Dancing the Stress Away

My brother gave me the greatest gift for my birthday--something to play the ipod on he gave me a year or so ago. I couldn't play it, because I don't like ear buds. They blast the music straight into my head, too loud, too destructive to my eardrums, and also, there's the small ear problem.

Yes, I have tiny ears. Earbuds do not fit my tiny ears, even if I wanted to use them and destroy my hearing.

When I was kid, I got made fun of for my tiny ears. People would want me to pull back my hair so they could see them for themselves. Nowadays I couldn't care less if people make fun of my tiny ears. When you're young, it's all about conformity, wearing the right clothes, being cool, and differences become the object of ridicule.

When you get older, you don't give a shit.

My older brother and his wife met me in Salem the day Nemo was adopted. I had him along. They took me to lunch. My brother had been very mysterious about having a gift for me. I am like a little kid when it comes to gifts. I like to rip off wrapping paper. It's the idea someone went to all that trouble just for me.

Makes me feel special.

I was awed by this gift. I haven't had music in my life for awhile now, except for one tired out CD, the only one my car CD player doesn't eat. I've played it solid for over a year now when I'm driving. I sing when I'm stressed and singing relieves my stress. Maybe it's like a cat purring. I can't carry a tune but I don't care. I don't care when people passing me stare either.

You gotta do what you gotta do. And I gotta sing.

I had been dismayed when a favorite rock fm station switched over to hate radio talk. We sure don't need more of that out on the airwaves. Left me, until I find another station with music I like, with that one CD for music. Sure I get tired of it, but that's ok.

Everything's ok when I sing.

Likewise when I dance.

I like to dance. No, I love to dance.

Now, with the ipod and the thing that will play it, I am back to dancing nights here. With the wood stove gone I have the space to dance. The cats stare disgusted but I don't care.

Off with the TV, on with the music!

I still can't play anything but the one CD in my car, but that's ok. I can play the ipod music here. My brother recorded it off his computer, which is a mac. I can't transfer it to mine because mine is a plain old PC and wants to reformat the ipod if I plug it in, which would erase all the music my brother put on it. There's no plug in on my car stereo for an ipod.

That's all ok.

It's my look forward to getting home thing now, to turn on the music at night and dance.

My brother gave me a great gift. That is for sure.