Spontaneous Singing

The way the world is going these days, it can be hard to for us to glean joy from life. The paradox of having everything we ever wanted is that we become lackadaisical and without passion in pursuing the tastes and fragrances that could be experienced. I believe that we develop a false sense of pride that produces an apprehension to putting ourselves in situations that are uncomfortable. This, in turn, limits our development as human beings to the point that we forget that life isn't made up of the things we have, but the things we do and the impact we make on the people around us (which also has a reciprocal effect on our own lives).

Throughout most of human history, people used to unwind from a hard day of staying alive and providing for their families by getting together and singing. Something about spontaneous singing helped these people to relax and forget their worries. I would imagine that these people had just as many fears and reservations (if not more) as we do today, but I also believe that since they already were used to being in uncomfortable positions on a day by day basis, it just wasn't as big a deal to them as we make it out today to be. I very rarely find anyone willing to just sing, and I think it's a tragedy to say the least. Even in my own self, I find I'm almost unwilling to sing. I guess I just want to retain what I believe to be civility. But I know in my heart that it's a sham.

Enter Karaoke. About 6 years ago, I was over at my friend's house and they all started to karaoke. I thought it was amazing, but was just as scared to try all the same. As the night progressed and I got a couple of beers in me, I gave it a shot. The experience was almost religious. I got into the song for 20 seconds and didn't have the gumption to sing the rest. For some reason, I just couldn't do it. It was too much of an experience for me and I just couldn't take it anymore. Through the years, I've grown accustomed to karaoke, and I've even won a family championship. I know that I don't have the voice of an angel, but I also know that singing (no matter what your voice sounds like) does something amazing to one's soul. I just hope that others will catch onto the serenity that lies within singing. There's a certain magic to it.