Natural Default-Setting

I recently read an old commencement speech given by David Foster Wallace to Kenyon College in May of 2005. DFW is an author that I have come to realize possessed several similar qualities of my own writing, thus peaking my interest in this legendary, unfortunately deceased writer. While this speech is only the tip of what I hope to be a lengthy and enjoyable adventure in his writing, it has, almost immediately, left me changing my ways and thoughts and analyzing my day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute thoughts, actions, and approaches. Sounds like me already, huh?

I am going to give a brief, brief, brief summary of his speech, but if you have the time, I highly suggest you taking the 10 minutes to read this. It is top shelf material. So the overall, if you absolutely had to sum this up in two sentences type message is that we, as a people, are programmed to the 'natural default-setting' of living, which basically entails ourselves as the center of the universe, the focal point of existence, and every experience in the world is from our perspective, with us as the main character, and with everyone else as the supporting cast. His ultimate piece of advice is that 'most days, if you're aware enough to give yourself a choice, you can choose to look differently at...' and fill in the blank, whether it's the inconsiderate prick talking on his cell phone swerving through traffic, the miserable parent that's dragging a kid through Old Navy, or just an unruly neighbor playing music too loud.

While there are literally thousands of words I could spew at this, and have no shame in drawing obvious comparisons to some of my own writing (cough cough Quick to Judge), I am choosing to ground this in not only something that I am very nearly in the future going to experience, but something that a large percentage of people don't seem to understand, yet have not thought about it in the proper context. And so even though this might not have been the most direct point DFW was trying to convey, this is just one way I want to run with it. Excited? Then keep reading.

So for years now, between bringing Rage Against the Machine into my 3rd grade music class to sneaking into my brother's room to listen to a Machine Head CD, I have been somewhat of a metal head. And from my first concert, seeing Fear Factory at the Metro when I was 13 years old, to my most recent concert, seeing Fear Factory at the Metro last Tuesday, I have loved the feelings, passions, motions, movements, and environments that a metal concert brings. And with every genre of music comes its own form of dancing. For heavy metal, this is known as moshing. And for over 11 years, moshing has been a part of my life. It is my firm belief that moshing is one of, if not the single most exhausting activities one can engage in. That's an assinine statement for me to make, considering such things like the ironman competition, but when thought of in a relative manner, meaning that moshing only takes place for 1, maybe 2 minutes at a time for 8, maybe 9 songs in a set, if you extrapolated this activity at a constant rate over the course of, say, an hour, well I just don't think you would find people alive on the other side. Moshing is brutal, seems barbaric, and in many ways is. You walk away sore, tired, bruised, out of breath, sweaty, and possibly seriously injured.

So why in anyone's right mind would you choose to participate in something that is most obviously detrimental and possibly seriously dangerous?

Well there are several reasons. At some point, it's like a badge of courage. 'Did you see that pit for Lamb of God at Ozzfest??? Yeahh, I was there.' It's the way us metal heads express our love and passion for the music. But in relevance to this piece, like DFW tries to convey, it is an unreal event that allows the inividual to lose sight of him or herself as the center of the world and be a part of something bigger, something that embodies an entire genre of music, something that people can show their friends on youtube the next day, and something that the bands feed off of, inspiring more crazy, passionate, ass-kicking music to rattle the crowd with.

In a mosh pit, there are no classes, no races, no ages. The playing field is leveled. Well, besides the differences in size. But, for the sake of the music, all differences are set aside in order to join together in an appreciation of the music and each other, knowing we are all bound together by what has so often cast us out.

So for those moments, banging, clashing, and colliding with each other, we have forgotten ourselves as the center of the world. And it is in this way, we have altered our natural default-setting.

And for those of you that didn't believe me after reading this, my skinny, shirtless, khaki cargo short wearing body is seen skipping through this Hatebreed pit...