I have always enjoyed singing along with the radio while driving. I do it by default and I have a knack for remembering lyrics. Admittedly I am not the greatest singer (I am not the worst either), but when a boyfriend of mine once told me that the person singing didn't need my help, I pulled my car over to the side of the road and told him he could get out and walk if he didn't like my singing. You can probably see why things didn't work out between us.
Anyway, my point is that lately I have been, like much of the country and probably the world, kind of stressed out. Between the election, the economy and my own work situation (which I have now named "Survivor: Corporate Edition") my shoulders have found a resting spot around the tops of my ears and my sleep patterns make me think there is a baby in the house. The other day while driving home I noticed that on my trips to and from work I was making things worse for myself by either listening to news radio (CNN via Satellite radio) or thinking about my work situation and what exactly I was going to do or needed to do. Rather than let myself wallow in the stress yet again I switched the station until I found a song I liked. I turned the music up loud and then sang along at the top of my lungs. I sang like that for the rest of the ride home and when I got home I felt so much better (although slightly hoarse).
The next day on my way too work I tried it again. This time I popped in an Indigo Girls CD. I know every lyric of every song so I didn't have to stop singing for a minute. It was great!
That night, I went home and burned myself a CD of all my favorite songs to sing along to. It is a somewhat eclectic mix, but it works for me and it has been playing in my car every day since. I have been singing my little heart out. I sometimes wonder if the other drivers notice me belting it out, but that doesn't stop me because it works. I drive a beige Jeep Grand Cherokee in case you think you've seen me...
So, if you're feeling stressed out, I recommend you give this a try. Find some songs you like to sing, get them playing in your car and go for it.
4 comments:
Oh, I can so relate to this, having just driven back and forth to Maryland, accompanied by some CDs I made ages ago, whose content I'd all but forgotten. I was singing at the top of my lungs (and I'm NOT a good singer at all, but when I'm all alone, who cares?).
I've definitely been caught in my car belting out a tune Celine-Dion-style. I love to sing and hate to be heard - it's the perfect place.
I love singing in the car. It is wonderful. Do you remember our game show, "Sing Every Song on the Radio"? That was so much fun.
karen -- I absolutely remember "Sing every song on the radio." I still play :-) and I almost wrote about it here.
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