"In memory, everything seems to happen to music." These words spoken by in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, are together one of my favorite quotes. Music. What stories it tells. What images it evokes. We all feel it. Hear a tune and escape, to the feel of the summer breeze, to the feel of sand in your toes, to the sweaty grip of a slow dance... to high school, to a first date, to a favorite movie. Where does music take you?
For me, there is always music. It is in every memory. In the current iWorld we inhabit, there is a playlist for everything. Here are a few of mine: Lullaby for Cooper, Margarita Madness, Get Going, Tough Shift, Funeral for a Friend, Margo's Suite, Happy, Harmony, In the yard, Sing-a-long...
My favorite song, and that's not easy to pick, but I have one - is Dancin' in the Moonlight (by King Harvest). The tune, the words... they just make me happy, can't fight it.
We like our fun and we never fight
You can't dance and stay uptight
You can't dance and stay uptight
It's a supernatural delight
Everybody was dancin' in the moonlight
You can't dance and stay uptight. Says it right there in the lyrics. So dance. Dance like a kid. Dance like a dancer. Dance like a crazy fool, drunk on life. Just dance.
When I was in nursing school, my roommate and I used to get each other through challenging times. One of our tools? Music. We'd drive to school (or to study group or to clinical) with music blasting, singing like teenagers. The favorite at the time? Leonard Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama. Again, just try listening to the lead-in guitar without feeling the weight of everyday life just fall off of your shoulders. Try it! Turn it up. Do a little dance. I know you feel it!
What's the lesson here? Grab a hold of life. Anyway you can. Put on a tune that brings you back to a happy place. Put on a tune that makes you FEEL. Create a playlist called Happy or Get Going...
Life is TOO short to wallow. I've been noticing lately that people are almost surprised when they ask, "how are you?" and I respond with a solid, "GREAT!" Of course I have bad days. But I am blessed with a beautiful life and I don't take it for granted.
I've been surfing around my favorite blogs and the past week has been dominated by mentions of Jennie Perillo of
http://www.injennieskitchen.com/. Jennie lost her husband suddenly and unexpectedly. Though most of the bloggers didn't know the family personally, or very well, the circle of virtual friendship that exists in the blogosphere wrapped arms around Jennie and her girls in their grief. Jennie asked that people to "make a peanut butter pie this Friday and share it with someone you love. Then hug them like there's no tomorrow because today is the only guarantee we can count on." When I went to visit one of my dailies, http://www.tastespotting.com/ I found a collection of images of peanut butter and chocolate pies made in honor of Mikey. What a strange and beautiful world we live in.  |
| Peanut butter pie for Mikey and for celebrating those we love www.meanderingeats.com |
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| Peanut Butter Pie: for Jennie, for Mikey, and for all those who have loved and lost. www.georgiapellegrini.com |
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| A choco/peanut butter pie for Mikey; our whole family made it together www.jollytomato.com |
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| Peanut Butter Pie (a pie for Mikey) foodlibrarian.blogspot.com |
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| Peanut Butter pie in memory of Mikey Perillo www.roxanagreengirl.com |
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| Frozen Peanut Butter Pie (dairy free). Share with someone you love. www.kitchentravels.com |
And those are just a few. Makes you think, doesn't it. Take that moment, pause, feel it. We rush through our lives surrounded by technology. Everything happens so quickly. STOP. Just stop for a moment and take stock. Look around and BE in the moment. Tell your loved ones that you love them. Don't put off dreaming, creating, celebrating the little things. Make a peanut butter and chocolate pie. Dance to the music.
