What is your favorite Soul Asylum music video?

[sheryl]

I'm not necessarily physically clumsy, just socially awkward. I'm defintely overzealous (I like to call it "passionate") and sometimes a bit too vehement in my opinions (working on it) and annoy people. I never know when to shut up, either, then I feel bad afterward.

I like the term "expressive." I think I'll adopt it.

I usually go with "intense" and call it good

I'm definitely overexcited about everything I'm into. It annoys people. I've learned not to care. I'm too old to care! I am who I am, right?

We are who we are

[sheryl]

(Fair warning, folks: I'm about to get all girly. ) In 1995, I fell in love with the lyrics-writing part of Dave Pirner's brain. When I told my friends this, one of them produced a gossip magazine, pointed to a rather unflattering photo of Dave at some red carpet event and said, "That's Dave Pirner." It was not impressive. "Oh, well, I love him for his mind," I said. "My love is pure."

Then nearly a year ago, I started looking for videos online. Then I saw the Somebody to Shove video. My love immediately and forever ceased to be pure.

that actually happened to me when Silver Lining came out. I NEVER thought Dave was attractive. I loved his lyrics, loved his music, but I thought he was scary. And when he wasn't giving me the creeps I thought he looked a lot like Sara Gilbert.
When the new record came out I took a little trip down memory lane and started watching old videos. I started with Shove because it had always been my favorite, and my very first words when it started were "Hey! Hey Paula! Paula did he always look like this in this video?" She said, and I quote, "Huh????Are you on crack?"
I said "Was he always this hot?! Damn! I mean look at him! Damn!"
She looked at me sympathetically and said "Yes, Sheryl. He's always looked just like that."
Go figure.

[CrazyLittleWoman]

I'm not necessarily physically clumsy, just socially awkward. I'm defintely overzealous (I like to call it "passionate") and sometimes a bit too vehement in my opinions (working on it) and annoy people. I never know when to shut up, either, then I feel bad afterward.

I like the term "expressive." I think I'll adopt it.

I usually go with "intense" and call it good

I'm definitely overexcited about everything I'm into. It annoys people. I've learned not to care. I'm too old to care! I am who I am, right?

We are who we are

People call me "intense" all the time, too.

I don't understand people who aren't overexcited about the things they love. Why bother if lukewarm is the best you can do? That even-keel stuff just feels like being half-dead to me.

Then again, my best friend is an even-keel person, so, to each her own, right?

[CrazyLittleWoman]

that actually happened to me when Silver Lining came out. I NEVER thought Dave was attractive. I loved his lyrics, loved his music, but I thought he was scary. And when he wasn't giving me the creeps I thought he looked a lot like Sara Gilbert.
When the new record came out I took a little trip down memory lane and started watching old videos. I started with Shove because it had always been my favorite, and my very first words when it started were "Hey! Hey Paula! Paula did he always look like this in this video?" She said, and I quote, "Huh????Are you on crack?"
I said "Was he always this hot?! Damn! I mean look at him! Damn!"
She looked at me sympathetically and said "Yes, Sheryl. He's always looked just like that."
Go figure.

Okay, I'll confess to my real first reaction to that red carpet event photo. I took one look and said, "She can have him. He'd have to bathe and comb that hair before I'd even think about it." (Pause) "Oh, well, I love him for his mind. My love is pure."

If I'd seen the Shove video back then, though, my love would never have been the least bit pure. I think I actually heard my jaw hit the floor when he does that hip-thrusting move.

And now, I sort of miss his long, messy hair, and even the dreads, though pre-Dave I'd always considered dreadlocks to be a look all white men should avoid. My, the difference a day makes.

[lucy]

Oh my god Sheryl, I have to say that I've loved Dave since I was 15, but I always said that Sara Gilbert reminded me of him!! I thought it was because I was just a little obsessed!!!!

[sheryl]

Oh my god Sheryl, I have to say that I've loved Dave since I was 15, but I always said that Sara Gilbert reminded me of him!! I thought it was because I was just a little obsessed!!!!

It's not you, they look alike!!!
I didn't know her name back then...so when I'd get the inevitable "You like Soul Asylum?? Isn't Dave CUTE?" remarks I always kind of came back with "Y'think? I think he looks like that girl that plays Darlene on Roseanne. But twitchy."

I must be some kind of weirdo, but I didn't think he was cute till a couple of years ago. I saw them in Boston and I hadn't seen what they looked like....and since the last time I'd seen them I'd actually freaked out and fled because he scared the bejesus outta me...long story...I was sort of nervous. so when he hit the stage looking a lot like someone had just woken him up, all kinda grinning and going "hi..." I went 'awww....aw he's CUTE! when did he get CUTE?'

Then he started all being a rock god and shit and well...damn.

[mystic_spiral_3]

People call me "intense" all the time, too.

I don't understand people who aren't overexcited about the things they love. Why bother if lukewarm is the best you can do? That even-keel stuff just feels like being half-dead to me.

Then again, my best friend is an even-keel person, so, to each her own, right?

This makes me feel better about getting overexcited about things I like, such as concerts, new cds, really awesome episodes of my fave tv shows, etc.

I embrace my geekiness.

[CrazyLittleWoman]

People call me "intense" all the time, too.

I don't understand people who aren't overexcited about the things they love. Why bother if lukewarm is the best you can do? That even-keel stuff just feels like being half-dead to me.

Then again, my best friend is an even-keel person, so, to each her own, right?

This makes me feel better about getting overexcited about things I like, such as concerts, new cds, really awesome episodes of my fave tv shows, etc.

I embrace my geekiness.

Just today at work a young woman was worrying because she said she annoys people because she's so intense about the things she's into. So I told her that I post on a site where several adult women were talking about their own difficulties with burning a little hotter than everyone else around them so that she'd know she's not alone.

Self-acceptance can take such a long time to achieve, can't it?

[mystic_spiral_3]

Yes it can. I'm still working on that (despite embracing my geekiness).

[sheryl]

It really can. And a lot of the time it's impossible not to doubt. When people just think you're a bit too much sometimes it's hard not to think "well maybe I should change..."

Personally I live with someone who has absolutely no passion. She has no interests of her own, nothing she's into that she's not doing because someone else is, she's a terminal follower/joiner/bandwagon jumper. Her only interests are whatever the people around her at the time are interested in. When nothing is going on around her she sits with a completely vacant expression on her face and gives every impression of having been switched off.

When I doubt myself, because my overenthusiasm, or my general preoccupation with the things I'm doing annoy people, either because I wont shut up about it or I won't talk at all because I'm too into it (can't win dammit!) I think about her and ask myself "would you rather be someone people sometimes think is a little over the top, but be intensely involved in life, or someone who's completely empty and has no unique personality or identity?"
I always go with me, because while I'll sometimes be too much for some people, there are always going to be people out there who love me because I'm who and how I am.

It's an ongoing thing though, this continual self validation.
It's hard but it's worth it to be happy in who you are.