"And the pattern still remains/On the wall where darkness fell..."

My father was obsessed by patterns. Transit systems, numbering systems, languages, music, and poetry were all patterns he would explore inside out. Thanks to my parents, I learned to read music, understand grammar and probably know more about trolley systems than I'll ever have need to. My father was fond of saying that he had forgotten more than most people learn in a lifetime. 

While I never quite got the knack of understanding mathematical patterns, when it came to music and poetry I usually had a good idea of what the next note or word should be. When I listen to music, it can absorb all of my attention as my brain insists on pulling apart the notes, the phrasing and the expression piece by piece. Just because I could, I once wrote out all of the tracks in an Enya song. I find music production endlessly fascinating, from Buddy Holly who did amazing things with four track production to the more complicated endeavors of modern day producers like Timbaland. I like musical patterns, as there are set rules than can be bent or broken in such interesting ways.

I have found that I have a tendency to see interactions with people as a series of patterns. It is incredibly useful as a teacher. When you are dealing with over a hundred people every day, it's impossible to keep track of them as individuals. It is far easier to keep overall patterns of student behavior in my head. If a student tends to be a certain way, I can usually predict what they are going to do in a given situation or scenario.

It is not always as useful with friends and family. I fall into patterns of interaction. Like many people I default to what feels comfortable. Comfortable behaviors are not always constructive ones. My negative tendencies can be reinforced by my own patterns of behavior. I can find myself doing the same thing over and over again, unable to break the bad habit.

Bob the Angry Flower expresses it perfectly.

The recent challenge has been knowing when to change my own patterns. Further, it's understanding that no matter what I do, some patterns are simply unbreakable. The only thing to do is to go around and past the wall because there is no way through or over it.

So today's song is not only about patterns, but also it is interestingly produced and had poetry that my father found absolutely fascinating. It is also all too fitting.