Singing my troubles away

Well, while I'm wasting my life away with this sickness, that is definitely not Strep or the flu, I have done some thinking about relaxation. Relaxing is good for my lungs: when they are relaxed I don't cough as much. But how do I relax them? How do I keep myself from having migraines or muscle spasms or panic attacks?
One of my favorite ways is to escape. I escape into a comedic movie or TV show, a book that takes me out of this world, or even just a game that keeps me from thinking about the rough times I'm facing. Life is hard enough, and coming home to a hot cup of tea, a comfortable couch, and a How I Met Your Mother marathon sure helps me out. I know that a cold isn't the end of the world, even for me, but it is stressful. And letting myself get stressed doesn't make anything any better. So I curl up and read a good book or watch a show that makes me laugh. Or, I sing (in my head, since my throat feels like I recently swallowed a cheese grater).

When I first moved to Bayonne, NJ as a flight attendant, I left my car at my parents' house in Alabama. It was easier since I never went very far around town. And if I did, there was generally a shuttle or a train to get me there. I got a lot of exercise by walking all over Bayonne and New York City. But one day, I realized that I had lost a very valuable form of relaxation; probably even my favorite way to let go. Singing. Spending all my time surrounded by people on airplanes or in the two bedroom apartment that I shared with seven other people, I never had a chance to belt out my favorite tunes. That's when I brought my car up north. My little Honda Accord is an escape for me. Singing in the shower is great, when you trust those who might be listening. But singing in the car has a way in bringing out the most of my vocal "talent." And the most of my emotions. When I removed this type of emoting from my life, there was an obvious hole in my heart. My mother would rather listen to talk radio. I, on the other hand, prefer music of almost any style. Talk radio is often interesting. For example, NPR has many stories that are enjoyable and informative. But listening to people tell me what's going on in this world does not generally relax me. In fact, it often stresses me out more. I'm sorry, but hearing about the struggles in Darfur doesn't make me feel better about the world in which I live. I would rather belt out my feelings, happy or sad, Hannah Montana or the Beatles. I think that the most important aspect of music is to display emotion. Whether or not you believe that Taylor Swift has true talent, her music touches people and helps those of us who are not writers or poets put words to our emotions. This is why I believe in the power of song. This is why music helps me to relax. I can release all of the pent up feelings that I didn't know how to express and send them into a world where no one in particular has to know what I'm feeling.

By the way, I hope this all makes sense. Cough syrup has a way of making me understandable to no one but myself...