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Purple Stain

Timothy Price90 Comments

Purple Stain

As with most parodies, Purple Stain started out to be humorous. However, the lyrics took a turn toward the more serious aspects of life. Purple Stain was inspired by Holly at House of Heart in the Fall of 2020 when we were commenting back and forth on images and poetry. I thought for a long time about how to do a video to go with the song. I finally worked it out.

Many of us don’t fit “Normal” as defined by Miriam Webster*:

  1. Conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern: characterized by that which is considered usual, typical, or routine.
  2. According with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, procedure, or principle.
  3. Approximating the statistical average or norm.
  4. Generally free from physical or mental impairment or dysfunction: exhibiting or marked by healthy or sound functioning.
  5. Not exhibiting defect or irregularity.
  6. Within a range considered safe, healthy, or optimal.

For we who have fallen outside almost all of the above definitions of “normal” at one time or another throughout our lifetimes for various reasons that are often outside of our control, we have dealt with “normal” people who do not understand the issues surrounding the problems we have had, problems we have to deal with continually, and the problem of being different and trying to fit into a “normal” world.

Purple Stain
By Timothy Price
Inspired by Holly Rene Hunter

Cleverly we put off until tomorrow
Wearily the things that make us go insane
Fondly running into the waves and splashing
Fondly raising our glasses, waking with a purple stain

Purple stain, Purple stain
Are we insane? So insane
Purple rain, Purple stain

So here we are scrubbing and washing out that purple stain.

Forever longing wanting to be like others
Our sensitivities make us like the strangest friends
Unfortunately we feel our sensibilities are plundered
Again the same our glasses raised as we pretend

Purple stain, Purple stain
Are we insane? So insane
Purple stain, Purple stain

Funny how we see, we see how things are changing purple stain

You and I we need to live as two
Look! Something new
That time we had to greet her
She stared at us like we’re insane
I thought you were going to lose it
As it was all about it was all about our purple stain

Purple stain, Purple stain
Are we insane? So insane

Yeah!

Let’s get us out of here purple oh the pain
Walking hand in hand

We only want, we only want our sanity

We only want our sanity

Storm clouds built up in the early afternoon, with a constant rumble of thunder as the clouds rolled in. I took the above photo at 1:30 pm and the temperature was 81ºF (27.2ºC). Thirty minutes later the clouds pelted us with hail and heavy rain that lasted for thirty minutes or so. The temperature fell to 55ºF (12.7ºC) in a matter of minutes. Needless to say, our poor peonies got beaten up by the hail.

*https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/normal

90 thoughts on “Purple Stain”

  1. Another gem! Sorry about the hail and your peonies. I had a gentle rain but no hail. The temperature drop was impressive here too.

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  8. Oh, Tim, I love this! Song, inspiration, mix and imagery in the video! Many if us certainly don’t fit that term and I’d say, fortunately.
    On the image, I was blown away by the sureal feel of it, as if it came out of a Tolkien story!
    Happy June!

    Reply

    • Thanks, Marina. We are blessed to live outside the norm. But the norm doesn’t always deal well with it. The clouds looked mean before my eyes, but it’s amazing what the clouds looked like after I filtered out the haze.

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  9. A most inspiring work, Tim. And what a striking rapid temperature drop. Wonder what the owls thought, and where they took cover from the hail.

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    • Thanks, Maj & Sher. The cottonwoods thick branches that grow in different directions offer the owls a lot of protections.

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  10. I enjoyed the parody, the video, and your thoughts about normal. The latter got me thinking about myself and I tend to have a different view/opinion than others – outside the norm – especially during my working years.

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  15. I’ll always love Purple Stain! The memory is driving me insane…I can’t refrain from
    re-blogging before this tops the charts.🎵 Purple Stain, Purple Stain….🎵

    Reply

  16. I wanted to see how “abnormal” you were, so I played your video without sound. I’d say you’re more irreverent than abnormal. Irreverence is not an abnormality, provided you know how to turn it off. If you do not know how to turn it off, then you are (fill in the blank).

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    • Maybe you should try playing Purple Stain, All Day and All Night Through, Canonical Day, Wood Duck Daze, and Life’s Habit all at the same time and see if you can remain “normal” and “sane”. Thanks, David.

