Rising Up
Out of the Darkness
Musical Markers In Time
While I haven’t been writing much during my “Quarantime” (until now, that is), I have been laying down markers to remind me of this time. Each day I have thought of and posted a “quarantune”, a song that felt relevant to that day. A year from now, each day my daily Quarantune will pop up on Facebook memories, reminding me of these strange days.
My mind already works like that — every memory I have seems to be accompanied by whatever song I was listening to at the time, either actually or in my head. Here’s a list of my daily Quarantunes so far (I started doing this on Day 13):
Day 13 — Message in a Bottle — both Sting and The Police versions
Day 14 — I’m Your Captain/Closer to Home — by Grand Funk Railroad
Day 15 — On the Inside — Jethro Tull
Day 16 — Band On the Run — Paul McCartney & Wings
Day 17 — Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again — Bob Dylan
Day 18 — The Only Living Boy in New York — Simon & Garfunkel
Day 19 — (April 1) — The Fool on the Hill — Beatles
Day 20 — April Come She Will — Simon & Garfunkel
Day 21 — Heroes (Clip from Perks of Being a Wallflower) — David Bowie
Day 22 — Almost Cut My Hair — Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Day 23 — You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere — Bob Dylan
Day 24 — With You There to Help Me — Jethro Tull
Day 25 — Free Bird — Lynyrd Skynyrd
Day 26 — Gimme Shelter — Rolling Stones
Day 27 — A Day In the Life/Give Peace a Chance/Let it Be — Paul McCartney
Day 28 — Nature’s Way — Spirit
Day 29 — Fire & Rain — James Taylor
Day 30 -By My Side — Godspell
Quarantine Breakfast Club
As I write this, I am participating in my Quarantine Breakfast Club, the 24/7 Zoom room out of Seattle, where there’s always members of the home group hanging out. We’re all getting each other through this quarantined time, or as I call it, our quarantime. I’m writing, someone else is playing some beautiful chords on piano, others are cooking, falling asleep, or waking up. It’s a fun group to wake up to. We cover a lot of ground in conversations that span across the spectrum of ideas, imagination, history, and other mutual areas of interest. We’re all getting to know each other, forming as a group that seems like it will go on well past this quarantime. It’s one of the beautiful things that have sprung out of this whole pandemic.
A Light Shines Through
Now, we’re listening to a tape of a speaker who spoke at a convention I went to 37 years ago. The speaker is the guy credited with founding this 12 Step fellowship that I belong to. He’s talking about a time when he was ready to end it all, throw it all in the can, when instead a vision broke through his misery, a vision which led to his helping to found this fellowship that’s helped millions into recovery.
It’s funny how these things work, how in our seemingly darkest moments, a light shines through, and shows us a better way. One member related a similar experience they had. I recalled my out of body experience that led to my own search for a reason to be alive, and eventually to recovery.
Making Connections and Reaching Out
Everyone, in each their own way, are finding ways to get through this terribly strange time we all find ourselves in. Connections with others seems to be the key. I feel blessed to have found the connections I have, that are sustaining me, and keeping my spirits very much alive and well as we make our ways through what otherwise could have been a living hell.
My heart goes out to the many who are not as fortunate as I, to those really struggling to find a way through. I do the best I can to be there for those I can be there for. While it never feels like enough — it will have to be, for now. If everyone can take some time and thought for others in need, maybe enough of us can be there for the ones who really need it. Each in our own way.
Another song just came to my mind, and will quite possibly be tomorrow’s quarantune. Reach Out In the Darkness. Here’s the lyrics, that, though a bit dated (to the 60’s) and perhaps a little corny, do seem to fit right here:
I think it’s so groovy now
That people are finally getting together
I think it’s so wonderful and how
That people are finally getting together
Reach out in the darkness
Reach out in the darkness
Reach out in the darkness
And you may find a friend
I knew a man that I did not care for
And then one day this man gave me a call
We sat and talked about things on our mind
And now this man, he is a friend of mine
