nablowrimo day 5 – Music of the Heart

I have fallen in love with National Blog Writing Month. It’s pushing me to write on a variety of topics that is stretching my capacity for imagination and creativity. This is a good thing.

Music moves me. It soothes me. It makes me smile. It even gets me to dance. I know what you’re going to say. The children cry and the lame take off running. This is why I do in the privacy of my room these days. And let me tell you, I am goofy when the music reaches into my heart and shakes me.

It could be Enrique Iglesias and “Don’t Turn Off the Lights” or his equally bright “Escape.” There is something about those songs that draw my eyes to close and imagine a music video starring me and the world around me. My mind takes a flying leap off from reality and weaves in and out as the music bounces through my ears. I cannot describe the feeling when a good song comes on the radio and I just can’t help but haphazardly (and it is a hazard, believe me) try and remember the words to any of it.

“The Lion Sleeps Tonight” is an all time favorite. I love doing the high pitched parts and the low parts. It’s just a fun song that requires all red blooded Americans to sing right along. “Louie, Louie” is another. It’s a wonder I haven’t been forced into the natural selection process yet.

Did I mention I rock out to the NYSNC version of “Shoo Be Do” from Tarzan? If I had no chance with a girl before…well, snowballs in hell are doing better, according some in the peanut gallery. I’m not kidding, that song makes me happy. I’m listening along to it right now as a matter of fact. I is hopeless.

When I lived in the Philippines I carried my IPOD with me everywhere. People watching, wandering in and around while my music softly crooned in my ears was simple therapy in a foreign land where sometimes I wondered how long it would take me to go stark raving mad. It was in the old school rock and roll, classic rock and whatever else I managed to get my hands on that got me through that period of my life.

There is something to be said for having a soundtrack to your life. There is also something to be said for having a deep and abiding love for the music of old and new. But the most important piece of all this is that each song have meaning for you in your heart.

Often when I’m working at my job in the hospital I’ll find a song I can whistle throughout the day or play over in my head as the stress hits and the conflict rises. It’s those moments where I find myself hungering for the familiar guitar twangs of those soulful songs. I half heartedly pray for Ray Charles to drop from heaven and sing me some foot tapping, hand clapping chart topper. Music is the power to my soul.

Mind you, I haven’t mentioned the soft spot I hold in my heart for Disney soundtracks and show tunes.

How about that date?

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To see aaron’s musical selection, go to last.fm and check it out.

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nablowrimo is underway! 22 bloggers from around the world are united in blogging once a day! You should read them and check ‘em out every day! See more details at the site here or look at the list below!