Christine Lynne Noll
Bio
My name is Christine Noll. I work as a school counselor. I am seeking the opportunity to publish my writing, but more importantly I would like the opportunity to speak up and inspire others in a world that continues to challenge us all.
Stories (3/0)
GN'R
When I was 15-years-old, there was something about the rock band Guns N' Roses that connected with my soul immediately. I remember being introduced to the band's rock music in the early 1990s. My cousin Keith had the "Appetite for Destruction" album and we listened to it over and over again. We would sneak out away from our family gatherings and listen to explicit lyrics that our parents considered "inappropriate." We would make sure to be out of ear shot in order to be able to vocalize all of the inappropriate words. Guns N' Roses was rock music, and it was meant to be played loud. Keith and I would belt out "Welcome to the Jungle!" as we imitated Axl Rose's identifiable voice. I thought Axl was incredible to watch as a lead singer. He was a loose cannon and was sometimes displayed aggressive behaviors, but I admired him for some reason and his music brought something out of me. He sings from his heart, and no matter what someone is singing, I cannot help but listen. Axl spoke to me in those days with some of his lyrics. I was a teenager, and I felt that the world never seemed to give me a fair shake because of my age. I did not have the confidence that Axl had to fight back in song, but it somehow comforted me to know that someone else felt the same angst. Aside from Axl Rose, one particular band member of GN'R always caught my attention more than the rest of the group. Slash, the lead guitarist, became a significant influence in my life. He wore his signature black top hat atop his long curly black hair. His hair covered much of his face and he frequently wore mirrored sunglasses. He would frequently be seen with a cigarette hanging from his mouth while jamming on the electric guitar. He was the epitome of cool to me for some reason. I played the flute, and was a strong musician, as I had played since I was in the third grade. I knew that I had the ability to play that guitar like Slash, but always dreamt of standing on stage and inspiring others with impressive riffs. I can play easily "by ear," and even messed around with a guitar early in my life and learned a few chords. My girl friends were all listening to boy bands and top 40 hits, and I wanted desperately to be a lead guitarist just like Slash. It was as if Slash did not care in the least what others thought, and was totally incognito. When playing the guitar it appears he is making love, and his passion for music is evident and written all over his face. Even only seeing his lips, he is puckering and almost talking to his guitar as he effortlessly plays. He is an incredible guitar soloist. When the band would pose for their poster photos, many of which hung from my wall when I was a young girl, Slash was the chill guy. I could imagine how incredible it would be to play guitar like that, while captivating and exciting a large audience. To this day, his guitar solos make me close my eyes and revisit my dreams of being a confident musician, playing rock music and inspiring a large crowd of onlookers.
By Christine Lynne Noll3 years ago in Beat
Adventure
Like most of us, my mom has come across struggles in life that were difficult. The gritty details of our lives are private and dear to me, but I assure you my mother had enough to deal with trying to support two children as a single mom. What is extraordinary about my mom is her lust for adventure and ability to always see the bright side of life. My mother loves life, even when it seemed to be hitting her hard with lemons. My mother somehow was able to make lemonade thousands of times as a parent when we were growing up. Even when something could be seen as annoying or embarrassing, mom just went with it and made the best of the situation. When I was very small, I tried to con my younger brother into petting a skunk. I told him that it was a cat, and as we approached the animal, which was clearly not interested in being petted. I ended up getting sprayed by the skunk along with my brother, and the odor was enough to burn your nostrils. Mom laughs to this day about the smell of skunk in our beat up small 1970s VW Beetle as she drove to the store for tomato juice to attempt to remove the odor. She said that we all hung our heads out of the car like dogs. We went right into the small town grocery store, while people in the aisles were offended by the odor, and stared at us. Mom always saw these problems and situations as challenges to overcome. She never complained or was cynical. She laughed all of the time.
By Christine Lynne Noll3 years ago in Families
