Sunday school is a long time ago, but some things stick with you. Music especially welds itself into my brain, never to be released. This was a good thing when I was performing in various choirs, but annoying when I make myself porridge and the Quaker Oats “we’re going to make a hot cereal lover out of you” ditty starts playing in my brain.

Music often plays in my brain. My brain is fertile earworm ground – the soil in there must be fabulous.

Perhaps I should use more Q-tips?

 One way to beat earworms is to have music playing in the real world, which I mostly do. I think they get distracted by input. I get up in the morning, grab a glass of water, and fire up Spotify or the radio. Music and morning shows, please and thank you. I’m not a fan of talk radio or podcasts in the background. Those things require attention – I save them for the bath.

Music, however, is not the only or even the biggest provider of joy. My son, my children, my family (except when I hate them), my friends (ditto), books, reading (those two things aren’t the same), my collections, plants, nature, especially forests and the ocean (the sharing of which seems to be a bit Captain Obvious. More interesting would be the profile that reads, “I hate stuffed animals, walks in the forest, and kittens.”) – all these things spark joy in me and don’t need to be Marie Kondo-ed.

Maybe the stuffies.

And occasionally the books.

The list of things that bring joy is long, something I forget when I’m in depression’s dark embrace. I should make a list and laminate it. Partly because that would be helpful but mostly because I have a laminator and love encasing things in plastic. Honestly, it’s so much fun. And useful – the CPR training card was dog-eared paper until the laminator came home.

As to what sparks the most joy, my children and family, of course. But music is tied for number two along with reading. I wish I remembered all the songs I’ve loved from forever, but forgetting lets happiness spark when an old favourite appears while looking at candles at Bath and Bodyworks.

I’m going to ignore the fact that the music of my youth is now mall Muzak.

I love that streaming services let you make collections of the music you like. Organizing also brings me joy, so my Spotify playlists are two happy places in one. I always have a current rotation list going, but that doesn’t mean I keep every song on it for always. You have to like a song if you want it in your library forever, and not every song makes the cut. [i]

The “current rotation” playlist isn’t only new music. It’s just what I want to hear most when I’m driving at this point in time. I switch things up on the regular, though most of the music is of the singable persuasion.

Car karaoke forever.

---

[i] A lot of people don’t understand ownership as it pertains to digital copies. You own a link. The link takes you to the song/movie/book you “purchase.” But, it only remains active while the provider has a contract to provide it. Should an artist remove their content, your purchase goes with them. This is why I grab hard copies of books I especially love.

---