Day 43

A picture of something I can't function without:

Why yes, my sweater does say don't stop believin'!  Bless you, Neighborhoodies.

 
At first, it was going to be a picture of music - then I started thinking of how I could find a picture of music.  Then I thought, "Duh, a picture of Dash on the mic."  That's when I realized that music isn't the thing I can't live without - it's my voice.

If you took away my music, I could just make some more.  I'd feel miserable, but I'd function - in fact, I have.  I was pissed when I lost every mp3 in my music collection, but mp3's are replaceable.  A lot of time, a lot of money, and I'm back in business.  If you took away my slightly-above-mediocre piano skills, I'd probably spend more time learning the guitar.

But if you took away my singing voice...I'm getting misty-eyed.  That's neither exaggeration nor artistic license.  I've been singing since before I could speak.  If I had to listen to music - because I'd be driven, uncontrollably, to do so - but I couldn't sing...it would take a psychological intervention beyond my imagining to keep me from serious suicidal ideation.  Again - not exaggerating.

Look - I'm good at it.  I know most of you haven't heard me sing, and the proof is in the proverbial pudding - but you don't actually need to believe me for this to make sense to you.  I'm not at the top of my game anymore and haven't been for years; I'm mostly okay with that, but when I notice the symptoms of rustiness I occasionally get frustrated.  So I know what would happen, if you took away my voice entirely.

It's my passion, my coping mechanism, my moment of zen.  It's my bliss.

I couldn't function.