MeganDawn_Writes as MystikCeleste

  When the cowards turn to soldiers  To solve all their problems I wonder what I'm supposed to believe.  And the news reporters set the blame  To the people who don't think the same. I wonder what they're trying to achieve. Is anybody listening To the song that I sing? Does anyone even know who I am? If I sing hallelujah right on up to ya Would your angels even give a damn? - Belief as sung by Ben Fankhauser, written by Alexander Sage Oyen on his album Drafts Volume II What a powerful song. Every time I listen to Ben sing it, it bring tears to my eyes. His voice is so full of passion and pain, longing and hope. Watching him sing it on the YouTube video - holy hell - there are no words, just emotions. Alexander's lyrics are absolutely perfect, and are quite fitting for the state of the world, right now.  And my state of mind.  You hear, all the time, about having faith that things will work out. And believing that things happen for a reason. That it is all leading somewh

  Central Park, East and West I will leave my mark. Pack my bags and I'll embark On a single city.  How you gonna live? What you gonna do? Nobody else is looking out for you. Who you gonna call? What you gonna say, yeah? How you gonna live? What you gonna do? Nobody else is looking out for you? - Single City, written by Michael Mott from his album Abandoned Heart released on September 15, 2017 and performed by Lauren Allred and released as a Remix Single on May 18, 2018 and performed by Matt Doyle I have loved this song for 2 years. Since first being introduced to Michael's music back in 2020, this song has ranked as one of my favorites. But it became even more special to me, several months ago, when Michael played it during one of his Instagram Lives.  If I remember correctly, Michael started the live by greeting us, as he does, and asking what we were all up to. And me - being the little social butterfly that I am - I commented that I was working on my Dystopian novel. Someon

  See, I've been bravin' crazy weather Drowin' out my cries. I pull myself together I'm focused on the prize.  I'm fallin' baby, through the sky, through the sky I'm fallin' baby, through the sky.  It's my callin' baby, don't you cry, don't you cry. I'm fallin' through the sky. It's a tune you can hum Oh, Broadway, here I come.  - Broadway, Here I Come as sung by Jeremy Jordan as Jimmy Collins on Smash - The TV Series, Episode 1 of Season 2  What a great show Smash was. Yes, it had its bumps and areas that needed work and could have been improved. And I know there was drama behind the scenes. At its heart, though, Smash was beautiful with intriguing stories. The cast was great, the music was catchy and helped tell the stories well, and it gave an interesting look at life on Broadway. Most importantly - for me, anyway - is that it introduced me to the phenomenal talent that is Jeremy Jordan and begun his long and impactful insp

  Social Media is not a media. The key is to listen, engage, and build relationships. - David Alston, Author  Social Media is the ultimate equalizer. It gives a voice and a platform to anyone willing to engage. - Amy Jo Martin, Author Social Media creates communities, not markets. - Don Schultz, Marketing Pioneer I've talked about the down side of Social Media. So, let's talk about the up side of it. Which is not a subject many people discuss, anymore.  Now, let's take celebrities and all the stuff they have to deal with out of the equation. We have discussed this, already, and the situations are different for them in so many ways. Let's focus this conversation on regular people. For us, like most things, social media is a matter of perception. We can choose to view it as a negative or a positive.  The negative stigma of social media has really taken hold.  I often hear people criticizing social media posts. There is so much judgment about people posting about their vac

  I hate the phrase 'Love conquers all' And I hate that it's true 'Cause I wanna not hate things  When I'm with you You love so many things And you have so much fun It makes me wish My hating days were done. - I Hate Everything But You from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 4, as performed by Skylar Astin, Written by Rachel Bloom, Adam Schlesinger & Jack Dolgen I'll be honest - and if you've been following this blog at all, this will not come as a surprise - when Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was originally on, I only watched Season 4. And, yes, that was because Skylar came on. However, I have now seen all 4 seasons and it is a great show. And relatable if you have ever struggled with your mental health.  But to the song above, there is so much to love about this little song. Skylar's hilarious delivery and Rachel's genius lyrics, aside, of course.  It is the perfect definition of a paradox. And it works, brilliantly. In my opinion, the first line here is one of

  Something in the way she moves Attracts me like no other lover. Something in the way she woos me I don't want to leave her now You know I believe and how Somewhere in her smile she knows That I don't need no other lover Something in her style that shows me.  - Something, by The Beatles, released on the Abbey Road album in 1969 What a great song! The Beatles were true masters of their craft. Just as the men on this list are masters of theirs. Obviously, none of these men are my lovers. 1 of them is happily married to a stunning and amazing woman that I admire and respect. The other 3 are silent about their relationships, a decision I respect and do not go looking for the answer too. But this song captures, in the ways that matter, how I feel about these men and how amazing they are at their craft.  Before I get into this list, let me just say that it does include all men. Not because I do not value female actresses. Because I do. And there are several that I admire and respect

