Music is My Happy Escape

Isn’t it crazy how a song can come on the radio and your mind is instantly whisked away to a specific time or place or person? It’s as if these moments in your life (both the major and mundane) are somehow connected to a song or album, and can give you a fleeting return ticket to your earlier life when hearing them again.

Music has always had that power with me. When I hear “Carolina in my Mind” I’m transported back to summer camping trips to North Carolina with my daddy. “Total Eclipse of the Heart” puts me right back in Daytona Beach on Spring Break. Any song by ABBA makes me feel like I’m 10 years old again, belting out the lyrics with my mom and sisters. And for the last almost 20 years, John Mayer’s music has been my life’s soundtrack.

It makes me happy to crank up the tunes and sing along, whether I’m by myself cleaning the kitchen, with my boys headed for school drop-off, or we’re all piled in the car road-tripping to the beach. There’s something about getting lost in the moment and just letting the music take over for a little bit. My boys know they either need to sing along or be quiet–no talking while we’re jamming out! 🙂

The style of music we play in our house changes according to the mood, the season (oh yea, Christmas music is played the entire month of December!), the time of day, or who’s choosing it. There might be Brett Dennen one day, Michael Jackson the next, and Imagine Dragons after that. It just depends on what’s going on in our little world.

I’ve realized over time that music and music concerts are a huge part of who I am, and a way to bring happiness into my life. No matter what is happening around me, the right music can ease the pain, comfort the hurt, or celebrate the goodness. It’s a little bit of “me therapy.”

So, my ultimate treat or gift to myself is a night of live music. I don’t need the latest Coach bag or Louboutin heels. I’d rather spend our “fun” money on concert tickets. There’s just something about live music performances. They take me away from the stress, the worrying, the constant go-go-go of our life. It’s a few hours of escaping into a fun, happy world with a few thousand others who are just as excited to be there singing along with you.

And I always walk out a happier person. I usually leave with the songs and fun dialogue from the musicians still dancing in my head. It feels like I’m floating above the craziness of life for a little while … and then we come back to reality, and make do with our own concerts in the car until the next time we get tickets for another “music therapy” getaway.

What is your happy escape?