you are one of the finest creative artists on SC, my friend. always original and inventive. 🙏

I sent you a couple of emails. Maybe check your spam folder if you don't see them in your inbox.

Cool eastern meditative vibe here Justin.  Glad you found your foul weather friend:)

What a nice mood to this tune, enjoying the leisurely tempo. Great write-up by the way, love the sentiment you've shared, it's always nice to hear your thoughts and reflections as an accompaniement to the music.

Quirky and surprising …….. love the detail and ominous undertones beneath the jaunty surface. Very cool track Justin :)

perfect pop and reverb on that snare.... Beautiful melodies and great sounds

More food for thought - are fair weather friends actually friends?

(Free WAV Download available here under '••• More'; and eventually as part of my Foul Weather Friends album)

Hello auditory enthusiasts and fellow friends of the Soundcloud community. Since the world seems perfectly content making up reality as we go along, I thought it might be entertaining to play with a concept or two of my own. Granted, the term ‘Foul Weather Friend’ already exists in the Urban Dictionary. But I feel like they missed the mark, and I want to redefine that term to something better suited for the times.

First, the definition (as I would like to see it):

Foul Weather Friend: A companion who doesn’t have blinders on when it comes to the truth, but who also manages to find light in the darkest of times. That irritating confidant who insists there is always hope and meaning in life; and refuses to give up on you, even when you want to give up on yourself. That frustratingly wise buddy who knows how to make you feel better… even when you don’t want to. 

I admit, it doesn’t take a lot for me to imagine that person, because I lucked out; I married that person (the description is more of a historical document in my case. Thank you, Cheer! You really did save my life).

Unfortunately, I was very much the opposite. I was a frustrated and angry young man, convinced the world just wanted me for my ability to labor and spend money (oh, wait). I was amazingly effective at arguing my points, and profoundly negative about all of it. Cheer had to endure digging through a lot of toxic sludge before finally uncovering the gem. And lucky for me, she had the patience to keep digging… because she saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself at the time.

Speaking from direct experience, one positive and supportive voice was enough to make me want to be a better person. One person holding my hand through my dark years (and reminding me I was loved and lovable) was enough to inspire me to try harder. And here I am today, feeling amazingly good about most things; and trying my hardest to pay that unconditional love and support forward. That, in my humble opinion, is the power of the Foul Weather Friend. That is the kind of person everyone needs in their life… RIGHT NOW.

But in reality, one negative and critical voice can have quite the opposite effect. Instead of Cheer bringing me up, I could have brought her down with me. And what a terrible thing that would have been. So I suppose that makes this is a two-fold concept. First, we need more Foul Weather Friends in our lives. And second, we need to not be the toxic sludge in theirs. 

In summary, this world needs all the positivity it can get right now. If you don’t have Foul Weather Friends in your life…. actively seek them out. If you are surrounded by toxic sludge, actively choose to stop standing in it (meaning, let go of the people in your life that are more detrimental than they are helpful... including toxic family members). That might sound selfish to some people, and it is. It’s you saying ‘I don’t like the way I feel when I’m around certain people, and I love myself enough to end those relationships.’ It’s less about selfish, and more about self-care. The future is strangely unpredictable at the moment; and we need all the help, hope and love we can get. 

I hope you enjoy my new sonic offering, ‘Foul Weather Friends.’ :)

F.W. Friends

Foul Weather Friends

Welcome to my sonic playground. I don't consider myself a skilled musician. I just sculpt sounds to quiet my mind... often with surprising and humorous results. Thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed your visit. :)

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