  'Whether or not you're aware of it or not, you're taking the information you get from watching tv and putting it in your brain." - Stephanie Beatriz, AskMen Interview, March 2014 I have heard - more times than I would have actually thought possible - people say that they don't watch tv. Given reasons range from they don't have time to they have better things to do with their time. And to those people, I say 'Hey that is so great for you.' And I mean that.  But me. Well, I adore television. Since childhood, it has offered a different type of escape than music and books.  With music, it is more like therapy. It makes me think about what is going on in my life and how I should be dealing with it.  With books, it is an escape from my reality, but one that requires concentration and thinking.  With television, I get the benefit of watching the drama play out but not having it become my problem or something I have to fix or physically get involved with. I d

  There's a moment you know, you're fucked. Not an inch more room to self-destruct No more moves, oh yeah, the dead end zone. Man, you just can't call your soul your own. But the thing that makes you really jump Is that the weirdest shit is still to come. You can ask yourself 'Hey what have I done?' You're just a fly the little guys - they kill for fun. Man, you're fucked if you just freeze up Can't do that thing, that keeping still.  But you're fucked if you speak your mind  And you know, uh huh, you will Yeah, you're fucked alright. And all for spite. You can kiss your sorry ass goodbye. Totally fucked, will they mess you up? Well you know they're gonna try. - Totally Fucked from Spring Awakening: The Musical, as performed by Jonathan Groff, Brian Charles Johnson, Skylar Astin, Jonathan B. Wright, and Gideon Glick. Written by Duncan Sheik & Steven Sater A great song from the fantastic and controversial Spring Awakening. This musical bec

  Death doesn't discriminate Between the sinners and the saints It takes and it takes and it takes And we keep living anyway.  We rise and we fall and we break And we make our mistakes I am the one thing in life I can control I am inimitable, I am an original. - Wait For It, from the musical Hamilton, as written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and performed by Leslie Odom Jr. Hamilton is such a great musical, truly powerful. Lin-Manuel is a genius. And such a sweet and funny guy. Seriously, I sometimes I wonder if the man is human. Now, I did skip a few lines in the above song. Not because they are not good, because they are. But because these are the lines that speak to me the loudest when I listen to the song. And, let's face it, anyone that knows me knows that I am NOT patient and that I am terrible at waiting for anything.  If the whole state of the world and the mental breakdown mess taught me anything, it has taught me that. And it has taught me that I AM the one thing in life that

  A hundred million stories and a hundred million songs, I feel stupid when I sing.  Nobody's listening to me. Nobody's listening. I talk to shooting stars, but they always get it wrong. I feel stupid when I pray. So, why am I praying anyway If nobody's listening?  Anyone! Please send me anyone. Lord, is there anyone? I need someone. Oh, anyone, please send me anyone.  Lord, is there anyone? I need someone. - Anyone written by Demi Lovato as sung by Skylar Astin as Max on Season 2 of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist  I'm not going to lie, I had never heard this song until I heard Skylar sing it on Zoey's. No offense to Demi, she is a great singer. Just not in my usual music wheelhouse. Skylar is, though. After hearing his version, I did go looking for hers. It is beautiful and heart tugging. But it does not hit me as hard as his version does. (There again, that thing we talked about before about how different singers hit us.) Skylar's version ... or should I sa

  "There's so much misogynist chatter in response to us, that would never Happen. About. A. Man. 'Gray hair, gray hair, gray hair. Does she have gray hair?' I'm sitting with Andy Cohen, and he has a full head of gray hair, and he's exquisite. Why is it okay for him? I don't know what to tell you people! Especially on social media. Everyone has something to say. 'She has too many wrinkles, she doesn't have enough wrinkles.' It almost feels as if people don't want us to be perfectly okay with where we are, as if they almost enjoy us being pained by who we are, today, whether we choose to age naturally and not look perfect, or whether you do something if that makes you feel better. I know what I look like. I have no choice. What am I going to do about it? Stop aging? Disappear?" - Sarah Jessica Parker, Vogue Interview, November 2021 I have never been someone who gave much thought to age. To me, it has always just been a number pointing out

 " An awful lot of people have gone, historically, to musicals to forget their troubles. 'Come on get happy.' I'm not interested in that. I'm not interested in making people unhappy, but I'm not interested in not looking at life. I don't know why I want to write it, otherwise. - Stephen Sondheim, Broadway Composer & Lyricist - Six By Sondheim  An iconic quote from one of the most powerful and loved names in the world of Broadway. In the way only Sondheim can, he has nailed the beauty of musicals. They are not just about making people happy or to forget their troubles. They are about life - looking at life, what happens to us, what we all go through, and giving us a fresh way to look at life. In that same documentary, he goes on to say that art is making order out of chaos. And I think that is exactly what musicals do. They make order out of the chaos that is life. Musicals are and have been one of my favorite things for as long as I can remember.  The m