Music is a reflection of feelings.It expresses feelings. Our personal taste in style of music is how that particular genre relates to our personal feelings,life experiences,how it makes us feel,memories it invokes and how it touches us.

For some, we reflect our passion for our music in our dress and personal style.

A country music fan will wear cowboy hats,boots,and western style clothing,where a jam band fan will dress like a hippie,a heavy metal fan will wear leather and metal studs or a rap fan will wear sagging pants ,big chains and their hat sideways.

To bash another person for their taste in music is like insulting their very being.Similar to bashing their religious or political beliefs.

People do not all think alike.We are different from one another because of the experiences we have had in life,how we were brought up,who we are.Not everyone is going to agree with one another and when you do not agree with someone,it is not your place to insult them for their taste, beliefs or feelings.You are certainly not going to change them with insults and condescending remarks. We all need to learn to respect one another and our individual right to like what we want without criticism or judgement.

I personally love many genres of music,what I listen to has very much to do with the particular mood that I am in.I lean towards rock and heavy metal.That doesn't make me an angry or aggressive person,it is what I enjoy and it is a great outlet to release those feelings.

I first became a heavy metal fan when I started working out.I hated it and was so pissed off that I had to put my physical body through this torment after gaining weight from my pregnancies.To listen to the angst in this music made working out more fun and tolerable for me. It continued to be my outlet through a very stressful management job I held for 18 years where I had to be fake and smile all day to rude,unappreciative customers when I really just wanted to slap them.I would get in my car and blast the most angry music I had in my collection for the ride home and by the time I got home I had released all that frustration screaming lyrics along with my favorite tunes.I didn't carry it into my home for my family to deal with.It was my cure,my release,my comfort.

I love jam band music I grew up a Dead Head.That genre takes me back to my younger,more innocent days when love and peace were infectious and there wasn't all this hate and violence that we have in our world today.I love country because it reminds me of my roots,my family comes from a pack of hillbillies.I love gospel music because of the spiritual feeling it gives me,it touches my soul.I love jazz because of its mellowing effect on me.I love the blues,I feel that music in my bones because I have felt the blues in my soul in my lifetime.

I know that for some people one type of music is all they like,all they listen to.That is their choice.I understand not liking a partiicular type of music as well.Some of it I cannot relate to-it doesn't speak to or for me.But I respect the opinions of others and their right to like what they like.I am not going to try to change them.

Last night I took my teenage son to the Slipknot Summers Last Stand Tour Show in VA Beach. We had 5th row seats-it was very loud.There was one band on the line up that I did not care for.I looked around and watched the crowd sing along with lyrics that I could not even understand what the singer was saying.I enjoyed watching the people enjoying themselves so much that I enjoyed being present.Although I considered this particular band nothing but noise I wouldn't have dreamed of screaming at the stage YOU SUCK GET OFF THE STAGE as I saw some attendees do.I told this guy behind me at intermission as he continued to complain about how bad this band was that if he would have took a look around he was obviously outnumber in his opinion.Not everyone feels like you do.Even though I didn't like the band it was not my place to insult their artistic effort.

This morning when I posted my pictures from the show last night on facebook I had a good friend insult me and my taste in music.I am kind of put off by anyone thinking that they have the right to do this.It was an insult and taken as an insult.If I have to explain then you  probably won't understand so you go ahead and be the jerk who insults a friend.

The next time anyone reading this feels the need to bash someone's musical choices,think about whether or not you would say the same things to them about their religious or political beliefs.If your answer is yes then I suppose you might need to ask yourself if you would appreciate someone treating you this way-The good old golden rule my friend.

Respect one another out there people.Don't be one of those assholes who doesn't care about the feelings of others just so you get your opinion out there.Sometimes having an open mind about things can gain you the opportunity to find something new in life,something you might come to really enjoy.

I don't always like the music my teenager chooses to listen to but it brings us closer to share experiences like last night together,create memories together bringing us closer,and you know what? Sometimes I learn to love a crazy band like Slipknot and can go to a concert with my son and rock out and enjoy watching him have the time of his life! PRICELESS LIFE MEMORY