to fill our hives with honey and wax, thus furnishing mankind with the two noblest of things, which are sweetness and light."
- The Battle of the Books by Jonathan Swift

Inspired by the anniversary message of Frank DeFord on his 1000th broadcast on NPR, I have decided to reflect on what continues to keep my scented candle burning here at "a hidden life."

what I'm still doing here

  • it's the truth, MMMBop still enchants me . . . every time, every version
  • an evolving craft--songwriting camps and instrument swapping
  • music education via discussions with knowledgeable musicians comparing current Hanson projects with past and present artists (Ann, rock on)
  • that strapping, honest Zac sings lead on "Wish That I Was There"--and you believe every word!
  • knowing there are 1440 minutes in a day
  • Isaac's unrelenting gawkiness that reminds you of you
  • the false stop in "If Only"
  • the one with the longest hair is the least likely to be mistaken for a girl
  • 77th Street
  • chiming in on all the extra Taylor ad libs--you know the ones I mean
  • Oklahoma--Hanson's love of their hometown helped you love your hometown too!
  • loyalty--some people just listened to "I Will Come to You," "Ever Lonely" and "Sometimes" while others adopted them as a creed
  • family--if your relationships with siblings or, barring that, good friends, haven't changed since 1997 . . what are you still doing here?
  • celebrity: down home style--Hanson shows you what members of your own family might look like if thrust into the media spotlight ::prolonged smirk::
  • ironic titles: "Dying to be Alive," "Strong Enough to Break" and "Weird" (think about it ;-D)
  • life parallels: the illusion that you will discover yourself in the latest lyrics (Oh be honest, like I'm alone in this!)
  • songs like "Man from Milwaukee," "Everybody Knows the Claus" and "Sure About It" end up as tracks on albums, while others get the ax! . . . and that tours are named after the capital of Mars
  • refined taste in food, clothing, books, movies and music (They finally broke you of your obsession for the Adidas stripe, no? You drew the line with brand name pop t-shirts? Too bad.)
  • concerts that don't travel the country like portable Gaps . . . genuine love of performing live music
  • Gracious me, web savvy: there is a clever retort to mp3 swapping (Could it be hanson.net? You decide.)
  • AskHansonAsks
  • a community of bright and beautiful writers
  • always from afar is not necessarily a curse, but a cultish lifestyle choice
  • waking up to compose, edit and/or perfect your webpage

This is a work in progress--thanks for the audience! Love you guys!

by Monica for a hidden life

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