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  19. If feeling good in this crazy world is being normal, then I prefer not to be and continue to live in another madness or, in any case, an abnormality…
    your video is superb, the parody too, and it seems to me that humor and seriousness are not incompatible.

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    • Thanks, Flo. Exactly. From what we know of each other through our blogs, I believe we think very much alike, which is quite different from the norm.

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  20. Ah Tim – the idea of being an outlier is a profound benediction of what it means to be human. Diversity is an awesome power to create enormous possibilities. Your thoughtful approach to recognize individual efforts and undertakings comes through in your video. Holly is remarkable. The two of you have come together to remind us that we all belong, that following the status quo comes at a cost. May we embrace who be are and shun mediocrity. And howling at the moon is fun!!!

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    • Thanks, Rebecca. Unfortunately, many people, especially those in power, don’t like outliers or the individualistic nature of the human condition, and try hard to make everyone fit a common, what they see as a “normal” mold. C.S. Lewis explained it brilliantly in “Screwtape Proposes a Toast”, included as an addendum to the “Screwtape Letters”. I’m pretty sure you have read it.

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      • Dear C.S. Lewis – that was a difficult passage ““What I want to fix your attention on is the vast, overall movement towards the discrediting, and finally the elimination, of every kind of human excellence—moral, cultural, social, or intellectual.” I am now howling at the moon – and dancing too.

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  23. I enjoyed the video, especially the animation part, not sure what it is technically called but that was cool. I really liked your lyrics and that amazing picture of the coming hail storm, wow, just so beautiful. Sending you a lot of love and hugs – PS thought the T-shirts were pretty funny too. Just a great post. xoxoxxo

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    • Thank you, Joni. I’m really happy you enjoyed the video. Clouds are amazing when I take the haze out when I process the photos.

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    • You covered all the bases. It’s sad theme with some humor. The next parody is pure silly and funny.

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  25. purple stain. ❤ though the skies are "normally" blue, there will sometimes be purple stains as well! and that's super cool. 🙂

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  26. This was great, the lyrics I love and great music and very interesting video.

    By the way I agree who is normal if those are the definitions. That knocked me out of the park.

    Great work, sounds like a bad storm and hail can do a lot of damage. Glad it only hurt the flowers.
    Sending love. ❤️🤗🌺🥰

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      • It was a lovely treat and those hot air balloons were beautiful too. Just so much in your post you have to sit with your computer and take your time or you miss something really fun and special. ❤️🤗🦋😘

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        • We have a lot of hotair balloons out here. The special shapes like Van Gogh and the special people we perfect for the video.

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          • Yes they were and they were beautiful. I couldn’t tell if that was you and someone else in the cat suits dancing but that was really funny too. It looked like a great time. Some great photography too. Those balloons were amazing. ❤️❤️

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            • The couple in the cow and unicorn suites were having a blast. They asked me to photograph them. I did and gave them the photos. They were a really sweet couple, full of life, energy, and fun. The world would be a lot better place if there were more people like them around.

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              • Oh that was nice of you. Yes they were having a blast. Yes we could use more happy, kind and loving people on this earth. That is one of the big reasons you are still here Tim. You make the world a brighter place. 🤗❤️🐈‍⬛🐈🦉🎶🎼🐈🐈‍⬛love y’all Joni ❤️

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                • Thanks, Joni. I take the Lord’s Prayer seriously. “They Kindom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” is telling us to get out there and make the world a better place. Do our parts to make the earth like Heaven.

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                  • Amen so true my friend. I believe you are right on there. One day we will meet in heaven if not before. I really feel blessed to know you. I admire your zest for life, your incredible love of nature and all your talent. You are so gifted. I bet you were a wild one, still are a bit, which I love, but you are special. You guys have an amazing week. I am excited about the baby owls and will be checking up on them. I can’t imagine having that experience to watch with your monster lens. I look forward to watching our Wren’s hatchlings every year. The monarch caterpillar‘s should be hitting the milkweed soon and yesterday I got a photo of two Luna Moths getting ready to mate and another female on stand by. They only live seven days, they don’t even have mouths for eating. They love it here. They rarely are seen by professionals, like yourself more than once in their lifetime. They are very elusive. Have fun you two and take care. Sending my love to y’all there on the Rio Grande. ❤️🤗🦋😘🐈🐈‍⬛🦉🎼

                    Reply

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