It was the first time you heard a particular note, drum beat or electronically created sound that made your ears tingle, your heart skip a beat and resonated with your soul. This is “My Song” – a series where the music that makes the person is spotlighted. James Bullock writes about a song that forced him to accept progression rather than anxiety and worry.
Halloween 2007 was a life-changing experience for me. I wasn’t even up a good three hours before I totaled my car (a story better suited for a later day). In a matter of seconds, I had lost my silver ticket to freedom; a dependable resource that allowed me to enjoy the open road, take my girlfriend (at the time) wherever she wanted whenever and simply drive without the worry of using someone else’s vehicle. My mind was rapidly searching for answers to the inner questions being posed not long after the accident, “How am I going to get to school?” “What will my girlfriend think?” “How will I get another car?”
The last question gained a weeklong answer as my dad had a business trip and allowed me to use his car for that allotted time. Since my old car and my dad’s car only had cassette tape players (hopefully you young whipper snappers know what I’m talking about), I would record my traveling music onto cassettes to listen to before randomly grabbing a few that would carry me through the week. On the Monday after my accident, I happened to take my Staind tape featuring music from their “Chapter V” album. Though a couple of songs meant a lot more to me in the weeks prior, “Falling” hit me like a ton of bricks on the drive to school.
The stress and anxiety I was forcing upon myself over the situation wouldn’t help me progress (no matter the outcome); even if that progression meant I had to make some sacrifices such as spending my afternoons working on another car with no floorboard that overheated constantly, or depending on the kind nature of my mom to get me back and forth to school. The fact is life will create circumstances that feel overwhelming, but its up to the you to get back on the figurative horse and not wallow in self-pity.
