It’s a new year, but it’s already starting to feel old. It goes so fast! Not just time, but life. All those precious moments. Poof!
Life isn’t just the name of a breakfast cereal, or a defunct, but very popular magazine. It’s what we do…until we don’t. And I want to squeeze every drop out of it, but those opportunistic specters—anxiety and depression, have a way of floating into the day-to-day and messing it up. Sometimes they linger for a long while and sometimes they come and go. And as stream of consciousness would have it, “come and go,” reminds of a song from back in the day, Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon. The words:
Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon,
You come and go. You come and go.
Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dream,
Red, gold, and green, red, gold, and green.
—didn’t make all that much sense, but the music did, because it made me smile.
I promise, I’m not on a tangent about the good old days. All eras have their ups and downs, pros and cons. Back in the 80s, I thought most of the music was vapid and fluff—nothing of substance or worthwhile. The entire decade was considered a very materialistic era. Madonna sang it, “You know that we are living in a material world, and I am a material girl.”
But upon reflection and most recently, I’ve found there’s more to eighties pop music than heavy down beats and synthesized trills. If I listen to Cyndy Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun! while dusting the ever-dusty coffee table books, I start to move—maybe even dance. I kind of smile. I’m…happy. I’m not down or frenzied, in the past or the future. I’m enjoying the moment.
And then there’s Beat it! (Michael Jackson) Wake Me Up Before You Go Go! (Wham), Uptown Girl (Billy Joel) and Don’t Stop Believing (Journey).
I’m not naïve (at least, not all the time). I do recall songs from the day that were less upbeat: Manic Monday (The Bangles)—don’t need more of those, I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues (Sir Elton John)—no, thank you, Here Comes the Rain Again (Eurythmics)—Nope!
In music and in life, it comes down to what you choose to listen to. Therefore, I resolve to spend the rest of 2024 listening to and living more of Katrina & the Waves’ Walking on Sunshine.
Give it a try. I dare you to not feel a little bit better when you hear Bobby McFerrin’s Don’t Worry, Be Happy.
A song isn’t a long term elixir for the woes that ail us, but I’ll take three minutes of happiness when I can get it.
I’ll suggest it again…don’t worry, be happy!
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This just reinforces my feeling that life is what you make it. I have tried to surround myself with positive people, and positive activities. Being outdoors and surrounded by nature, my photography helps me wake up every morning thinking life is good. Because of this, it generally is. Life throws us a few curves, just like some songs describe, but we can choose how to deal with those times, just like the songs we choose to listen to.
Exactly, Bob! Nature is my other go-to as well. That’s why your photography is so powerful. We can be at a desk paying bills online and can take a break to see your world, through your eyes.
I would often play music for my students as they came in the classroom. It helped set the mood. I would play “It’s a Beautiful Morning” by the Rascals, whether it was beautiful or a dreary November day, or frigid January morning. We needed that upbeat music even more on those days! We had the good fortune to have Bobby McFerrin here as the conductor of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in the 1990s. I loved playing “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” for my students. I’m a much bigger fan of music from the ’60s and 70’s, but anything upbeat and fun is worth a listen
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I hear you about the 50s and 60s music, but…it was really a good lesson for me to listen to 80s music because I really disliked it back in the day and then suddenly I saw the other side of it. I can only imagine how “cool” of a teacher you were and still are. Your grandkids are blessed. Stay warm and cozy. Bake that bread. I smell it here in California.
I thrive on music! I loved this piece. I’m an 80’s club girl from the past but evolved (?) from the 80’s to todays top hits. I’ve listened, danced, dusted and ran to all top hits. I’ll have to revisit the 80’s- it might be fun!
Thanks
Dawn
It works…and those three minutes of happiness.
My very best pick-me-up song will always be Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COiIC3A0ROM
Heide, my best pick-me-up song will always be Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COiIC3A0ROM
Sonia, it’s perfect. I just listened to it while I as making breakfast. Good call!
I love “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” I sing it to my four-legged family members when they’re wanting dinner: “Cats just want to get fed, Oh, oh, cats just wanna get fed. They wanna, they wanna get fed, fed,” etc. Makes mixing the food go faster.
That is hilarious. Do they meow back a chorus line?
‘”I’m walking on sunshine” is Stephanie Miller’s theme song. If you are not familiar with her pod cast, she is hilarious.
I am not familiar. Another thing to add to my “want to do” and not the “have to do” list. Thanks
Once again,
You carry me away and remind me that there is peace in both the past and the present.
Love you,
Kathi
And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We’re captive on the carousel of time
We can’t return we can only look
Behind from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game
-Joni
Wow, Kathi! It is a circle game for sure. And up and down. And in and out. And all over the place. It can be so messy, but it’s what we do–life! Until we don’t.
I don’t have a high opinion of most 80’s music, and my tastes generally run to the fringes anyway (Philip Glass, anyone?). But I got sucked into the Eurythmics from day 1 and if “Missionary Man” don’t get you up and movin’, you’re probably a corpse.
Well said. I cannot listen to the Eurythmics without thinking of you and our carousing Milwaukee days. I hated 80s music in the 80s but time changes things other than hair color.
Thank you. The notion that we choose what we listen to, is a great relief. Doesn’t mean we’re in denial, we can hear, but not listen to. Music is an elixir for me. But it has to be
the right music for the activity it accompanies: I listen to Bach or classical guitar when I write, upbeat, danceable music during housework. Podcasts can be stirring, wake one up. Not music but a some can be on the harmonic on which (hopefully) truth flows. If not, I turn is off. My gut tells me when it’s true or not. All in all your blog set me to thinking…observing more, being fair to all the colors of a time period or a people, and getting past old fixed ideas.
I like it.
Thank you, Susan. Great insights. And I apologize for being so late in responding. I have a glitch in my email program where I don’t get notices from everyone who responds. Here’s to a day of walking on sunshine before the big rain.