Ode to Aretha
Over the weekend I slowed down the tempo to the equivalence of a DJ Screw mix tape.
I disconnected from mainstream media news and instead tackled things on my to-do list like closet purging and organizing all while trying to block out thoughts of the upcoming holiday.
While closet cleaning is stressful enough feel good music is the ingredient that makes it all better. Truthfully speaking nobody has the ability to make you feel good down to the pinky toe other than the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin. Alexa being the DJ and as fast as she shuffled the songs, I got in the groove starting with Dr. Feelgood and ten songs later ended with Rock Steady.
At the moment anything “feel-good” seems almost long forgotten, and so last year. In some regard I almost think once this veil is lifted that I will need a full refresher course on what it means to have joy again. With the mound of turmoil in front and some behind, I almost wonder if joy has been reduced to small day to day victories like remaining sane, comfort eating, listening to good music and conjuring up happy thoughts.
What I know for sure is trying to figure out life and what’s to come takes massive amounts of energy so much so that it just seems less hectic to only focus on the day at hand. Funny thing is in this worry less, slow-down approach, which is where I am at the moment, the jury is still out on how long this will last, but while I’m here at this place of semi-stillness I will embrace it even if ends sooner than later.
In the meantime, for my friends and family that will be distancing from loved ones, and just want something that feels good, try tapping into some heart felt soul stirring music over the upcoming holiday. I’d suggest Lady Aretha’s first album I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You and Alexa is happy to oblige any request. This album is storytelling Aretha, whose voice is such a solace at the moment and aside from being the G.O.A.T is an addition to our lives and also the goodness that we didn’t now we needed in 2020.
