"Annus Mirabalis" written by Devin Gackle, November 2015

I know, more Latin, but since annus mirabalis means "year of wonders," I thought it would be an appropriate start to the year.

This song is actually inspired by one of my favorite books, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. In the book, the song "Annus Miribalis" plays a part in the relationship between Will Grayson #1 and Jane Turner. That song is actually "only like a minute long and basically explains Einstein's theory of relativity." This song is not that. Also, I was quoting from memory because I'm too lazy to look up that part in the book.

Instead, I took some of the interesting tidbits from throughout the book (but not all of them, because there's a lot, so don't be mad if I missed something. I just went with it). To clarify, I did say this song was inspired by the book, not about the book, or based on the book.

So, tidbits (obviously, other than the title). I won't elaborate on them very much because you should definitely read the book.

One of them is the word "epiphany." This is a word that Jane and Will #1 discuss.

Another is the pretending not to care line. Will Grayson #1 has a couple self-imposed rules to keep bad things from happening to him/to keep him from getting hurt. Rule 1: Don't care. (Rule 2 is Shut up). Meeting Jane and developing a relationship with her, as well as a sudden and unexpected distancing (and later reuniting) with his best friend, causes Will to rethink his rules. That is all I'll say on that subject. Will #2 also doesn't care about much, including himself; he just kind of goes through life. His journey of learning to care and what's important is just as deep, so I won't spoil that for you.

The link between the two Will Graysons' name is Tiny Cooper. He believes in dreaming big, in miracles, in falling in love. So much so that he writes an epic musical about his life story. Tiny is often taken for granted, but in the end, he brings a lot of wonder to those who need it most.

"I am alive/we are alive" is also a key here. Yes, I am referencing Shroedinger's Cat, the experiment that Will #1 and Jane discuss, and which beomes a metaphor for their relationship- should they open the box, or not? If the box is closed, does it matter if the cat is dead or alive?

Wonder what I'm talking about? Read the book :)

Anyway, it's also a reminder that we've all got a life to live. We shouldn't keep boxes closed simply because we're too afraid of being hurt, or losing something or someone we care about. We should enjoy all the wonders the world has to offer, even if we don't always understand it. We won't always have it figured out, but we don't need to.

For some really awesome nuggets of insight into Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and the music involved, I highly recommend this article: http://www.yabooklove.com/2010/06/will-grayson-will-grayson.html

Oh, and if you've read the book, I invite you to check out my Hold Me Closer pre-show CD playlist on Spotify. It's called "Will Grayson, Will Grayson (The Pre-show CD to Hold Me Closer)."

Happy New Year everyone! I believe this cat to be alive.

Lyrics:

It's been a while since I've seen you cry your angel tears

Every time you smile you chase away our fear

I hope you realize that I'm right here

I hope everything is wonderful this year

We could never hope to understand the world

When I'm going nowhere I wonder if I'll ever have an epiphany

We could never hope to have it all figured out

I could pretend not to care but then I'd miss out on what you mean to me

You know there's still time to dream in color

Every day brings more to see, a pair of lovebirds

And every miracle believed inspires another

I hope this year is full of wonders

We could never hope to understand the world

When I'm going nowhere I wonder if I'll ever have an epiphany

We could never hope to have it all figured out

I could pretend not to care but then I'd miss out on what you mean to me

Well I am alive

Yeah I am alive

And we are alive

We are alive

We could never hope to understand the world

We could never hope to understand the world

When I'm going nowhere I wonder if I'll ever have an epiphany

We could never hope to have it all figured out

I could pretend not to care but then I'd miss out on what you mean to me

I hope you realize I'm right here

I hope everything is wonderful this year