Not to keep you in suspense - I’m doing much better this week. Your kind messages poured in through comments, emails, calls and texts, and I was truly moved to tears. I don’t write for sympathy but I do write for connection and that was one heck of a reminder of the beautiful strands that weave us into each other’s lives. Thank you for that.
Some other things that helped pull me out of my funk:
Remembering that it is only my expectations and desire for control that makes my current situation feel bad. If I clear my mind of the idea that I want to be “back to normal by baseball season” and instead allow things to unfold at the pace they will unfold my distress virtually disappears.
Walking. I go for a walk and I am at peace. I see small everyday things and I am elated. I notice a tree with interesting moss on its bark and to me it is art. Walking is a major source of calm. I have been mourning the loss of mindless fun in my life but I have also not been walking much - it’s been that weird time of year when it feels treacherous and unpleasant to go for walks. But I know, I know a walk is just what I need.
I walked this weekend while my family downhill skied. They were having the fun, I was having the wonder.
Listening to music for pleasure. I usually listen to podcasts while I drive, and of course much of my work involves teaching and creating music, so there’s a necessity of not having other music playing in the background. But in lamenting the loss of fun I realized that, hey, listening to certain kinds of music gets me hyped up in less than a minute. The fun is almost impossible to resist. This past week I listened to music instead of podcasts in the car and my mood instantly lifted.
Though I don’t wish a spell of the morbs on anybody, I do think the depth of my frustration last week is what pointed me back to the things that keep me grounded and happy. When I’m just feeling an unspecified kind of blah I tend to drift through it without taking any action to sort myself out. When the full melancholy hits, only then do I shake off the dust and ask myself, what could I be doing differently?
And it’s not so different from what I already knew: my community, walking and music are all potent healers.
xo
Shannon
Upcoming Shows
I’m in planning and rehearsal mode for a handful of full band shows in June and July. I am thrilled!! Here are some dates to throw in your calendar, with more details to follow, and a few more summer show announcements to come later.
June 24 - full band show with Jakeb Daniel (Northumberland County)
July 26 - full band show at the Tranzac Club (Toronto)
Aug 2 - full band show at Fifth Wind Farm (north of Cobourg)
Featured Songs - In Spite of Everything
My debut EP is almost a year old, and I was just told it has some chillasaurus bangers on it, so probably you need to have a listen or a re-listen if you haven’t heard it in a while.
Here’s to feeling less melancholy. Glad to hear it. 😊
Dear Shannon,
I'm so glad you are feeling better this week. And that you have a plan that will keep your life on track through the change of seasons. The end of winter is a difficult time.
Happy spring!
Felicity