Music Heals

2/15/23

Good day, Good Person,

I have some sort of ailment (Plague?) so my daily task list has been consisting of: 1) get out of bed, 2)feed the dog, 3)let the dog out, 3-1/2) let the dog in, 4)crawl back to bed, 5) get up 6) get to the couch and sleep there for awhile.  Repeat as needed. (Thank God for the friends who offered to drop stuff off; actually took one of them up on her offer! If you’re up for it, prayers for healing?)

Staying vertical long enough to get something coherently written is beyond the realm of possibility right now, so I’m rerunning an older post.  I looked it up to use as the basis for talk I’ll be giving in a couple of weeks and since it was apparently written around the time of Valentine’s Day, figured it could work here, too. 

Please stay healthy!

How are you doing?  Did you celebrate this past holiday of Valentine’s Day, struggle through it, or both?  

I’ll be honest (as usual!) it can be a hard one for me, so this year decided to be grateful for the love of God, friends and self. 

Still feel the pinch of wanting to experience the romantic kind of love in a healing and truly caring and loving sort of way, and I keep the faith that when the time is right and I’m capable it’ll happen, and I receive him and give him all he’s worthy of, too.  In the meantime, I’m learning my own depth of value and that’s something no other person can bestow upon me.  If/when a relationship happens we will appreciate and celebrate each other’s infinite worth instead of us constantly looking to the other for doing the impossible – validating our individual existence and making us perpetually happy. 

Ok, enough of that! 

Now let’s talk about music! Is it an important part of your life?  Either way, is there a specific song that you feel influenced your life in a positive way, perhaps helped heal you in a way you never expected?  If so, would you be inclined to leave a note in the comment section at the bottom of this page telling which song, and why?  (You may have to scroll down a little bit to see the area.) 

There’s one song that’s like that for me and so decided to learn to play it on guitar.  Told myself I couldn’t put it in the blog until I learned how to play it.  

(So glad I never specified I had to play it well before it was included!  I do know what all the chords and notes are now and that’s good enough for this purpose.  I am improving and you’ll probably hear the shout of glory when I get it right!)

I never noticed “Kristy Are You Doing Okay?” by The Offspring until about a decade after it was released.  Don’t remember if it was ever a big hit for them, so it was odd (GOD?) when I started hearing it frequently on the radio and it began sinking into my conscious what it was about.  It wasn’t until I heard it at the most perfect, healing moment, that I fully realized what it was saying.

I had been invited to the wedding of a ‘younger generation’ person whom I adore.  I was pretty certain the ring leader (r.l.) of the second era of hell was going to be there and no one who would understand my point of view would be, so debated about going.  Finally decided to attend since the ceremony was being held outside; I had hoped that might make it more tolerable than if we’d’ve been stuck inside a smaller confined space.   I declined going to the reception (thank God!!)

Had already worked myself up into a serious ‘freak-out-in-progress’ before arriving but was still holding it together (barely).  

So of course, who do you suppose was one of the first people I saw?  And since it was expected and I wasn’t going to cause a scene by not doing it, I hugged r.l. on the way to the staging area.

It was a beautiful ceremony and the couple looked like they truly loved each other (and they still do!).  Was so glad I chose to go and helped to celebrate this part of their day with them.  I love them both dearly.

And so who do you suppose was standing right there, right after the nuptials were over, and what was expected, again? Yep, another effing hug. 

Did ‘the deed’ so whatever sanity I was holding onto was quickly eroding.  Was trying not to run while escaping while trying to hold somewhat coherent conversations with the people who wanted to talk.  I was asked several times if I was going to the reception, and in order to not get stuck having to give an explanation as to why not, I just said yes, and when someone asked if I’d sit at their table I replied, “sure” knowing damn well we wouldn’t be seeing each other again anytime soon. 

Finally made it to the car, fully aware that driving probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do in that moment but had to get away, you know?

Managed to safely make a left turn onto a busy road just when the first notes of ‘Kristy’ came on the radio.  Blessed be to God, there was a parking lot on the right side I could turn into immediately because I lost it – intense sobs with snot flying everywhere.  Was able to fully comprehend the lyrics this time and knew, this was a God moment and He was giving me His own version of a healing hug and telling me HE saw, understood, and was with me the whole time, and would be as long as I would let Him.

What’s funny is, when the song was over the tears dried up even though I really wanted to reside in that moment to create a pity party; I was even able to go on and accomplish the next thing I had made a commitment to do.  (Probably went home after that and did something life affirming (ahem) like eat a whole big bad bag of potato chips!)

Needless to say, every time I hear this song it reminds me that I’m not alone no matter how convinced I am of the contrary.  

I now have a copy of “Kristy Are You doing Okay” and there are times gets played, a lot.

The lyrics are below the video. 

Lyrics
There's a moment in time, and it's stuck in my mind
Way back, when we were just kids
'Cause your eyes told the tale of an act of betrayal
I knew that somebody did
Oh, waves of time
Seem to wash away the scenes of our crimes
For you this never ends
Can you stay strong? Can you go on?
Kristy, are you doing okay?
A rose that won't bloom, winter's kept you
Don't waste your whole life trying to get back what was taken away
Though the marks on your dress had been neatly repressed
I knew that something was wrong
And I should have spoke out, and I'm so sorry now
I didn't know, 'cause we were so young
Oh, clouds of time
Seem to rain on innocence left behind
It never goes away
Can you stay strong? Can you go on?
Kristy, are you doing okay?
A rose that won't bloom, winter's kept you
Don't waste your whole life trying to get back what was taken away
Oh, clouds of time
Seem to rain on innocence left behind
It never goes away (it never goes away)
It never goes away
Can you stay strong? Can you go on?
Kristy, are you doing okay?
A rose that won't bloom, winter's kept you
Don't waste your whole life trying to get back what was taken away
Don't waste your whole life trying to get back what was taken away
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Bryan Holland
Kristy, Are You Doing Okay? lyrics © Round Hill Works, Underachiever Music