so… Emma Jo and I are doing a lot of exploring of late.

recently it’s around music. as many of you know Emma Jo and I had a good chat about Adele and also Alison Moyet. that got me to thinking about all manner of opportunities inherent in comparison and (or) contrast. life lessons, stuff.

with me, I had her listen to versions of a song both titled, We Are Young. One option is offered-up by the group Fun. it should be ably noted that this option is quite popular with many a youth, others youthful at heart, and featured on a television commercial. that commercial is a good viewing experience offered up by Chevrolet, no less – but, it’s original bar fight inspiration is sinister and dangerous; juxtapositional. well, the other effort is positioned by, Sing Me Insomnia (this version, is ironically, not so popular, generally).

I’ll lay them out in this post for both your listening pleasure, and your own efforts towards making a vital comparison. do it!

for me the bigger question becomes what you do with different messages born of inspiration, but not the same aspiration.

watch the videos and then listen to the words (visa versa is fine). my God, the messaging is so mixed it makes my own head spin. yet, within all of this is realized an opportunity to walk with my little girl, my little buddy, my tiger, though life lessons and examples.

to wit…

We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe), by Fun. and, also, We Are Young, by, Sing Me Insomnia.

lift it up, as you see fit.

I love being a Dad. and, this very weekend we’ll find ourselves at the My Princess Dance!

peace be to my Brothers and Sisters.

brian patrick cork

Adele is certainly inspiring us all with her golden sultry voice, great showing with six recent Grammy Awards, and overcoming terrifying prospects around her throat surgeries.

but, let’s not forget the phenomenal artist that was Adele before there was an Adele – and, that would be Alison Moyet, herself.

so, think about how Adele makes you feel, and where you were when you heard her sing for the first time.

yesterday in the truck, on the way to pick up some new shin-guards for soccer, with Adele straining in the background through the radio, my little Emma Jo was telling me all about Adele. I could tell she was touched. and, deeply so. I told her about examples of my own love for music and people that create it. we discussed Alison Moyet, and Emma Jo was actually interested.

but (or, but…), where were you in life when Alison came though with her own ground-breaking effort, Alf?

peace be to my Brothers and Sisters.

brian patrick cork

time certainly does fly, but all the more so when every Daddy grimly observes the ticking clock against the dreaded time his “little girl” lets go of his protective hand.

however, those fears can be reasonably set aside for the moment, because its that magical time of year, again. and, the 7th Annual – My Princess Dance is upon us! it is! so, mark your calendars! guard the date, and fiercely so! Saturday, February 18th at 630pm to 9pm at The Foundry at Puritan Hill. stand firm, goodly men, and register, here.

to be sure, you’ve read earlier stories on this Blog from last year, God gave me daughters. What did He give you?, Its time for a Princess to Dance!, the Princess and the me, and, investing in my daughters.

consider forging a few stories of your own.

I have three Princesses in my immediate family with the girl of my dreams at my side, and two daughters that I’m determined will realize their own.

I coach a good number of princesses in soccer. but, that is different. and, the stuff of other stories. you can always read about those adventures, here. now, I’m also coaching young lads in Lacrosse with the best hopes of influencing them to be gallant around any right Princess. more on all that, to be certain.

Haley Anne and I went to the first “Daddy/ Daughter Dance” six short years ago after a heads-up from Woody Faulk (a father of four girls of his own) let me know he would be hosting this inspiring event. it has quickly became an Atlanta-area tradition. Last year the event was renamed, and aptly so, “My Princess Dance,” and held at the InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead. More than five hundred fathers and daughters came to that My Princess Dance, and they are, and all of them, forever changed. complete with princesses, carriages, chocolate fountains, and a knighting ceremony, the evening was spectacular.

Haley Anne kicked me to the curb after seventh grade and I started taking Emma Jo to the dance. the experience has been brilliant for us all, and I’m keen to share it with any man that understands how important he is in the life of his daughter. I’m convinced this is a vital bond where God really trusts some of us with daughters. the anticipation builds with talks about pretty dresses and an afternoon getting hair and nails done (or, Mommy can certainly do that!). it’s dancing practice and perhaps a special dinner. then come the shared secrets and the memories that enchant a life-time realized in only the span of a few hours that leave us all the more excited about the next year.

the My Princess Dance is all about the importance of family by stopping the busy-ness of life, and spending time with those we love, and cherish, the most.

read more about My Princess Dance in this story, printed by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution: bit.ly/fLhOUt. do it!

and, then watch the video below for a sense of what is yet to come (sorry if it’s bleeding over on this blog page. it’s videos fault, and not mine own – yet, I’ll forgive almost anything that helps me share this wondrous event with you all.

peace be to my Brothers and Sisters.

brian patrick cork

I’ll begin this post asking you to ignore my errant thumb. the iPhone can be a very forgiving device, but not always for amateurs such as myself.

Haley Anne had a good number of her possie with us today. and, I got my first heads-up over the enigmatic “Evan”. that, of course, bares investigation with my radar up.

but, all things considered, this was a great weekend. the boat has offered us a great platform that promises both high adventure, and loads of bonding opportunities.

Emma Jo and I got to simply hang-out a lot and listen to music. we also found ourselves floating around the Waverunner in a cove near the marina all to ourselves. we jumped-off the watercraft and just chatted away an hour. later we read MacLife and Macworld side-by-side up in the bridge of Mojo under the fading skies. she asks great questions and demonstrates a keen understanding of how things work:

“Daddy… I think the ‘I-O-S-5′ is a relly good idea because it makes iPhones and Apples the same”.

there are moments I can only look at her (my little pumpkin) and smile.

but, for me, the highlight of the trip was the late evening with the terrific Kenwood sound system purring out all manner of classics driven by my iPod. again, on the bridge, with stars shining over our heads and the sounds of fireworks crackling in the distance, I had my back up against Joanne with her chin on my shoulder as I told her more stories about my Mom and Dad. for the record, Mom, in particular would have adored Jo (and, her granddaughters – Haley Anne is a dead-ringer for Mom). however, I spent a lot of time reminiscing more about Dad over this particular weekend (and, with the girls as well). Dad was, of course, a veteran – having served two tours in Southeast Asia while he forged a brilliant career in the Air Force.

thanks Dad (especially on days like this). but, I’ll note here, that Mom’s tomb inscrition reads:

“Wife to one, Mother to all”.

they were such a great team, and inspiration.

and, thank you, God, for my family and everything we can be grateful for.

I listened, and a lot, to: Yellow, by Coldplay and Beautiful World, by Colin Hay. and, Lynyed Skynyrd, for some reason. Emma Jo prefers Miley Cyrus, for some other reason, and was never shy about advancing the play selection button.

peace be to my Brothers and Sisters.

brian patrick cork