Following this weekend’s multiple mass shootings across our nation and what will surely be more in the coming days, or weeks, months, or years as things stand and have stood, our country will be buried alive in body-bags, drown in all the blood and endless tears from families and close friends… I desperately had to find relief. I paused to re-balance. I had to detox and find buoyancy in my music, reminding me that there are still many decent, stable, joyful, helpful, patient, compassionate, understanding, empathetic, peace-making people who do live, love, laugh, and gladly learn… then DO those things I list making this world a safer better place.
To that end, here are my three selected life-renewing songs (out of many) that have returned to me a warm smile and a bigger heart. I’ve also included a previous happy slideshow from a previous blog-post: Amour et Coeurs Jumeaux. Let me know if you like my songs. If you feel the need or urge, share one of your favorite happy feel good songs down in the comments. I think we could all use some.
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Live Well — Love Much — Laugh Often — Learn Always
Answer the question-mark as you feel. I have. The answer, the feelings ran on, like the grammatical run-off(?) sentence bursting through, out, and everywhere. As I express my words here I feel my heart rushing downstream. I can’t decide if I want a life-preserver thrown. Do I need one? Do I want one? Emphatically with a smile…no. Come what may.
I am Overcome with much emotion today and it is fine. When my primal human side has been dormant too long, I have found that simple triggers, like music…a certain tune and lyrics, open the flood-gates. And I become SO alive and so grateful to be FEELING alive! Scary or relieving…it’s a willing surrender to be wholly human.
Trigger #1
My birdcage door is and always will be open. As much as I sometimes loath it being vacant, I remind myself of the utter euphoria when it is filled…willingly. My soul expands, deepens, despite the urge to retract… preparing me for the next temporary? smaller vacancy. Preserver not required.
Trigger #2
When Taylor first arrived at my former school and in my classroom, he was very bitter, very angry, and a very anti-social 8th grader, sometimes violently hitting his desk or the room’s walls. His grades reflected a future in our penitentiary system. By the end of that school year, with much needed extra-time, love, and belief in him, he became my best student; always first to his desk and ready to dive in to the lesson. One day late in the year while my state education examiner-field supervisor was present evaluating my/our performance — debating among student groups over the Dred Scott Supreme Court case — Taylor blew her mind with how much he knew and how respectfully well he debated the positions. To say I was overly proud of him is a gross understatement.
The last day of classes he told me he didn’t want to go to high school Social Studies. I asked why. “Because I love your class Mr. _______. If I don’t like 9th grade Social Studies, I’m going to fail it so I can come back to your class!” To this day, that was one of the best compliments I could ever want.
Then the other day while visiting my former principal — the campus of Special Ed/Needs and wards-of-the-state — Taylor jogged quickly over to hug me and he said “I really miss you Mr. _______! You were my favorite teacher. You taught me that despite my crappy life-situation, I am valuable. I can manage anything with the right attitude!” My heart wanted to burst and tears welled up. I had to clear my throat before I could utter a little Thank You. He and I spent a much too brief 5-minute catch-up together before he had to dart to class.
Mmm, feeling much more human again. Preserver still not needed.
Trigger #3
Random acts of kindness, compassion, and love can be unbelievable ripple-effecters! Hah! Is that a word? Doesn’t matter…it’s TRUE!
I had such a random blog-visitor yesterday and I stumbled across one of her “happy” songs. To follow her Pay it Forward goodness, I will also share it here…
Thank you so much Lindsey for making my day more INCREDIBLE! (paragraph break)
Since music speaks to me and literally grabs me passionately, I will continue the/her random acts of energizing goodness that has Overcome me today. “When there’s a burning in your heart… Let it grow, let it grow…Build it bigger than the Sun.” Pass some on. Oh, and the life-preserver? I’ll leave it behind and jump in myself. As it turns out, there are already plenty in the water.
When there’s a burning in your heart
An endless fury in your heart
Build it bigger than the sun
Let it grow
Let it grow
And there’s a burning in your heart
Don’t be alarmed
(This… Fire… Grows… High…)
When there’s a doubt in your mind
‘Cause you think it all the time
Framin’ rights into wrongs
Move along
Move along
When there’s a doubt within your mind
When there’s a burning in your heart
And you think it’ll burst apart
Oh, there’s nothing to fear
Save the tears
Save the tears
When there’s a burning in your heart
And if you feel just like a tourist in the city you were born
Then, it’s time to go
And you find your destination with so many different places to call home
‘Cause when you find yourself a villain,
In the story you have written
It’s plain to see
That sometimes the best intentions
Are in need of redemption
Would you agree
If so, please show me
When there’s a burning in your heart,
When there’s a burning in your heart, (This… Fire… Grows… High…)
When there’s a burning in your heart, (This… Fire… Grows… High…) (This… Fire… Grows… High…)
When there’s a burning in your heart, (This… Fire… Grows… High…) (This… Fire… Grows… High…)
When there’s a burning in your heart.
Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it
The Professor's Convatorium 