When we were all kids, we were always taught to appreciate the simpler things in life. We were raised to be humble and kind among others. Even today, as an adult, I like to think I still carry these great traits reflective of my childhood upbringing. But of course, this includes memories of if you didn’t, you was gonna “get it”.
When it came to music, I like to think I grew up within a wide range of selection. Back when vinyl was popular, I often found myself playing with the record player. I was listening to tracks by Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Hall and Oates, Duran Duran, The Jets, DeBarge, and many others… before I moved onto cassette tapes. Hip Hop came out and when I heard about “scratching”, I think I was creating more damage than art. I obviously was not armed with the right gear.
Among the many albums I would often pass were the Country music albums. Many people would say when asked what type of music they like, “I listen to all types of music,” then came a pause and that person would continue to say, “except for Country.” This, in my opinion, was a big loss in musical diversity. In time, I chanced it and listened to a few tracks from these albums. Albums by singers like Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, or groups like Alabama.
In my experience to listening to Country music, the songs are very passionate and expressive. Songs spoke from deep within the heart. It always seemed to give that feeling of family, hard working life, simplicity, but for the most part, love and passion. You don’t hear bad words because there is no need of using them. These songs would always seem to tell a story of a more humble life and love.
In Tim McGraw’s song, Humble and Kind, I can feel the popular teachings each and every parent tries to teach their child. They do so in hopes that their children will grow up to be respectable adults. Furthermore, their children’s children could look up to their respectable parents and to continue the cycle and someday pass this on to their own children.
I remember all the times I would be prompted to show respect to elders until it was instilled in me to do so automatically and when to be humble even in very victorious moments. I recall the teachings of helping and sharing from the warmest spot in your heart and done so unconditionally. I fondly remember the advice of being taught how to respect oneself and to not act wildly as if you were uncontrollable. A lot of times this would be in respects to being a gentleman and how to treat a woman respectively. Yes, sometimes we broke the rules but we always could find home and go back to basics to what we were taught in life. We always come to realize they were always better. It helped for basis of change.
Humble and Kind reminds us, within this present day and age that seems to not care, a time that we should not forget how humbly and kindly we should treat one another. We all have our own struggles in life but sometimes going back to basics, to a simpler life that reminds us to be Humble and Kind, is all we really need to make things better.
When I’m asked what type of music I like, I say, “I listen to all music.” Period. When they are surprised that I even listen to Country, I just smile. Let me remind you, I’m a Filipino American and grew up in the South. Besides, I like to think like for many other finer things in life, it’s an acquired taste.Tim McGraw's Humble and Kind:
