This week I've driven from Grand Rapids to Detroit; Detroit to Grand Rapids; Grand Rapids to Traverse City; Traverse City to Detroit and Detroit back to Grand Rapids. All from Sunday to Thursday. That's about 13 hours of driving. Most of it was on my own. Alone. 8 of those driving hours it was just me - no children or husband! I rather enjoyed it.I re-discovered a secret I knew once upon an unmarried time: Singing can get me through anything, including very long drives.
It's amazing how much more effective belting my lungs out to a great musical is than coffee! I listened to (and essentially performed) Jekyll And Hyde, The Phantom of the Opera(Toronto cast - yes, that matters), Chess (London company) plus some Indigo Girls and Pat Benatar for good measure! I thought I had Into the Woods, but just as I was ready to get a little witchy, I discovered the CD case was empty.
Ah well, I had what I needed to get me from one place to another. I may have strained a vocal chord trying to hit notes in Phantom that I used to sing with ease, but it played out well when it was time for Pat! Love her!
Singing has been my emotional outlet since I was a little girl. My husband's musical tastes differ vastly from mine, so after marrying we met in the middle with Miles Davis and Pink Floyd; singing my way through the day became a thing of the past.
It's important to embrace those parts of us that make us feel just as we should. Singing does that for me. I was so in the habit by the time I picked up my kids and drove the last leg of my trip that I kept right on singing. It put my boy right to sleep for 2 hours and it introduced my girls to a potential new love! At least they enjoyed Mommy's singing!
What do you love? What activity makes you feel like you?
